Aria POV
"And now you think you’ve won everything." Vivian’s smile turned vicious. "The company, the revenge, even Damien. But you haven’t won, Aria. Not yet."
"What’s that supposed to an?"
"It ans you’re not the only one who can play gas." She headed for the door. "I’ll take everything from you. Starting with Damien."
"He doesn’t want you."
"Are you sure?" She looked back. "Because four years ago, I had him. And I can have him again. n like Damien don’t change, Aria, they just get better at lying."
She left before I could respond as I stood there, her words echoing in my head. n like Damien don’t change.
Was she right? Was I fooling myself thinking he was different now?
My phone buzzed with a text from Damien. How did the eting go? Are you okay?
I stared at the ssage, Vivian’s words still ringing in my ears.
Another text ca through.
I’m here when you’re ready to talk. No pressure. Just want you to know I’m thinking about you.
And then a third ssage.
Noah wants to know if we can have movie night tonight. He’s requesting popcorn and "the funny bunny movie." Whatever that ans.
Despite everything, I smiled. Maybe Vivian was wrong. Maybe Damien had changed or maybe I was just desperate to believe it.
I texted back. eting was brutal but necessary. Be ho in an hour. Tell Noah the funny bunny movie is a yes.
His response was imdiate.
I’m proud of you. Whatever happened, I’m proud of you for facing it.
I sat down, staring at my phone, feeling sothing crack open in my chest. He was proud of . Not because I was successful or powerful or ruthless.
But because I’d faced my demons. Maybe that’s what I’d needed to hear all along.
That Evening
I walked into the penthouse exhausted, emotionally drained, ready to collapse.
"Mama!" Noah launched himself at from the living room. "We’re gonna make popcorn! The kind with butter!"
I caught him, breathing in his little-boy scent. "Sounds perfect, baby."
Damien appeared from the hallway, concern in his eyes. "Are you okay?"
"I will be." I set Noah down. "Why don’t you go pick out the movie? Daddy and I need to talk for a minute."
"Okay!" Noah ran toward the TV, already chattering about bunnies.
Damien pulled into his arms. "What happened?"
"I destroyed my parents." The words ca out flat. "Took everything. Made them beg and sent them away broken."
"And how do you feel?"
"Empty." I pressed my face into his chest. "It should feel good, right? Justice served, revenge complete. But it just feels... empty."
"That’s because you’re not them." His hand stroked my hair. "You’re not cruel. You were protecting yourself, but it cost you to do it."
"Vivian showed up." I pulled back to look at him. "Said she’s going to take everything from , starting with you."
His expression darkened. "She said that?"
"She thinks you haven’t changed. That you’ll go back to her eventually." I searched his face. "Will you? Go back to her?"
"Never." The word was fierce. "Aria, look at . I’d rather die than co close to Vivian again. The thought of her makes sick."
"She’s beautiful."
"She’s nothing compared to you." His hands frad my face. "You’re brilliant and strong and real. She’s just... shallow. I can’t believe I ever" He shuddered. "I must have been blind and drunk and stupid."
"I keep thinking about that day," I said quietly. My fingers twisted in the fabric of his shirt. "Our wedding reception. Walking in and seeing you with her."
Damien’s jaw tightened. His hands dropped from my face to my shoulders, steadying . "Aria"
"When I wore that wedding dress, I rember looking at myself in the mirror that morning, thinking maybe things would be different after we were married. That maybe you’d finally see ."
"I’m so sorry."
"I wore perfu. Sothing floral, you always said you loved floral scent" I laughed, but it ca out broken. "Stupid, right? Like perfu would make you notice ."
His grip tightened. "It wasn’t stupid, I was the stupid one."
I looked up at him. His blue eyes were dark with pain, his jaw clenched so hard I could see the muscle jumping.
"When I found you with her" I touched his chest, right over his heart. "I rember thinking that I wasn’t good enough, maybe I was the problem."
"You were always too good for ."
"weeks later, I went to your office" My hand curled into a fist against him. "I was terrified and pregnant and alone. And you laughed at , called a scher trying to trap you."
Damien’s breath hitched. "I know."
"Do you?" My voice rose slightly. From the living room, I could hear Noah chatter as he searched for the movie. I lowered my voice to a harsh whisper. "Do you know what it’s like to be offered money for an abortion by the father of your child?"
"No." His voice cracked. "I don’t. But I think about it every day."
"Then I went to my parents’ house.." I was shaking now. "Begged them to let stay. My mother told to leave my phone, my keys, everything, and said they didn’t need anymore."
"Aria"
"I fainted on the street that night and woke up in a hospital." Tears burned behind my eyes. "That’s when Olivia found . She was the first person who was kind to , she held my hand while I cried and told I was going to be okay."
His hands moved to cup my face. "I’m so sorry. I was a monster to you."
"I pawned my grandmother’s necklace. The only thing I had left." I wiped my eyes roughly. "Got enough for a one-way ticket to London."
Damien pulled closer, his forehead resting against mine. "If I could go back"
"You can’t." I pulled back to look at him. "But I need to know sothing. Why Vivan out of every other lady, why her?"
He went very still. "Aria"
"Don’t lie to , not about this."
"No." The word ca out strangled. "I never actually had sex with her, we only made out but I am trying to justify myself i was wrong"
I stared at him. "That’s a lie. I saw you at the reception. You were"
"We made out." His voice was rough with sha. "I was angry and stupid. She ca onto and I let her because I wanted to punish you, but we never had sex."
"Why should I believe you?"
"Because I’m telling you the truth." He gripped my shoulders. "I wanted to hurt you that day. I let Vivian say whatever she wanted, let everyone think what they wanted, because I was trying to convince myself I didn’t care about you."
My hand flew up and hit his chest. Not hard, but with all the frustration and pain I’d been carrying. "Why didn’t you tell this earlier?"
He caught my hand, held it against his heart. "Because I was ashad. Because I knew it didn’t matter—I still betrayed you. I still humiliated you in front of everyone. I still threw you out."
"You let think" I hit his chest again. "You let think you had sex with my sister!"
"I know." He didn’t stop . "I know, and I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry."
"Sorry doesn’t change what happened."
"No, it doesn’t." His eyes were wet now. "But it’s the truth. I never touched Vivian that way. The only woman I’ve ever" He stopped, swallowed hard. "That night at the lodge during our engagent. That was real, you were the only one."
I felt sothing crack inside . "That night was real?"
"The realest thing I’d ever felt." His thumb brushed my cheek. "And it terrified , when Vivan also showed that fake recording it also triggered my anger, that I was falling for soone who wanted to use so I pushed you away, I convinced myself it ant nothing. But it ant everything."
From the living room, Noah called out. "I found it! I found the bunny movie!"
"We should" I gestured vaguely toward the living room.
"In a minute." Damien’s hands frad my face. "Do you believe ? About Vivian?"
I looked into his eyes, searching for lies. But all I saw was raw, painful honesty.
"I want to," I whispered. "God help , I want to."
"Then let prove it to you. Every day. For the rest of my life if that’s what it takes."
"All three probably," I said, managing a small smile.
"Definitely all three." He kissed my forehead. "But I’m sober now. I see clearly and all I see is you."
"Damien"
"She can try whatever she wants," he continued. "Seduction, manipulation, threats. It won’t work. Because I’m not that man anymore. I’m yours. Completely, utterly, irrevocably yours."
I wanted to believe him. Wanted to trust that this was real.
"Prove it," I whispered.
"How?"
"I don’t know." I touched his face. "Just... don’t let her win. Don’t let her take you from ."
"Never." He pulled closer. "I’m not going anywhere, Aria. Not this ti."
Noah ca running back into the hallway. "Co on! Movie ti!"
"That’s my boy." Damien ruffled his hair. "Let’s make that popcorn first. You can help press the buttons."
"I’m good at pressing buttons!" Noah announced proudly, taking Damien’s hand.
We walked to the kitchen together. Noah chattered excitedly about the movie while Damien got out the popcorn. I leaned against the counter, watching them—my son and the man who broke , now making popcorn together like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Mama, watch!" Noah stood on a stool, carefully pressing the microwave buttons under Damien’s guidance. "I’m making popcorn!"
"You’re doing great, baby."
"It’s like magic," he breathed.
Damien caught my eye over Noah’s head, and sothing passed between us. Maybe this could work. Maybe we could be a family.
If I could just learn to trust it.
We settled on the couch, Noah between us, his bowl of popcorn balanced on his lap. The movie started—so animated thing about rabbits saving the world.
Noah laughed at all the jokes, pointing out funny monts, completely absorbed. And I felt it. That crack in my armor widening.
Because this—this was what I’d wanted. Not revenge, not power, not humiliation of my enemies. Just this. My son laughing. Damien’s arm around my shoulders. Family. Real family.
"Mama?" Noah looked up at . "Why are you crying?"
"Happy tears, baby." I kissed his head. "Just happy tears."
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