Chapter: chapter 71Damian stepped forward, his presence imposing as always. “I’m warning you, Eric. You don’t want to go down this path.”after I stood up then and walk toward Damien and now am face to face with Eric, my heart pounding in my chest. I wasn’t going to let Eric—my ex, the man who had betrayed me with my best friend—control the narrative of my life anymore. He didn’t get to decide what people knew about me, what I owed anyone. And certainly not after everything I had fought through to get here.“Damian, stop,” I said, my voice steady despite the rising tension. “I’ll handle this.”Damian looked at me, his expression unreadable. For a moment, I could see the conflict in his eyes—he wanted to protect me, but I knew this was something I had to face on my own. After everything I had been through, after all the ways I had been silenced, this was my fight now. And I was done being passive.“Eric,” I called out, stepping toward the door, my voice firm. “You’re not going to tell my story. I’m going
Last Updated: 2025-04-26
Chapter: chapter 70Evelyn povThe penthouse felt quieter tonight, the dim light from the chandelier casting soft shadows on the sleek walls. The city buzzed below, but up here, it felt like a world apart—one that was just mine and Damian’s. The kind of space where, for once, everything else could fade away. The soft clinking of glasses, the hum of the stove, and the sizzle of food in the pan were the only sounds filling the room, and even they felt like they were part of a private rhythm we’d only just begun to understand.I moved in a fluid motion as I sautéed the vegetables in olive oil, a simple but comforting dish that had come to be my way of showing Damian I cared. After everything that had happened, after the tension and misunderstandings, there was something about cooking for him that made me feel like I could finally breathe again. It was the first time in so long that I didn’t feel like I was just pretending to be something I wasn’t. Cooking for Damian was different. It was honest, like the fo
Last Updated: 2025-04-26
Chapter: chapter 69Evelyn povThe restaurant was one of those places you don’t find unless someone wants you to. Tucked between rows of elite boutiques and imported wine bars, it was all low lighting, pressed linens, and whispering waiters. I should’ve felt proud. Accomplished, even. Instead, my skin buzzed with an unease I couldn’t quite name.Damian had surprised me at the mentorship kitchen that evening, walking in like he belonged in every room—even the ones meant for me. I didn’t mind, not really. At first, I thought he came to support me. But over dinner, I started to wonder if he came to stake a claim.He’d been quiet since we sat down. Not in the way people are when they’re tired or content. It was the kind of silence that hangs off every movement. His eyes darted between me and my phone, lingered too long on my wrist where Chef Marcellus had also my complimented bracelet and of my dishes. Pride lingered in his gaze, but so did something sharper.I tried to laugh it off. “You’re quiet tonight. D
Last Updated: 2025-04-25
Chapter: chapter 68POV: Evelyn They say healing comes in waves. Mine came in chaos—cryptic messages, my ex boyfriend lies, and a man I never meant to fall for.It started with a trap. Damian and I, cornered by secrets and shadows, devised a plan to catch the ghost who had been haunting me—“E.”Even now, the memory makes my chest tighten. We whispered code words in hushed voices, mapped out decoy routes, and layered truth with just enough fiction to bait someone clever enough to stay hidden for weeks I remember how shaky my hands felt as I tied my shoelaces the morning it all began. I remember the taste of fear on my tongue, bitter and stubborn.I never expected the enemy to come from my past… from Cold Spring, where I’d spent my life trying to be invisible. E was someone I barely remembered—a former coworker from the diner. She always had something in her eyes when she looked at me. Envy, maybe. Or hatred. Maybe both. Apparently, I’d shined too quietly for her liking.just few days before we caught her
Last Updated: 2025-04-25
Chapter: chapter 67Damien povThe morning sun filtered through the tall windows of the Montgomery estate, casting a golden hue over the manicured gardens. I stood on the balcony, my gaze fixed on the figure below. Evelyn was in the garden, her hands gently tending to the roses, her movements deliberate yet distant.I watched as she paused, her shoulders slumping slightly, a silent sigh escaping her lips. The weight of recent events was evident in her posture. The anonymous notes, the public scrutiny, and the complexities of our arrangement were taking a toll on her.Descending the staircase, I made my way to the garden. The scent of blooming flowers greeted me, a stark contrast to the tension that lingered in the air.“Evelyn,” I called softly.She turned, her eyes meeting mine. There was a vulnerability in her gaze that I hadn’t seen before.“I thought some time in the garden might help clear my mind,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.I nodded, stepping closer. “It’s a beautiful morning.”Sh
Last Updated: 2025-04-24
Chapter: chapter 66Evelyn povThe night air at the Montgomery estate was cool, but it did nothing to settle the heat rising in my chest.The engagement party was over. The guests had filtered out, their designer perfumes lingering in the air like ghosts of expectations. But my thoughts were louder than any violin melody we’d faked smiles to during the evening.The massive oak doors to the ballroom shut behind us with a soft, resounding thud, but the silence between me and Damian? That was deafening.I stood at the foot of the grand staircase, clutching my clutch too tightly as I turned to him. “Are we going to talk about this?”His eyes flickered to me for a split second, then away again. “About what?”“About us, Damian.”He loosened his bow tie with one hand and sighed as though I’d just asked him to solve global warming with a toothpick. “Evelyn, we’ve had a long night.”I stepped in front of him, blocking his path toward the hallway. “Exactly. A long night of pretending to be engaged. A long night of
Last Updated: 2025-04-23
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