Chapter 214 What do you mean, ’hasn’t been found’?
Aria’s POV
Before I could finish, she cut me off.
"I know you want to help, but I can’t let you do this." My tone was sharp. "I can handle Nathan on my own. He’s dangerous, Jennifer. I’m not letting you throw yourself into his path like this."
Nathan was a notorious playboy. Even if Jennifer thought she could manipulate him, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t be the one who got hurt.
"I don’t want you to fight alone," Jennifer said, her voice unwavering. "I don’t need to get too close to him. But since he’s still interested in me, I can use that. I can find his weaknesses. Gather information. And—"
She hesitated.
"And what?"
"And I hate him." Her voice turned cold, laced with venom. "I want to see him ruined."
A chill ran through me. I hadn’t realized Jennifer’s hatred for Nathan ran this deep.
But I understood. Nathan had humiliated her. A young woman like Jennifer couldn’t just brush that off.
"Jennifer, I promise I’ll deal with Nathan for you. But someone like him isn’t easy to take down. If you get tangled up with him, you’re the one who’ll end up hurt."
I took her hand gently, trying to reason with her.
But no matter what I said, she was determined.
"Aria, I know you’re looking out for me. But I’ll be careful. You’ve already done so much for me—I don’t want you to misunderstand. No matter how close I get to Nathan, I’m still loyal to you. Always."
Before I could stop her, she bowed quickly and ran out of the office.
I stood there, stunned.
Great. Now Jennifer was going to get herself tangled up with Nathan?
At least he wasn’t around V&A Group right now. That bought me some time.
But Jennifer was stubborn—just like me. Talking her out of this wasn’t going to work.
---
Just as I was spiraling into frustration, my phone buzzed.
My heart leapt. I thought it might be Damian.
But it was Victor.
Uncle Victor?
I answered. He told me he was nearby and wanted to meet for lunch.
Victor never reached out without a reason. Something was up.
Sure enough, when I arrived at the private dining room he’d reserved, I saw him standing on the outdoor terrace, smoking.
Victor rarely smoked. He was obsessed with health and wellness—his house had an entire wall of nutrition books, and he’d even hired a private nutritionist to train his household staff. Even his housekeeper could lecture you on the benefits of herbal tea.
"Uncle Victor."
He quickly stubbed out the cigarette and smiled. "You’re here. Come, sit."
We exchanged pleasantries, and he enthusiastically invited me to order. I wasn’t hungry, so I only picked two dishes. Victor waved his hand and added several specialty items before dismissing the waiter.
"Uncle Victor, did you need something?"
His smile faded. He hesitated, then nodded.
"Let’s eat first. We’ll talk after."
"If you don’t tell me now, I won’t be able to eat anyway," I said, meeting his eyes. My voice was calm, but my stomach was already twisting into knots.
Victor glanced at the departing waitstaff. Once they were gone, he lowered his voice.
"How are things between you and the Blackwood family right now?"
The moment he mentioned the Blackwoods, my entire body tensed.
"What are you trying to say?"
Seeing my reaction, Victor stopped beating around the bush.
"I only just heard about this myself. I wasn’t sure if I should tell you... V&A Group is about to launch that new drug, and I didn’t want you to do something rash."
"What happened?" My voice came out strained, almost breaking.
Victor exhaled heavily.
"It’s about Damian. There was an accident out at sea."
The world tilted.
I gripped the edge of the table to steady myself, my breath caught in my throat.
"What... what kind of accident?"
Victor couldn’t meet my eyes. He sighed.
"He went overboard trying to save a child. They’ve been searching, but so far... he hasn’t been found. If they can’t recover him soon, I’m worried about your alliance—"
"What do you mean, ’hasn’t been found’?"
My voice cracked as I cut him off. The moment I heard Damian had vanished into the sea, my mind went blank. Blood pounded in my ears. I couldn’t think.