Chapter 28

Kayna’s POV

The city pulsed awake as I stepped out of the cab, my heart thrumming with it. Towering glass and steel stretched into the sky, catching the morning sun, and for a moment I just stood on the sidewalk, staring up at Marshall dynamics & Co. headquarters.

It was ridiculous, really. I’d been walking into this building for weeks before Boston. But after everything—the hospital, the attic, the letters tucked away in my nightstand—it felt like stepping into another world entirely.

I straightened my blazer, took a deep breath, and walked inside.

The familiar lobby greeted me with its polished marble floors and sleek, modern art that screamed wealth and power. The receptionist’s eyes lit up as she saw me.

“Miss Scott! Welcome back. It hasn’t been the same without you.”

Her words warmed me more than I expected. “Thank you. It feels good to be back here .”

I swiped my ID card at the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. My reflection in the mirrored walls stared back at me: hair smoothed, lipstick subtle, nerves hidden behind a composed smile. I clutched my portfolio like a lifeline.

This was it. Back to work. Back to Damian.

As the elevator doors opened, and Ava was already waiting outside Damian’s office, a coffee in each hand. She gasped the second she saw me and shoved one into my palm.

“Kayna!” she whispered loudly, practically bouncing. “You’re here! Thank God.”

I laughed, hugging her with one arm while trying not to spill the coffee. “You act like it’s been months.”

“It felt like months,” she said dramatically, then lowered her voice. “He’s been… different without you here. Moodier. Snappier. Honestly, half the floor was placing bets on when he’d finally throw someone out the window.”

I choked on my coffee, laughing harder. “Please tell me you’re exaggerating.”

Ava gave me a look. “You’ll see.” Then she leaned closer. “But… he’ll be glad you’re back. I can tell.”

Before I could respond, her phone buzzed, and she groaned. “Ugh, I’ve got to run. Meeting prep. Good luck.” She winked, then disappeared down the hall, leaving me outside Damian’s office with my pulse drumming in my ears.

I knocked softly.

“Come in.”

His voice carried through the heavy oak door, smooth but clipped. I pushed it open and stepped inside.

Damian was at his desk, sleeves rolled up, tie loosened, his pen moving briskly across a contract. His office smelled faintly of cedar and something sharper—his cologne, unmistakable and grounding.

For a moment, he didn’t look up. Then his eyes lifted, and the pen stilled.

I forgot how intense his gaze could be. It pinned me where I stood, sharp, assessing, as if he’d been waiting for me all along.

“You’re back,” he said.

It wasn’t a question.

I nodded, forcing my voice to steady. “Yes. I landed yesterday. I thought it would be best to resume right away.”

His chair creaked as he leaned back, studying me. For a heartbeat, silence stretched between us, filled only by the muffled hum of the city below.

And then unexpectedly his expression softened.

“How is your mother?”

The simple question nearly undid me. Of all the things I’d braced myself for, his critique, his cold professionalism, maybe even annoyance at my absence, I hadn’t prepared for kindness.

“She’s better,” I said, my voice gentler than I intended. “Stronger. The doctors say she just needs rest now. She was discharged three days ago. She will continue her treatment on outpatient basis for now.”

Something unreadable flickered in his eyes. Relief, maybe. Or something deeper he’d never admit.

“I’m very glad to hear that. I hope she makes a full recovery.” he said quietly.

The words hung between us, heavier than they should have been.

For a long second, we just looked at each other. The tension wasn’t the usual sharp pull of boss and assistant—it was warmer, steadier, almost like standing in sunlight after days of rain.

I swallowed, breaking the moment. “Thank you. For… the tickets. And the gift. I didn’t get to say it properly before I left.”

His jaw tightened slightly, but his eyes never left mine. “You didn’t need to.”

“I did,” I insisted. “It meant more than you know.”

Something about the way I said it seemed to shake him. His gaze lingered on me, softer now, and for the first time, I felt as though the walls of his office weren’t walls at all—they were something fragile, almost transparent, something that could break if either of us leaned too far.

But then, just as quickly, the moment was gone. He straightened, setting the pen neatly on the desk. His tone shifted back to business, though the edge of warmth still lingered.

“Good. You’ll need to catch up quickly. We have the Cosmo follow-up this week, and several clients are requesting updated proposals.”

I nodded, slipping back into my role. “I’ll be ready. I will follow up with Ava so I can get up to speed with everything.”

The day unfolded in a blur of meetings, calls, and endless emails. Ava and I worked side by side, compiling reports and updating Damian’s schedule. Every so often, I’d feel his gaze on me through the transparent window from across the room, steady and unreadable, and each time it sent a ripple through me.

At lunch, Ava leaned over, whispering, “See? Different, right? He’s actually human today.”

I smothered a smile. She wasn’t wrong. Damian still barked instructions, still worked with the precision of a man who expected the world to bend to his will—but there was something else now, a thread of patience he hadn’t shown before.

And every time our eyes met, I wondered if it was just me who felt it.

By the time the office emptied out, the city outside had shifted into twilight. I gathered my things, exhausted but oddly content. My first day back had been overwhelming, yes, but it had also reminded me why I was here.

Damian was still at his desk, typing rapidly. I hesitated at the door, unsure whether to interrupt.

Finally, I said softly, “Goodnight, Mr. Marshall.”

He looked up. For a moment, that same flicker of warmth crossed his features.

“Goodnight, Kayna.”

I carried his voice with me all the way home.

Back at my apartment, The city lights blinked outside my window as I curled up on the couch, a cup of tea warming my hands. I replayed the day in my head—the relief of seeing my mother stronger, the comfort of being back at work, the unexpected softness in Damian’s voice when he asked about her.

It shouldn’t have meant so much. But it did.

I reached for the nightstand drawer where the letters lay hidden, untouched since Boston. My fingers brushed the edge of the box, my father’s warnings echoing in my mind.

Keep them away from this world.

I closed the drawer, leaving them where they were.

Not tonight.

Instead, I thought about Damian’s eyes when he’d said he was glad.

And that, more than anything, kept me awake long after the city had gone to sleep.