Temptation & Lies

Cecilia had always prided herself on staying in control. She dictated the pace, set the rules, never let anyone rattle her. But standing in Damon Sinclair’s office, hearing those two words—You’d be mine—sent a thrill through her she couldn’t ignore.

She needed to remind herself why she was here.

He’s the enemy. He’s dangerous. He’s the story.

So why was she hesitating?

She folded her arms, arching a brow. “And what exactly does being ‘yours’ entail, Mr. Sinclair?”

Damon smirked, as if he expected her response. He leaned against his desk, watching her with the kind of patience that made her uneasy.

“It means you work closely with me,” he said smoothly. “You’ll have access to everything you need—my company, my operations, my life.”

Cecilia narrowed her eyes. “And in return?”

His gaze darkened slightly. “You tell the right stories. The ones I want the world to hear.”

There it was.

He wasn’t hiring her. He was controlling her.

Cecilia let out a short laugh. “So, you want me to be your personal PR puppet?”

Damon shrugged, unbothered. “Spin it however you like.”

She took a step closer, tilting her head. “And what if I dig deeper? What if I uncover something… you don’t want public?”

Damon’s smirk didn’t falter, but there was something sharper behind it now. Something dangerous.

“Then I suppose you’ll have a very important choice to make.”

Her pulse jumped. A warning. A challenge.

Cecilia had spent her career exposing men like him. But no one had ever offered her a front-row seat to the show.

She should say no. Walk away. Run.

Instead, she smiled.

“Fine,” she said, voice steady. “I’ll play your game, Sinclair.”

Damon’s smirk widened.

“I knew you would.”

⋆⋆⋆

By the time Cecilia left Damon’s office, her head was spinning.

Lucas was waiting for her outside, arms crossed, jaw tight. “Tell me you didn’t just agree to whatever insanity he proposed.”

She sighed, rubbing her temples. “I’m in.”

Lucas cursed under his breath. “Damn it, Ceci. This isn’t a joke. Do you even understand what you just signed up for?”

“I understand that I now have the kind of access no journalist could dream of,” she shot back. “This is how I win.”

Lucas shook his head. “You don’t win against men like Damon Sinclair. You survive them.”

She swallowed hard. He wasn’t wrong. But she had come too far to back down now.

“Then I guess I’ll just have to make sure I play the game better than him.”

Lucas exhaled, looking at her like he was memorizing her face. Like he wasn’t sure she’d make it out of this.

“If you need an out, tell me,” he said, voice softer. “I’ll get you out, no matter what.”

Cecilia gave him a small smile, but she already knew—there was no turning back.

She had made her deal with the devil.

Now she just had to survive it.

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