Amira barely slept.
She lay on her bed in the small office upstairs, staring at the ceiling, heart heavy. Downstairs, Damian Cole, the man who once called her worthless was sleeping under her roof. Or maybe not sleeping.
She got up quietly, walked down barefoot, and peeked into the guest area. He hadn't moved much. He was curled on the couch like a man hiding from the world. The white bandage around his shoulder was already stained. His shirt lay folded beside him. His chest rose and fell, slow and shaky.
He looked… human.
Not the arrogant billionaire she once hated. Just a man with nothing.
She shook her head and turned back. But before she could walk away, his voice came hoarse and low.
"You came to check on me."
She froze.
"No, I didn't," she replied.
He gave a soft laugh. "Of course not."
She turned slowly. He was awake now, his eyes half open. Tired, but alert.
"What exactly happened, Damian?" she asked. "How does a man like you end up like this?"
He didn't answer at first.
Then he sat up slowly, wincing in pain.
"You remember Felix?" he asked.
"Your best friend? Your right-hand man?"
He nodded. "He betrayed me. Slowly. Smartly. While I was busy flying jets and giving interviews. He was forging signatures, selling shares behind my back, moving investors to his side."
Amira's brows raised. "You didn't notice?"
"I didn't care," he said quietly. "I trusted him. I thought I was untouchable."
Silence fell between them.
Then he looked up at her. "You must be enjoying this."
She didn't answer.
"Finally seeing the great Damian Cole crushed," he continued, voice bitter. "Sleeping on your couch. Asking you for help. After everything I said to you."
"Honestly?" she said, walking closer. "I thought I would enjoy it. But I don't."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm not like you."
He looked away.
She watched him for a moment, then asked, "So what's your plan now?"
He laughed quietly. "No plan. I'm just trying to survive tonight."
"You still have money somewhere."
He shook his head. "All frozen. Government's involved now. Investigations, scandals. They think I was part of it."
Amira sighed and rubbed her face.
This was too much.
This man had once told the press she was "a rich girl who wouldn't last in a real business war." He had mocked her small fashion brand on live TV.
And now, he was asking her what to do with his life.
She should have kicked him out already. But her heart refused.
"Alright," she said at last. "You can stay here."
He looked at her quickly.
"One week," she continued, raising her finger. "No more."
Damian blinked. "Why are you helping me?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "Maybe because I've been broken too. Maybe because no one helped me either."
She turned away, but not fast enough. She saw the tears in his eyes.
The next morning, Amira was up early. She had a delivery to sort, clients to call, and a design deadline in 48 hours. Business didn't stop for heartbreak, betrayal, or fallen billionaires.
She came downstairs dressed in black jeans and a plain white shirt. Damian was already awake, standing quietly by the window, wearing one of her late brother's old hoodies.
"You look like someone who just finished NYSC," she teased.
He smiled faintly. "It's warmer than it looks."
She walked past him toward the kitchen. "There's bread and tea if you want. Just don't burn my building."
He chuckled. "Yes, ma."
They ate quietly. For the first time, the silence between them wasn't heavy, it was real.
"So," she said, sipping her tea, "you really have nowhere to go?"
He nodded. "Everyone I helped turned their backs. And the press is watching."
She paused. "If the media finds you here…"
"They won't," he said quickly. "I haven't told a soul."
She looked at him.
Damian Cole. The mighty. The cold. The untouchable.
Now humbled. Soft-spoken. Alone.
She still didn't trust him. But something inside her whispered: Maybe people really do change…
Later that day, as Amira prepared for a client meeting, she heard him quietly sweeping the boutique floor. She paused.
"Why are you doing that?" she asked.
He shrugged. "I wanted to be useful."
She smiled to herself.
Maybe letting him stay wouldn't be the worst decision she ever made. But she would keep her heart locked. Because a man like Damian Cole didn't just change overnight.
And Amira Bello didn't plan to be hurt again.