Chapter 21
Damien’s POV
The board meeting ended later than it should have.
I stayed behind for a few extra minutes, reviewing the final notes on my tablet while the last of the members filed out. The discussion had been routine, but Victor’s presence at the far end of the table had made every answer feel heavier than usual. He had not brought up the marriage directly. He did not need to. The expectation was already clear.
I was still standing near the long conference table when the door opened again.
Marcus walked in.
For a second I simply looked at him. It had been a full year since I last saw him in person. He looked the same in the ways that mattered: same steady posture, same sharp eyes but there was a tiredness around the edges that came from long travel. Before either of us sai
