Chapter 5

The woman Cillian had...brought for him? Hearing those words, Bellatrix's heart skipped a beat and she snapped her gaze in Cillian's direction, only to be met with a cold, indifferent expression like a stone statue. There was no reaction or any effort to refute what the stranger had just said. Seeing this, her heart clench and her body trembled ever so slightly. As if on cue, the stranger stood up and approached her. Thanks to his long legs, he was in front of her in seconds. His gaze fell on her and it scanned her entire body in an invasive manner. At her side, Bellatrix's hands clenched. She had never felt more uncomfortable in her life. She looked at Cillian and when their eyes met again, the message in his gaze was clear as day; 'If you mess this up, your father’s company is finished'. Ah, So that was how it was; she thought bitterly. Fine then, if it was for the sake of her father's company, then she was willing to play along no matter what. Pleasing one measly client was nothing to her. Swallowing the bile rising in her throat, Bellatrix took a step closer and immediately looped her arm around the man’s wrist, hesitantly, but purposefully bringing her chest closer to his arm. The man must not have expected such a reaction, because he stared down at her with narrowed eyes. When Bellatrix saw the way he was staring at her, she gave him a bright smile. “Sir, judging by the way you're looking at me, you seem very satisfied, am I right?” She said as she tilted her head in an almost innocent, yet seductive manner. The stranger's reaction was immediate. He laughed. And as Bellatrix looked at him more closely, she realized—he was indeed quite handsome. Not at all Cillian’s type, but not someone she instinctively disliked either. Leaning in closer, she carried on. “Looks like I was right. So, about the contract with our company…” “Shhh—” The man raised a finger to her lips, silencing her as he turned to Cillian, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. “Your woman is quite interesting, Cillian." He said, "So tell me, how do you want to cooperate?” It was a simple question, one that Cillian could have responded to with a simple answer, but much to Bellatrix's surprise, she watched as Cillian's eyes darkened, gaze flickering from the strangers' face, to the arm Bellatrix had wrapped around the strangers' arm. His gaze lingered there before meeting hers. At the very last second, Bellatrix stopped herself from flinching as it felt as though Cillian's glare could burn a hole straight through her. Was he… jealous? She frowned. But he was the one who had sent her here. What right did he suddenly have to act this way? Gritting her teeth, Bellatrix held his stare. She may be at his mercy now, but that didn't mean he could act however he wanted and she'd quietly bow her head. For what felt like an eternity, Bellatrix held his gaze, the room quiet with thick tension. Then suddenly, Cillian spoke, “Damien, about the development project in the northern district— have you given it any more thought?” His gaze returned to man in particular, but Bellatrix would occasionally catch it lingering on her hand. She paid it no mind. The only thing she had to focus on was pleasing this client and making sure her father's company was saved. “Cillian, personally, I’d love to work with you,” The stranger, Damien, as Bellatrix now knew his name was, said with a laid-back tone. “But as you know, our company has a few stubborn old-timers stuck in their comfort zones. They’re too afraid to take risks. So, unfortunately, even though I want to, my hands are tied.” He sighed in mock regret, but the smile tugging at his lips was arrogant and wild. The corners of Cillian’s eyes twitched and his expression turned stormy. Sensing the tension, Bellatrix quickly nestled into Damien’s embrace and leaned in closer to whisper in his ear, “Damien, the night is still young. We’ll have plenty of time to talk business. I know a place where we can both unwind. How about it?" The moment Cillian heard those words and witnessed the scene in front of him, his gaze unconsciously tightened again and his jaw clenched. Bellatrix, who was pressed against the man's chest, didn’t miss his reaction, but once again, she decided not to pay any mind to it, when suddenly, Cillian stood up and approached her, reaching his hand out to pull her away from Damien. However, before his fingers could wrap themselves around her arm, Damien had already slipped an arm around her waist, his movements smooth and deliberate as he took a casual step back and offered Cillian a cool smile. “I’ll give your proposal some serious thought,” he said, his tone light but laced with subtle challenge. Then, glancing at the woman beside him, his smile deepened. “As for this beautiful lady’s offer—I accept it. You don’t mind if I steal her away for a bit of fun, do you, Cillian?” Cillian's expression darkened, the glint in his eyes near intimidating and the tension in his stance obvious. He took another step forward, but before he could answer, Bellatrix swiftly cut in. Putting herself between both of them, she placed her hand on Damien’s chest and offered him a dazzling smile. “My boss doesn’t mind at all, we can leave whenever you're ready.” She answered, earning a lopsided grin from him before he stretched out his hand, offering it to her. "Then, let's not waste anymore time." With a slight nod, Bellatrix slipped her hand into his, the gesture as natural and practiced as if she was born to do so. As she began leading the way out of the VIP room, she took one last glance over her shoulder at Cillian, whose piercing eyes were glued to her and the hand that was intertwined with the man's. Bellatrix had no idea why he was looking at her like that, but as soon as their gazes met, she noticed how the look in his eyes changed ever so slightly. However, before she could identify it, the look was gone and the door closed behind her, cutting off her view. The moment they were outside, she sighed and immediately retracted her hand, taking a step away from him as she rubbed her chest. Seeing the way she acted, Damien couldn't help but let out a small laugh. He was a good head taller than her, thus, she had to tilt her chin up slightly to look at him, her eyes filled with caution as they met the familiar golden glow of his. "Long time no see, Damien." She said, her voice a perfect mixture of politeness and professionalism. Upon hearing her words, Damien's eyes seemed to light up with interest and his smirk widened. "Oh, so you do recognize me?" How could she not? If she were to be honest, at first, she hadn't recognized him. But then, she saw those rare eyes of his—golden with a touch of green—and there was no doubt that it was him. The same scrawny teenager she had helped during her first year of college. Now, he was a tall, broad shouldered man, with a devilish smile, one hell of an appearance and the air of a man who had conquered the world and was ready for the next. He was definitely not the same boy who had once needed her help to fend off bullies. Yet, she knew from the moment she recognized him that he wouldn't hurt her, that was what gave her the confidence to approach him. But to think the scrawny teenager she had helped was someone of importance...if only she had known back then. Sighing, something she was doing an awful lot as of late, Bellatrix met Damien's gaze again and said. "You've certainly changed a lot since the last time I saw you." "Well, a lot can happen in ten years." He mused and once again, allowed his gaze to travel her entire body. Bellatrix shivered, but she wasn't sure if it was because of his eyes, or the night wind that caressed her skin. "You too, you've changed quite a bit," Damien said and scoffed. "However, I can't say it's for the better." His words were like a punch to the gut, Bellatrix however, did not respond to them. Taking her silence as a greenlight, He continued. "Ah, to think you rejected me all those years ago, for a future like this...a future with an arrogant bastard like Cillian." He shook his head in disappointment, but Bellatrix looked him straight in the eyes unfazed. "So? Everyone has their fate to face, perhaps mine was never with you." Her response left him speechless and for a little while, his steps slowed. However, he was by her side in seconds, matching her pace once again as he asked. "Fate, huh? Tell then, what's the fate of your marriage with Cillian? You're gonna divorce that scumbag?" Leaning closer beside her, he added. "Perhaps this is meant to be our fate, you becoming my wife after you've divorced Cillian-arrogant-ass. What do you say?" Bellatrix chuckled slightly. If it had been in the past, she would have smacked the head of whoever it is insulting Cillian. But now, hearing those insults brought her a weird sense of relief. "Sure, If that's meant to be our fate, then sure." She replied without putting too much thought into it, because she knew such a thing would never become reality. The remainder of her life was far too short for it too. "I was just joking." Damien said, "Way to give in too easily and kill the fun." Bellatrix flashed him a tight lipped smile before he continued. "I'll send you the cooperation contract later. Right now," Sighing dramatically, he placed his hand over his chest. "I need to find myself a beautiful woman to ease this bruised heart of mine." Bellatrix chuckled once again, but much like the previous one, it sounded void. Fake and forced. "Thank you Damien." She said. He nodded, his gaze drifting to the side as they walked. From the corner of his eye, he studied her—really studied her. There was something different about her now. Her posture, the way her skin had lost its glow, the tired glint in her eyes. Noticing how she had been rubbing her chest for quite a bit, he was just about to ask if she was okay when— Bellatrix suddenly swayed. Before he could react, her knees buckled and she crumpled to the floor.