Aria rubbed her forehead once again as the twins argued across the small kitchen table. Mornings in her apartment always started like this. Noise, complaints, and two boys who seemed to have endless energy. She glanced at the clock on the wall and nearly dropped the mug in her hand. "Oh my God." She rushed toward the sink, rinsing the cup quickly before turning back to them. "Boys, finish eating. We're late."
Seven-year-old Liam shoved a spoon into his mouth while Leo pointed at him accusingly. "He stole my milk."
"I did not."
"You did!"
Aria grabbed their lunchboxes from the counter and placed them on the table with a sigh. "Both of you stop fighting and eat. School bus comes soon." She moved around the kitchen quickly, braiding her hair with one hand while checking her phone with the other. A message from her manager sat at the top of the screen.
Everyone must be on their best behavior today. The CEO's son is visiting.
Aria exhaled slowly. Of course it had to be today. As if the day wasn't already chaotic enough. She walked over and kissed the twins on their heads. "Shoes. Now."
Ten minutes later she was rushing down the street with both boys beside her, their backpacks bouncing behind them. By the time she dropped them off and caught the bus to work, she was already late. Traffic crawled like it always did, and Aria kept checking the time on her phone, her stomach tightening with every passing minute.
When she finally pushed through the glass doors of the departmental store, the atmosphere inside felt different. The place looked almost polished. Shelves perfectly arranged, employees standing straighter than usual, everyone whispering to each other. Aria quickly tied her apron and clipped her name tag on.
"You're late," Maya whispered the moment she saw her.
"I know," Aria replied quietly. "Morning disaster."
"Today of all days? The CEO's son is coming."
"I heard."
Before she could say anything else, the sharp sound of heels clicking across the floor echoed behind them.
"Aria."
Aria closed her eyes for a second before turning around. The manager stood there with her arms crossed, staring at her like she had personally ruined the entire store.
"You're late."
"I'm sorry," Aria said quickly. "My kids had—"
"I don't care." The woman cut her off immediately. "You were warned about today."
"I know. I just—"
"You always have excuses."
Several employees nearby suddenly pretended to be busy with the shelves, but Aria could feel their eyes. Her face burned with embarrassment. "I'm here now," she said quietly.
The manager looked her up and down with clear disapproval. "You should consider yourself lucky you still have a job here."
Aria didn't respond. She simply walked to the cosmetics aisle and began arranging perfume boxes on the shelf. If she stayed quiet, maybe the woman would leave her alone.
But the manager followed her.
"What exactly are you doing?"
"Restocking," Aria answered without turning.
"That's not how they're arranged."
Aria frowned slightly and picked up another bottle. "That's how they've always been arranged."
"Are you arguing with me?"
"I'm not arguing. I'm just doing my job."
The manager laughed sharply. "Your job? You should be grateful you even have one."
Aria's hands stilled. She forced herself to stay calm. "I am grateful. But you don't have to speak to me like that."
The manager stepped closer, lowering her voice but making sure everyone around could still hear. "You act like you deserve respect."
Aria said nothing.
At that moment the glass doors at the front of the store slid open and several men in dark suits walked in. Employees immediately straightened. The CEO's son had arrived.
But the tension in the aisle had already caught attention.
The manager leaned closer to Aria, her voice suddenly louder. "Maybe if you had made better life choices instead of sleeping with random men, you wouldn't be struggling with two kids and no husband."
The words landed like a blow.
Aria turned slowly. "Don't talk about my children."
"Why not?" the woman scoffed. "Everyone already knows what kind of woman you are."
Something inside Aria snapped. "You have no right—"
The slap came so fast she didn't see it.
The sound echoed through the aisle and Aria stumbled backward, her foot catching the edge of the shelf. For a split second she thought she was going to crash onto the floor. But strong arms caught her before she could fall.
The grip was firm, steady.
Aria looked up, ready to thank whoever had helped her.
Then her breath caught.
The face above her was one she had tried for eight years to forget. Dark eyes. Cold expression. The same man who had disappeared from her life after one reckless night that had changed everything.
Her voice came out in a shocked whisper.
"…Damien."
The Ceo's son froze…
The name slipped from Aria's lips before she could stop it.
The man holding her stiffened.
For a brief moment, his grip on her arms tightened slightly, like he needed to steady himself as much as he was steadying her. His eyes narrowed as he looked down at her face more carefully.
Around them, the store had gone completely silent. Employees who had been pretending not to watch were now openly staring.
The manager's expression changed from anger to sudden panic when she realized who exactly had caught Aria before she fell.
"Sir—Mr. Laurent—I didn't realize—"
But Damien didn't even glance at her.
His attention remained on the woman in his arms.
'Aria' That's the name written on her cloth tag.
He slowly released her once he was sure she could stand on her own. His expression returned to that cold, unreadable calm that powerful men often wore like armor.
But his eyes trailed on her face a second longer than necessary.
"You know me?"