Chapter 7 Secrets Behind Closed Doors

The penthouse was eerily silent after Damien left, the only sound being the faint hum of the city outside. Aurora stood in the middle of the living room, arms crossed, staring at the door he had just walked through.

Something wasn't right.

The way his entire demeanor had shifted after that phone call... it had sent a chill down her spine.

Damien Lexington wasn't just a billionaire CEO-he was something more. Something darker.

Aurora wasn't naïve. She knew that men like Damien didn't build empires without making enemies. But the look in his eyes just before he left? That wasn't the expression of a man dealing with business as usual.

No. That was the look of a man about to go to war.

She sighed, sinking onto the couch.

What had she gotten herself into?

A one-night stand. That was all this was supposed to be. A reckless, passionate night that she could walk away from.

But now?

Now she was carrying his baby, living in his penthouse, and questioning whether she even knew the father of her child at all.

Her fingers tapped against her thigh, restless energy buzzing through her. She needed to do something. Anything.

And since Damien wasn't giving her answers, maybe she needed to start looking for them herself.

Exploring the Penthouse

Aurora pushed herself up from the couch and glanced around the massive penthouse.

She hadn't had the chance to really take it in before. Now, with Damien gone, she had the perfect opportunity.

Slowly, she moved through the space, her fingers brushing against the sleek marble countertops in the kitchen, the leather of the pristine couches, the towering bookshelves filled with titles that looked barely touched.

Everything about this place screamed power. Control. Precision.

Just like its owner.

Her feet carried her toward the hallway leading to his bedroom. She hesitated for half a second before stepping inside.

The room was massive, the floor-to-ceiling windows offering a breathtaking view of the city skyline. The bed-large and impossibly perfect-looked like something out of a luxury magazine.

But it wasn't the bed that caught her attention.

It was the door slightly ajar on the other side of the room.

A study? A private office?

Aurora chewed her lip. She shouldn't.

But curiosity was a dangerous thing.

And right now? It was winning.

Behind the Door

The office was immaculate.

A massive mahogany desk dominated the room, covered in neatly stacked documents. A sleek laptop sat in the center, its screen black.

Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with books, files, and a few decorative pieces that looked too carefully placed.

This was Damien's world.

Aurora's fingers skimmed the edges of a file sitting on the desk. She shouldn't snoop-but something inside her whispered that she needed to.

She flipped it open.

Her breath caught in her throat.

Inside was a list of names. Some she recognized-high-profile businessmen, politicians, corporate executives. Others were unfamiliar.

At the top of the page, bold and undeniable, was a heading that sent a chill down her spine:

Lexington Enterprises: Risk Assessment Report.

Her stomach twisted.

Why did Damien have a file assessing risks on people?

Her fingers turned the page, revealing dossiers-detailed information about each person listed. Their financial records, business ventures, weaknesses.

This wasn't just business.

This was leverage.

And Damien Lexington?

He wasn't just a billionaire.

He was a man who knew everything about everyone.

Aurora's pulse pounded in her ears as she flipped to the next page-until her eyes landed on something that made her freeze.

Her own name.

Aurora Sinclair – Status: Pending

Her heart stopped.

What the hell did that mean? Pending for what?

Before she could turn another page, a deep, dangerous voice cut through the silence behind her.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to go through someone else's things?"

Aurora spun around so fast that her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.

Damien stood in the doorway, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

But his eyes?

His eyes were burning.

A Dangerous Game

Aurora's breath was shallow as she clutched the file in her hands.

"I-" she started, but no words followed.

Damien took slow, deliberate steps toward her, the air thick with tension.

He reached out, his fingers closing around the file. Aurora didn't resist as he gently pulled it from her grasp and shut it.

Then, he looked at her.

His gaze was intense. Calculating.

"You've been busy," he murmured.

Aurora swallowed hard. "I just-"

"Wanted to snoop?"

She bristled. "I wanted to know what kind of man I'm dealing with."

Damien let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. "And? What have you learned?"

She lifted her chin, refusing to let him intimidate her. "That you're not just a billionaire businessman. You collect information on people. You know their secrets, their weaknesses." She took a breath. "And you have a file on me."

Something flickered in Damien's expression-something dark.

"Yes," he admitted, his voice calm. "I do."

Aurora's stomach twisted. "Why?"

He tilted his head slightly. "Because you became a variable in my life the moment you walked into that hotel suite."

Her pulse skipped. "A variable?"

Damien stepped closer, closing the remaining distance between them.

"You were supposed to be a one-night distraction," he murmured, his gaze dropping to her lips for just a fraction of a second before locking onto her eyes again. "But then you got pregnant."

His fingers brushed against her wrist, featherlight but intentional.

"You changed everything, Aurora."

A shiver ran down her spine.

His presence was overwhelming, suffocating in the most dangerous way.

Aurora's voice was barely above a whisper. "What do you want from me, Damien?"

His hand lifted, gently brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Everything."

Her breath hitched.

Damien leaned in, his voice low and dangerous.

"But the real question, Aurora... is are you ready for what that means?"