Chapter 8
Damien
I was striding toward the conference room when I saw her—a girl stumbling out of the crowd, arms overloaded with files, papers flying everywhere.
She was falling. Straight toward me.
My instinct was to step aside. I never let employees—especially female ones—get this close. There were rules about that. Boundaries I'd maintained for years.
But then I saw her face.
And something clicked.
Without thinking, I moved forward and caught her.
The impact was soft, her body light in my arms. Files scattered across the marble floor in a cascade of white paper. She went completely limp against my chest, her head lolling back, eyes closed.
Gasps echoed through the hallway.
My employees froze, staring in disbelief. I could practically hear their thoughts: The CEO just caught her? He never lets women near him. What the hell is happening?
I looked down at the woman in my arms. Her face was pale, her breathing shallow. Dark hair had come loose from its ponytail, falling across her cheek. There was something about her features—the curve of her jaw, the shape of her lips—that tugged at my memory.
For a second—just a second—I felt like I knew her.
Then I shoved the thought aside.
"Sir?" Alex appeared at my elbow, his eyes wide. "Should I—"
"She's an employee." My voice came out colder than I intended. "Get her to the hospital."
I lifted her effortlessly and turned, depositing her into Alex's waiting arms. He nearly stumbled under her weight, but caught himself, adjusting his grip with the kind of careful efficiency I paid him for.
The hallway was still frozen. Everyone staring.
I looked at the files scattered across the floor, the papers creating a mess in front of the conference room where the Korean representatives were probably already waiting.
My jaw tightened.
Several employees immediately rushed forward, dropping to their knees to gather the documents. They cleared a path, heads bowed, not meeting my eyes.
I stepped over the remaining papers and continued toward the conference room without looking back.
Behind me, I heard the whispers start.
"Did that just happen?" A female voice, barely audible.
"He hates physical contact. Remember when that intern tried to shake his hand? She got fired on the spot."
"Why isn't Elara getting fired?"
"I think I'm actually jealous."
I kept walking.
The conference room doors opened as I approached. My assistant—not Alex, the other one—stood waiting with a tablet and a strained smile.
"Mr. Sinclair, the Korean delegation is ready for you."
I nodded and stepped inside, forcing my mind to shift gears. The girl in the hallway—whoever she was—wasn't my problem anymore. Alex would handle it.
I had a billion-dollar deal to close.
The Korean representatives stood as I entered. Three men in identical dark suits, their expressions carefully neutral. The one in the middle—Mr. Park, the lead negotiator—extended his hand.
"Mr. Sinclair. Thank you for meeting with us."
"The pleasure is mine." I shook his hand firmly, then gestured to the conference table. "Please, sit."
We settled into our chairs. My assistant distributed folders containing the contract terms we'd been negotiating for the past three months. A ten-year partnership that would give Sinclair Industries significant control over Korean manufacturing and distribution channels.
If we closed this deal, we'd control roughly one percent of Korea's annual GDP.
Not bad for a Tuesday morning.
"I trust you've had time to review our latest proposal?" I opened my folder, scanning the numbers I'd already memorized.
Mr. Park nodded. "We have. The terms are... generous."
There was a but coming. I could hear it in his tone.
"However," he continued, "the chairman has some concerns about the partnership's long-term stability."
I kept my expression neutral. "What kind of concerns?"
"Cultural ones." Mr. Park folded his hands on the table. "Our chairman believes that a man who values his family is a man who can be trusted in business. There were some... reports recently. About a hotel incident."
Ah. There it was.
Of course they'd bring up the photos.
My PR team had worked overtime to discredit them, to plant stories about AI generation, digital manipulation and malicious rumors. The damage had been reduced to the minimum.
"I understand your concern." I kept my voice steady, my expression calm. "Those reports were fabricated. Completely false. My legal team is pursuing action against the sources."
It wasn't entirely a lie. The photos were real, but no one could prove that. Not anymore.
"The Sinclair family has always maintained the highest standards of conduct," I continued. "My grandmother—our chairman—would never tolerate behavior that could damage our reputation or our partnerships."
Mr. Park studied me for a long moment. Then he nodded slowly.
"The chairman will be pleased to hear that. He values integrity above all else."
"As do I." I smiled smoothly. "Family is everything to us."
Mr. Park seemed satisfied. We spent the next hour going through contract details, negotiating minor points, building toward the final agreement.
Everything was going perfectly.
Then my phone buzzed.
I ignored it the first time. Then the second.
On the third buzz, I glanced down at the screen.
Alex: Urgent. Need to speak with you immediately.
My stomach tightened.
Alex knew better than to interrupt during a negotiation unless it was truly critical.
"Excuse me." I stood, keeping my smile in place. "I need to check an urgent message."
Mr. Park nodded. "Of course."
I stepped out into the hallway and pulled out my phone.
Alex: Sir, the employee who fainted has been examined. She's pregnant.
I stared at the screen.
Pregnant.
What? How?
Oh.
Right.
That night.
We didn't use protection. And I never saw her again. I'd assumed she'd handle it—take a pill, get a procedure, whatever women did in these situations.
Clearly, she didn't.
