Chapter 1.

Aria's POV.

‘Wow! Here comes the D-Day that I will finally be meeting him.’

Damon Kessler!

The man that disappeared from my life a few years ago without leaving a blueprint.

I sighed as I re- checked my make-up and outfit that they are all blameless umpteenth times through the mirror.

Everything needs to be on point. It has taken me close to three months of work to get here. People that needed to be tipped, people that I needed to be friends with just to know more about him.

“Aria you can't afford to fluff this chance. This is definitely once in a lifetime.” I muttered to myself through the mirror.

Since the last time, I saw his face on the front cover of the most popular magazine as one of the youngest under thirty CEOs in New York. I had gathered enough information to get close to him.

And now, it is finally here. A few days back my P.A, Bernice had rushed into my office and delivered the best news of the year. No, the best news of my life. Damon Kessler is holding a gala and charity event for his orphanage arm of Kessler Conglomerates.

I knew it was time to make the god move.

I had jokingly threatened her that she must get me an I.V to this event or else she should kiss her job goodbye.

Good girl, she had come back the following day and dropped the IV in on my table, rolling her eyes playfully.

I patted her and tipped her for being a fantastic P.A and doing a great job.

I checked my time and I knew the event would commence by nine pm. Invariably I still had an hour to beat the traffic and get there on time.

Neon light and different advertisement light beam through the windshield as I sat at the back of the car and the car sped on.

I reflected on the growth I had made in the last few years. From a fat chubby girl, with nerdy glasses that no guy wants to even communicate with, to a young captivating entrepreneur with one of the fastest growing real estate companies in New York.

To be candid, guys are coming, pushing for a relationship. A lot of them sound fake, few smell genuine. But none of them click a thing in my head like this guy, Damon Kessler.

Everything started roughly five years ago. I was about to celebrate my seventeenth birthday when Mila, my childhood friend, convinced us to go hold a private birthday celebration at Springfield river at the last hour against our initial agreement of going to see a movie. A river not too far away from our house where people gathered for a picnic or memorable events.

We didn't want to invite any of our classmates. And if they come, they are coming for me. They are coming to make a mess of me.

Names like ‘Ugly Betty’ and utterances like ‘you need two seats’ were words that I have grown up to be used to .

I was fat and unattractive to guys. The only thing that had kept me going was Mila and my studies. We have been friends since age five. Though Mila had a couple of male attentions, she had intentionally renounced them because of how they treated me. Because of how some of them get under my skin.

We had almost arrived at the spot setting everything down for the celebration when Mila came up with another idea that we should go on a little fishing adventure.

Stupidly, I had agreed too. Borrowed some fishing hooks from the local fisher men nearby and had trekked a longer distance walking on log of woods to where we thought we would catch a medium size fish or something close to our aspirations.

Until the inevitable happened.

I slipped. I fucking slipped.

The torrential flow of the river swept me off.

I was a horrible swimmer.

What about Mila? Don't let me go there.

Both of us were guilty of skipping swimming classes in elementary schools. No thanks to Mr Sam's strictness.

“Help!” I had bellowed ceaselessly as the water current swept me by Mila and my little dog, Pronto. They both followed the side of the river shouting ceaselessly.

I had drunk enough water and was almost lifeless, still carried off by the stubborn river current when suddenly Damon Kessler showed up.

I could forget everything about him but his taste on my lips to breath in air and revive me still lingers in my mind.

“Ma’am, we are at the venue,” My driver utterances sliced through my memory like a hot knife through butter.

Then I stepped out, there it was the Keller Foundation Gala in all its glory.

I breathed in and out three times. Stepped out of the car. Camera flashes from the paparazzi flares.

I strolled past the velvet rope like I belonged there.

Inside it smells of wealth and vintage champagne. Chandelier twinkled like frozen fireworks.

People with tuxedos and couture gowns laughed into their glasses of wine.

Then I grabbed a champagne flute from one of the waiters and then scanned the room.

Then I saw him. The man of the hour.

Damon Kessler.

Standing in a tailored midnight blue suit that probably cost more than my car. He was taller, breathtakingly handsome. And every feature that had endeared me to him the first we met was still intact.

From his white glittering spacious gap teeth, to feminine voice and intimidating muscular frame.

Then he looked up. Straight at me. Then our gaze locked on each other.

This is it Aria, you have gone too far to freeze now.

I took a breath. Swirled my Champagne in my glass round and I walked to him like an old friend catching up.

“Mr Kessler,” I said, soft but clear. “ I hope I am not interrupting, but I have waited three months to have a conversation with you. I figured it is now or never.”