Chapter 15

The next few days felt like a blur to Sophia. Every time she thought about Damian’s confession, her mind would spiral—questions piled on top of each other, and the uncertainty weighed heavily on her heart. She had been doing her best to compartmentalize her emotions, to focus on work, but it wasn’t working. His words haunted her at every turn, and every time they crossed paths in the office, a thick, palpable tension filled the air between them.

She had never expected this—never expected to find herself tangled in a web of emotions and doubts. Her rational mind told her to keep her distance, to guard herself against the possibility of betrayal. But then there was the part of her that had begun to care for him, that had started to believe in the idea that maybe he wasn’t just the arrogant, guarded man he appeared to be. Maybe, just maybe, he had his own demons. And those demons were pushing him to be someone he wasn’t.

As the days passed, Damian gave her space. He didn’t pressure her, didn’t ask for answers. But Sophia could see it in his eyes—he was waiting. Waiting for her to come to terms with everything, to make a decision.

The decision was harder than she ever imagined.

Sophia found herself walking home late one evening, her mind lost in thought as she made her way through the quiet streets. The night was cool, the faint sound of the city in the distance mixing with the steady rhythm of her footsteps. She hadn’t planned on taking this route, but the walk gave her the space she needed to think, to clear the fog in her mind.

The quietness of the evening was a stark contrast to the chaos in her head. Every time she thought about Damian, the hurt resurfaced. He had kept so many things from her—things that, if he had been honest from the beginning, could have changed everything. She didn’t know how to feel. Part of her wanted to confront him, demand answers. Another part of her wanted to walk away, to cut ties completely and never look back.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, interrupting her thoughts. She pulled it out, surprised to see a message from Damian.

“Can we talk? I can meet you wherever you are. I don’t want to leave things like this.”

Sophia stopped in her tracks, her heart beating faster. She stared at the screen, her fingers hovering over the keys. Part of her wanted to tell him no, to tell him she wasn’t ready for any more conversations. But there was another part of her that couldn’t deny how much she wanted answers—how much she needed to understand him, even if it meant opening herself up to the risk of getting hurt again.

After a moment of hesitation, she typed a response.

“I’m walking home. I’m not sure what I want to say, but I can meet you at the park in ten minutes.”

She hit send before she could second-guess herself, then tucked her phone back into her pocket. The walk to the park was short, and soon she found herself standing at the entrance, waiting for Damian. The trees above rustled softly in the evening breeze, casting long shadows across the path. She stood there, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, trying to prepare herself for whatever conversation was coming next.

A few minutes later, she heard footsteps approaching. She turned to see Damian, looking more somber than usual, his hands shoved in his pockets, his eyes searching for hers. When he saw her, he stopped, taking a moment to gather himself before walking toward her.

“Sophia,” he said quietly, his voice low and careful. “I know this is hard, and I know I’ve made things worse by keeping so many things from you. But I want you to know something—I never meant to hurt you. I didn’t want to drag you into my mess, but I did. And for that, I’m sorry.”

Sophia stayed silent, her gaze steady as she tried to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. She didn’t know what to say. The words he had spoken were what she had needed to hear, but they weren’t enough. She had been betrayed by people before—people who had promised her one thing, then broken her trust. Could she really risk letting someone else in?

“You’ve been honest with me now,” she finally said, her voice trembling slightly. “But it’s hard, Damian. It’s hard to trust you when everything we’ve built feels like it was based on lies.”

Damian took a step closer, his eyes filled with regret. “I know. And I don’t expect you to just forgive me or forget everything. But I’m asking you to give me a chance—to let me prove that I’m not the same person who started this, the person who kept secrets and lied.”

Sophia shook her head, fighting back the frustration bubbling up inside her. “You don’t understand. I’ve been burned before. I don’t know if I can trust anyone again. And I’m scared, Damian. I’m scared that if I let you in, I’ll end up hurt again.”

The vulnerability In her voice was something she hadn’t intended to reveal, but there it was—raw and exposed. She had spent so long building walls around her heart, and now, for the first time, she could feel them beginning to crack.

Damian stepped closer, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat. “I can’t promise you that everything will be perfect. I can’t promise you that nothing will ever go wrong. But I can promise you this—I’ll never lie to you again. I’ll never hurt you on purpose. And I’ll fight for us, Sophia. If you give me the chance, I’ll fight for us every day.”

Sophia stood there, her breath caught in her throat as she looked into his eyes, searching for any sign that he was lying, that he was manipulating her. But all she saw was sincerity—raw, unguarded sincerity.

And for the first time, she allowed herself to feel something. Maybe it was hope. Maybe it was fear. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the start of something she wasn’t ready to face.

“I need time,” she whispered, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. “I need time to think about everything.”

Damian nodded, his expression softening. “Take all the time you need. I’ll wait.”

And for the first time in a long while, Sophia felt like she wasn’t alone in her fight to figure out what was next.

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