Damian exhaled, steadying himself. "Can we sit first? And order? Please. This is the first ti we’re having dinner anywhere outside the company."
Chloe rolled her eyes. "Whether I order or not, I’m leaving when you finish explaining. You made it very clear that we should keep our distance."
That one landed hard. His shoulders stiffened, and regret flickered in his eyes. "I know and I’m sorry," he said quietly. "I’m sorry for all I said and how I said them. I shouldn’t have said any of that. I thought I was protecting you... but I only ended up hurting you."
Chloe’s breath hitched, but she refused to let her expression soften. She remained standing for a mont longer, as if deciding whether to walk away or give him the chance to speak.
Finally she sighed, pulled out the chair, and sat.
Damian slowly sat too.
A waiter ca over, nus in hand. They ordered quietly. Nothing too heavy, nothing too fancy, both simply needing sothing to fill the silence that hung thickly between them.
When the waiter left, the table settled into a stillness that neither of them rushed to break.
Chloe finally looked at him. He seed different. He seed more vulnerable, more open, more unsure than the confident, cold designer she used to clash with daily. Sothing had changed in him, and she wasn’t sure if that made her angry or relieved.
When their als arrived and the plates were gently placed between them, Chloe set down her fork before even taking a bite.
"So, what do you want to talk about?" she asked softly but firmly.
Damian swallowed, his fingers tapping once against the table before he stopped himself. He t her gaze, and sothing raw flickered there, sothing he had never shown her before.
"Chloe..." He paused, exhaling. "I love you."
Hearing that, the fork slipped from her fingers.
But Damian continued, voice low and steady even as emotion thickened it. "I’ve always loved you. Right from when I got transferred to the headquarters and you clashed with . I’ve tried to fight it for months. I tried to treat you like a colleague, but you kept breaking through every wall I built. The way you laugh, the way you fight for what you believe in, the way you carry passion in everything you touch... I couldn’t ignore it and it beca uncontrollable when we were asked to work together."
Her eyes began to glisten instantly, but she blinked hard, refusing to let the tears fall. He’d love her? Even with those fights they’ve always had? While she was hating him, he’d loved her?
"You beca the best part of my day," he said. "Every morning, every stupid little argunt we had... You gave real challenge, and unknowingly to you, you made feel alive again. So when the rumors started, I panicked. Not because I didn’t care, but because I cared too much. Because I knew what it could do to your career. And when I saw people twisting your na, dragging your reputation into it... I couldn’t sit still. I couldn’t let them ruin you."
Chloe inhaled shakily. His voice was too gentle, too sincere, and too honest that it hurt.
"So, if you loved like you say, if you loved this much," she whispered, "then why didn’t you explain that day? Why did you tell those rumors could never be true, and that you’d make sure of it? Why didn’t you talk to instead of pushing away?"
His eyes softened with quiet pain.
"Because what they were saying was going to ruin your reputation if I didn’t do anything," he said simply. "It’s one thing for people to think we’re dating. It’s harmless since I already have my fashion house and didn’t want to leave because I needed to have you. But it’s another thing entirely for them to think you’re trying to curry favors. To think you’re being promoted because of . To think your career was built on so imaginary relationship we were yet to have."
Chloe froze.
Damian leaned forward slightly. "I didn’t want a single day of your hard work to be dismissed. I didn’t want anyone to look at your talent and think you cheated your way to the top. You deserved better."
Her heart twisted painfully.
She wanted to smile. She wanted to yell. She wanted to throw sothing at him. She wanted to kiss him. Because deep down, from the mont she saw him waiting for her tonight... her heart had already cracked open for him.
But she wasn’t going to let him know that yet.
She tried to hold on to her anger, but a tiny smile tugged at her lips before she could stop it. She hid it behind a frown instantly.
Damian noticed. The corner of his mouth softened. But he let her keep her dignity.
"And resigning?" she asked. "Why would you leave StoneTech like that? I thought you said you couldn’t leave while I wasn’t yours."
He paused, letting the truth settle in the air.
"I left because I saw I’ve already made my way into your heart but I couldn’t tell you how I felt while still working under the sa roof," he said softly. "If I confessed there, we’d be breaking the company policy and it could’ve brought out the real truth about our collaboration too. I left because I didn’t want people to think that any future success you had was tied to . I couldn’t let the company’s policies or people’s mouths control your story. So I left." He took a deep breath and continued, "If I ever tell you I love you... I wanted it to be clean. Free. I wanted you to be able to love back without paying a price for it."
She opened her mouth to speak but then sothing he said struck her. "Wait, you said sothing about not wanting people to find out the truth about the collaboration. What truth?"
Damian looked away and then smiled sheepishly. "Actually, Mrs Laurent insisted on both of us working together and sharing the sa space because I asked her for a favor."
"No, you didn’t do that," Chloe said in surprise, and he nodded.
"That was the only way I could walk into your heart," he said, matter-of-factly.
Her chest tightened, and this ti a tear actually slipped. But she quickly wiped it with the back of her hand, pretending it didn’t happen.
Damian leaned forward, desperation softening his eyes. "Chloe. I’m sorry. For hurting you. For lying to you. For leaving without telling you. For trying to protect you in the worst possible way. But please... forgive . And please... be mine. I can’t go back to pretending I don’t want you. I can’t go back to walking through life without you beside . I won’t be able to keep smiling without you."
That broke the last of her defenses.
A soft, tearful smile pulled at her lips. "You better not," she murmured, "otherwise I’ll make you pay."
Relief washed over his entire face, morphing into the warst smile she had ever seen from him.
He reached across the table, gently took her hand, and lifted it to his lips. His kiss was soft, reverent, almost trembling.
"Now," he whispered against her skin, "you’re officially mine."
And Chloe didn’t pull her hand away. Not anymore. Because, she was just as happy as he was, being his.
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