He looked up as I stepped in front of him.
Damien.
Up close, he looked even more hollow—haunted by things I couldn’t name. His clothes hung on him like a second thought, and his cane trembled slightly in his grip.
"Can I help you?" he asked, voice low, rough like gravel.
My heart cracked.
He didn’t recognize me.
"It’s Elara," I said, barely above a whisper. "We met... months ago. At the Veridian Gala."
His brows pulled together, confusion darkening his face. “The gala?”
I nodded, fighting the sting behind my eyes. “We spent the night together. You left before I woke up.”
He looked away, jaw tightening.
“Oh.”
That one word carried so much weight. Shame. Memory. Regret. Maybe even
That one word was heavy — filled with shame, regret, something I couldn’t name. But still — nothing more.
For a painful second, I realized this man had lost more than just his empire. He had lost himself.
And I was the one standing here, carrying a secret that might change both our lives forever.
I was so scared thinking I was going to be alone in this world with the baby.
