Bound by the Mark of Lies (BL) Chapter 106 - 101: The better choice (1)

The silence between them was sharp enough to cut. Gabriel had spent years perfecting the art of patience, asured words, and controlled expressions, but tonight his restraint had worn thin. Damian, too, stood rigid, his frustration barely hidden beneath the smooth veneer of authority. But there was sothing else beneath it all: an unspoken need, a flaw in his otherwise impenetrable armor.

Gabriel exhaled and pressed his thumb against his temple. "Where do I even begin?" His voice was quieter now, but no less bitter. "You and my family—when did you decide that my life was yours to shape? Was there ever a mont when I had a choice?"

Damian’s golden eyes didn’t waver. He didn’t deny it, didn’t retreat into half-truths. "The mont you spoke up at that hearing months ago and defied the Ministry," he said simply. "That was when you lost the luxury of choice."

Gabriel tensed, the words cutting deeper than he expected. "So that’s it?" His voice was colder now. "You decided my fate the mont I beca inconvenient?"

Damian’s jaw tightened. "No." He stepped closer, slow but deliberate. "I chose you, Gabriel."

The weight of the words settled heavily between them.

Gabriel shook his head softly, laughing without humor or warmth. "You an you claid ."

Damian’s expression darkened. "Would you rather soone else had? Would you rather take George’s offer?"

The sharp response made sothing in Gabriel still.

Damian took another step forward, his voice quieter, but the force behind it no less powerful. "You speak of being trapped, but do you think I don’t know that feeling?" His gaze was unwavering. "I’ve had power stripped from before. I know what it is to have my choices stolen."

Gabriel narrowed his eyes. "Then why do the sa to ?"

"Because I couldn’t let them have you," Damian admitted, sothing raw threading through his voice. "Not the court, not the Ministry, not the ones who would use you and leave you broken."

Gabriel scoffed. "And you think chaining to you is any different?"

Damian’s expression didn’t shift, but his voice was asured when he replied, "You’re not chained, Gabriel. You agreed to this."

Gabriel’s fingers curled into the sheets beneath him. "Did I? You offered a way out of a prison I didn’t even know I was in." His dark eyes t Damian’s, defiant. "But it turns out I just traded one cage for another."

Damian’s lips pressed together, and for the first ti that evening, he looked away. Not because he was embarrassed, but because, for once, he had no imdiate response.

The silence stretched again, thick with everything they weren’t saying.

Finally, Damian let out a slow breath, his voice softer this ti. "Then tell what you want, Gabriel." He t Gabriel’s gaze again, his golden eyes unwavering. "You think I dictate everything, but I’m standing here, asking you. Tell what you need, and I’ll listen."

Gabriel hesitated. A part of him wanted to respond to Damian’s words, to push against the weight of expectation that had been suffocating him since his return to the capital. But another part, exhausted by the gas, lies, and endless maneuvering, desired sothing different.

Honesty.

Gabriel exhaled, the anger still simring beneath his skin but no longer as hot. "Fine." He t Damian’s gaze, unflinching. "No more half-truths. No more decisions made behind my back. If I am to stand beside you, then I need to know everything."

Damian inclined his head slightly. "Then ask."

Gabriel studied him for a long mont before speaking. "Did you ever intend to let go?"

Damian didn’t hesitate. "No."

Gabriel’s breath hitched, but he wasn’t surprised. He had expected the answer. Still, hearing it spoken so plainly did sothing to him.

"Why?" he asked, quieter this ti.

Damian exhaled, as if deciding how much he was willing to admit. "Because I needed you," he said finally. "And not just for the contract. Not just for the court. You are—" He stopped himself, his jaw tightening as he forced the words out. "I won’t let you slip through my fingers, Gabriel. Not when I am only starting to understand you."

Gabriel blinked, surprised by the candor in those words.

Damian ran his hand through his hair, frustration creeping back into his voice. "I don’t know how to handle you," he admitted. "I don’t know how to make this work without making you feel trapped. But I ant what I said: I want you here. With ."

Gabriel swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. He had expected another argunt, another battle of wills. He did not expect this. Damian didn’t plead. He didn’t beg. He simply stated. And sohow, that made it feel heavier.

Gabriel let out a slow sigh and ran a hand through his black deshiveled hair, his pijama shirt rising with him. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he missed the hunger in Damian’s eyes as he looked at his exposed abdon.

"So you started planning after that call at the hearing? Gabriel finally asked, jolting Damian out of his stare.

"You could say so, but if you an being my partner at the ball, that was sothing I decided the night I gave you the option."

Gabriel’s fingers twitched where they rested on the sheets. He carefully examined Damian’s face, looking for any signs of deception. But there was none. Damian had no reason to lie, at least not to him.

"That night..." Gabriel murmured, his thoughts returning to the confrontation in Damian’s office, to the mont he was forced into a corner and given his so-called option. A bitter taste coated his tongue. "You never intended to give a choice."

"But I did. You could refuse and stick with George Claymore. You knew that George would get rid of Max’s partner if you asked."

Gabriel’s fingers tightened on the fabric of his sheets, his mind processing Damian’s words. ’George would have gotten rid of Max’s partner if I asked.’

It wasn’t a lie. It was an ugly truth.

Gabriel exhaled slowly. "And you thought that was an acceptable alternative?" His voice was low, but there was no mistaking the sharp edge beneath it.