Chapter One: The Pasts Always Comes Crawling

The bar was super dimly lit, and the sound of low chatter and clinking glasses filled the atmosphere. I felt drained as I moved through the crowd, my tray in one hand. After everything my father lost, I didn’t have much choice.

I had just set a drink down when a voice, smooth and familiar, slid over my skin.

“I never thought I’d see you here, Celeste.”

I turned and froze.

Damien Kane was seated at the corner booth with a glass filled with bourbon, his unknown eyes locked on me, lingering on the hem of my dress, barely brushing the top of my thighs with my long legs exposed and flattering.

I swallowed, forcing my pulse to slow. “And yet, here you are.”

His gaze flicked over my uniform, something dark flashing behind his cool exterior. “What’s a woman like you doing in a place like this?”

My lips curved into an amused smirk, carefully masking the pain of his remarks.

’’Working’’

“This isn’t you,” he said, leaning forward slightly.

I shrugged. “It is now.”

He studied me for a long moment before setting his drink down. “Come work as my personal assistant. I need one.”

I let out a short laugh. “And why would I do that?”

“Because you’re wasting yourself here.” His voice dropped lower, calculated, knowing. “And because you don’t have a better option.”

Damn him.

I hesitated, my pride wounded with the truth.

Finally, I exhaled. “Fine. I’ll work for you but on the condition that our past is never brought up.”

His smirk was slow, knowing. “Perfect.”

I told myself it was just a job. But looking at Damien Kane, I knew nothing about him was ever simple.

The sun had barely risen, sending long golden rays through the tall windows of the office.

I was already there, sitting at my desk, the city noise outside, a soft hum as I focused on my work. The room smelled of fresh paper, expensive coffee, and the light scent of my perfume, a smooth mix of jasmine and vanilla.

I was dressed in a sharp blazer that accentuated my curves without overdoing it. My pencil skirt hugged my hips, and my heels made soft clicks on the smooth floor with every step. Professional. Neat. I started working weeks ago, but Damien was coming to the office today, and I wasn't sure how to react when I saw him.

Never have I been the type to let my looks speak for me, but today…today, I knew I had to be sharp.

Damien had a way of making everything personal, turning work into a fight. And today, the battle was my own heart.

"Girl, you need to breathe before you set this place on fire with all that tension."

I turned to see Maya, my closest friend and the only person in this office who knew me beyond the sharp edges I showed everyone else.

She stood in the doorway with a steaming cup of coffee clutched tightly in one hand, her wild curls tied up in a loose bun. Maya rocked killer high-waisted pants paired with a silky blouse and heaps of gold bling that made her shine."I have no idea what you’re talking about," I said, rolling my eyes as I sipped my coffee.

Maya smirked, stepping further inside. "Oh please, Celeste. Do you think I don’t see the way you’ve been fidgeting? And let’s not even start on the blazer. You only wear that one when you want to look untouchable. What’s going on?"

I sighed, leaning back in my chair. "Damien."

Maya audibly whistled, long and deep, before she took a seat at my desk. "You mean Mr. Tall, Dark, and Infuriating? What did he do this time?"

Before I could answer, The door opened with a sharp click, breaking my focus. I looked up to see Damien standing there, his presence filling the room like a dark storm.

His suit fit his broad shoulders as always. There was something wild in how he stood, his posture stiff, his jaw tight. It was like he was fighting himself, holding back something deep inside.

"Meet me in the office," he said, his voice rough, almost like a growl, as his eyes moved over me from head to toe. It was the same look he always gave me, but today, there was something more, something hidden, something dangerous.

I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I leaned back in my chair, letting my fingers slide over the desk. I knew how I looked to him.

Slowly, I stood, smoothing down my skirt with deliberate grace before turning toward his office. My heels clicked softly against the floor, my hips swaying in a way I knew he noticed. His gaze was on me, hot, relentless as if tracing every curve, every movement.

Damien’s eyes darkened, the same fire sparking in them.

The air between us was tense.

My fingers tightened around the desk’s edge, my pulse hammering despite my resolve. I told myself to look away, to breathe, but his eyes held me captive."

"You called me here for work," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, but even I could hear the small shake in it. “I’m here to do my job, Damien."

He stepped closer, his heavy steps loud in the quiet room. The air felt thick between us, heavy with things unsaid. "You think you can just show up looking like this?" He waved a hand at me, his voice hoarse. “You think I can just… act like nothing ever happened?"

His gaze burned into my lips, tracing them like a silent command. Soft red, full, and plush, the kind that made men falter, My tongue flicked over them, unthinking, and his jaw clenched, tension coiling tight, at that moment, I knew he wasn’t thinking about the past. He was thinking about what it would feel like to kiss me now.

The Damien I had once known, the one who could effortlessly make me breathless with a single touch, is now here in front of me, more powerful than ever before.

I stood up, my heels clicking against the floor and cutting through the silence as I walked towards him.

His scent of wood and leather, warm and deep, filled the air, wrapping around me. I swallowed hard, pushing down the feelings rising inside me. "I don’t expect anything from you," I said, my voice firm but shaking just a little. "I’m here to work, Damien. Nothing more."

He let out a dark chuckle, a sound that sent a shiver through me. "Always the ice queen, Celeste," he murmured, his eyes never leaving mine. "But you can’t hide from me. Not this time."

Before I could reply, he took a step forward, quick and sure. My breath caught as his hand brushed my arm. The touch was light, but it sent a spark through me, setting something deep inside me on fire.

"Don’t act like you don’t feel it, Celeste," he whispered, his voice low and full of something dangerous. "This tension. This… pull between us. It never really left, did it?"

The space between us buzzed with something strong, something real. I wanted to push him away, to stay calm.

"The woman I was back then would have melted at his voice, at the way he looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered. But that girl was gone, buried beneath the lessons life had forced me to learn."

Deep inside, I could still feel a part of her waiting.

"I don’t have time for this, Damien," I said, my voice cutting through the thick air between us. "I’m not the same woman you once knew. I won’t be used."

Maya knocked, entered the office, and cleared her throat loudly, breaking the moment.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Celeste, we have that morning briefing, remember?" Maya came to rescue me.

I blinked, stepping back. "Right. The briefing."

For a moment, I thought he might say something, but then the office door opened again. My eyes flicked over in surprise.

A woman stood in the doorway. She was tall, with sleek black hair, bold features, and cold, piercing eyes. Her dress was perfect, made for someone with money. But her gaze burned with something I couldn’t quite name.

I froze. She looked… familiar, but I couldn’t place her right away.

She stepped forward, her eyes shifting between Damien and me, pausing just a little too long before she gave a tight, controlled smile.

"Celeste," Damien’s voice was softer now, but it didn’t help the storm inside me. "You look like you’ve seen a ghost."

The past had a cruel way of creeping back in, no matter how much I tried to bury it.

Six months. That was how long I had been trapped in Damien’s world on that cursed cruise ship. Six months of stolen kisses under moonlit skies whispered promises under the stars. He had made me believe in forever. He had made me believe in him. And then, he was gone.

No warning. No goodbye. Just an empty cabin and a hole in my heart.

And now, here he was again, manipulative and ever-plotting.

"Celeste," the woman said, her voice cold but polite. "I didn’t know you worked for my husband."

I blinked, finally recognizing her. My breath caught. The shock hit me hard.

This was Celia Damien’s wife.

But that wasn’t what shook me the most.

This woman, This Celia was also my foster sister.

Her eyes locked onto mine, sharp and piercing. She knew exactly who I was, but she wasn’t pretending otherwise. The realization hit me like a blow. I hadn’t seen Celia in years, not since life had pulled us apart.

She looked me over, her gaze cold and careful, before she said, “I didn’t know you were in town. Celeste.

I nodded, my heart pounding.

“Well," Celia went on, her voice smooth, “Damien and I should talk later. Come by my office later. We have a lot to discuss.”

It wasn’t a request. It was a command.

A heavy silence filled the room as I nodded, still trying to process what was happening.

As Celia turned and walked away, leaving me alone with Damien, I felt the weight of everything settle on me. My mind spun with questions, and I couldn’t focus.

I wasn’t ready to face Celia.

"Celeste," Maya murmured beside me, her voice low with warning, Her brows furrowed as she glanced at me. " do you recognize her?" she asked,

I swallowed hard. "Yeah," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "I do." I never thought that Damien’s wife, Celia Kane, was also my foster sister, Celia Lucas

I wasn’t sure I was ready to face whatever twisted game was unfolding around me, had Celia known I was working for Damien?.. Did Damien Know Celia was my foster sister, or was this purely a coincidence?