Chapter 213 You want to use Nathan?
Aria’s POV
I made it to my office somehow, my thoughts a tangled mess.
I opened my chat with Damian again and dialed his number one more time.
Unsurprisingly, no one answered.
My chest felt tight, like someone was pressing down on my ribs. I sank into my desk chair, unable to focus on anything except those photos of Vanessa and Damian.
Just then, my office phone rang. I answered mechanically, mumbled a response, and headed to the conference room.
V&A Group was about to launch a new pharmaceutical product—something our R&D team had been developing for ten years and testing for three. It was a groundbreaking drug, and today we were meeting with international inspectors and potential investors to finalize contracts.
As CEO, I had to be there personally. The inspection couldn’t afford any mistakes—company secrets and public safety were both on the line.
But throughout the entire meeting, my mind kept drifting.
I kept thinking about the way Damian had held my hand before he left, the way he’d insisted on calling me three times a day, the way he’d promised to come back as soon as possible.
He’d told me to trust him. To wait for him.
When he came back, we were going to finalize everything—the Bonding Ceremony, the wedding. We were supposed to bind ourselves to each other completely.
The sincerity in his eyes couldn’t have been fake. I genuinely liked him—truly, deeply liked him.
It wasn’t like what I’d felt with Ethan. That had been gratitude, dependence, the comfort of being pursued.
What I felt for Damian was different. It was admiration. Attraction. Love.
I wanted to walk through life with him—no matter what lay ahead, I just wanted to be by his side.
But only if he wasn’t lying to me.
"Miss Smith?"
Someone called my name several times before I snapped back to reality. I glanced at the screen, where a proposal was waiting for my feedback.
I forced myself to focus, flipped through the documents in front of me, and rattled off a few points that needed adjustment.
When the meeting finally ended, I walked through the office and noticed Jennifer, Jennifer, Kyle, and Leo all staring at me with worried expressions.
I gave them a reassuring smile and said nothing.
---
"There’s a contract you need to see, Aria." Jennifer knocked on my office door. I told her to come in.
When she entered, I was sitting at my desk, arms crossed, staring blankly at my computer screen. I looked like I was working, but really, I was miles away.
"Aria, here are the contracts for a few projects. Can you review them?"
"Sure. Just leave them there. I’ll look at them in a bit."
My tone was calm. My expression was neutral.
But I could tell Jennifer noticed I was spinning my phone in my hand—something I never did while working. Normally, I kept my phone across the room when I was focused.
Her brow furrowed. She knew me too well.
I had a habit of masking my emotions with a calm facade. When Ethan had betrayed me, I’d never let anyone see how much it hurt. Not until the very end.
Jennifer couldn’t imagine what it took to endure years of emotional manipulation and betrayal—and still function normally, still plot revenge, still move on. I knew she admired me for it. But I also knew she worried. She didn’t want me to go through that kind of pain again. Not for any man.
"Aria."
"Hmm?"
I didn’t look up.
"Don’t take the group chat messages to heart," Jennifer said softly. "None of us know the full story. And I trust your judgment."
I finally looked up and met her eyes. She looked so earnest, so worried.
I couldn’t help but smile.
"Thanks, Jennifer. I’m fine. I don’t think Damian’s tangled up with Vanessa."
Jennifer knew me well, so I didn’t bother hiding my thoughts.
Honestly, I had felt a flicker of doubt earlier—a momentary relapse into old fears. But it passed quickly.
If those rumors were true, someone like Damian wouldn’t let photos leak in the first place.
More importantly, I trusted him. I trusted his character. His integrity. His sense of responsibility as the Alpha King.
What I didn’t understand was why he was suddenly unreachable.
What was Vanessa trying to tell me that day at the engagement party?
Why was she so confident that Damian wouldn’t let her go?
"Good," Jennifer said, visibly relieved. "As long as you’re okay. Like you always tell me—every problem has a solution."
I nodded, my smile deepening. "By the way, has Nathan been bothering you again?"
Jennifer’s expression flickered. She hesitated before shaking her head.
"But Aria... there’s something I need to tell you."
"Go ahead."
"Nathan’s interested in me."
I blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Wasn’t this old news? She’d already told me about Nathan harassing her.
Jennifer paused, then lowered her gaze.
"I want to... get close to him. On purpose."
"Jennifer, do you hear yourself right now?"
I stood up abruptly and walked over to her. Mimicking Nathan’s obnoxious behavior from before, I pressed the back of my hand to her forehead.
She stood there like a docile lamb, letting me check her temperature. Then she bit her lip.
"I know what I’m saying, Aria." Her voice was firmer now. "I’ve thought about it. Nathan’s not someone we can’t use to our advantage. He only left V&A Group temporarily—that doesn’t mean he’s done coming after you."
"You want to use Nathan?" I stared at her, genuinely surprised.