DAMIAN’S RETURN

Lily’s POV

I was walking down the company’s lobby, heading toward the logistics department, when I stumbled upon a chaotic scene. People were scattered everywhere. Some stood with their phones raised, recording, while others whispered quickly, passing gossip like it was fresh bread from the oven.

I frowned, trying to make sense of what was happening, but all I caught were repeated words, the same words being passed from one person to another.

“Where is he?!”

The voice was loud, deep, and angry. I turned around, searching for the owner of that voice, but I couldn’t see him at first. Just as I was about to ask a coworker what was going on, the man appeared from nowhere. And to my greatest shock, it was the last person I expected to see. My body froze, my chest tightening.

Was I seeing a ghost? Was I dead too? Could he have come back from the grave?

“I said, where is your boss?!” the young man roared again, grabbing one of the security men by the collar. The guard tried to restrain him, but he was too strong. “Where is Adrian?!”

My lips trembled. “Damian,” I whispered, barely able to hold myself together. My knees weakened, almost giving out under me as I struggled to steady myself. No. It couldn’t be him. Damian was dead. He was gone. I got the call years ago. I watched the news report about his plane crash. They said his body was never found but that the wreckage was beyond recognition. I had mourned him. I had buried him in my heart. So, how was he standing here, alive?

“What is going on here?” Adrian’s voice echoed sharply from the hallway. He marched into the lobby, his assistant trailing closely behind, trying to keep up with his fast pace.

Damian’s head snapped in his direction. His eyes flared with rage as soon as he saw Adrian. Without hesitation, he lunged at him, but Adrian’s assistant jumped in quickly, blocking the attack and pushing Damian back.

“Murderer! Killer!” Damian yelled, painfully. “How could you do that to the family of your own best friend?!”

“Ex–best friend,” Adrian corrected coldly, and for a moment I felt the urge to slap him across the face from where I stood in the corner, watching. What a heartless, arrogant fool.

Adrian’s eyes found me across the lobby. His gaze softened, almost like he was worried about how this situation would affect the way I saw him. What did it matter though? He had no idea that he meant nothing to me. I guess I needed Damian to be back to get my head straight again.

“You killed him over a mere misunderstanding,” Damian shouted, his chest heaving. “How could you do that? Gary loved you like a brother! His wife treated you like family! I respected you! Clara embraced you like family! You were an uncle to Kathryna, for fuck’s sake!”

My heart thudded painfully as my name rolled out of his mouth. My vision blurred with tears. Seeing Damian stand there, fighting so fiercely for me and for my family even after all this time, shook me to my core. I just knew my parents would have been proud of him right now, smiling down at him wherever they were.

“You’ve been gone for years and now you just show up to accuse me of murder?” Adrian scoffed arrogantly. “Do you even realize who you’re dealing with?”

Damian smirked, his expression bold and fearless. “You can’t hurt me, Adrian. You can’t.”

Adrian’s jaw tightened. “Get him out of here,” he ordered the security team. Then he raised his voice for everyone else. “And all of you, get back to work.”

As if his words were a command from God Himself, everyone scattered like smoke in the wind, shoving their phones back into their pockets, avoiding eye contact, and pretending like nothing had happened.

Damian’s voice rose again as the guards held him back. “I’ll be back, Adrian! You hear me? I’ll be back!”

The guards dragged him across the lobby and shoved him roughly out of the building, throwing him down to the ground outside.

I couldn’t breathe. My eyes stayed glued to him as he stood back up, dusted himself off, and began walking away. Against every instinct in me, I found myself trailing behind him.

Now that I was closer, I got a better look at him. He didn’t look like a man who had survived a fatal plane crash five years ago. He didn’t even look like time had truly passed. If anything, he looked like he had just been… preserved somewhere, untouched by years. He wore designer tight chinos paired with a striped T-shirt. His old habit of terrible clothing combinations hadn’t changed.

“Dam Dam,” I called softly, almost whispering. My voice shook with fear and hesitation. Fear because I had to be careful. I couldn’t afford to be seen with him, especially not here. Not now. If anyone saw us together, my entire cover would be blown.

He stopped immediately, his body stiffening. Slowly, he turned around, his eyes narrowing as they scanned my face. He looked shocked, confused, almost pale. The nickname I had called him was one only Kathryna ever used.

“How do you know that name?” he asked sharply.

I walked past him calmly, lowering my voice. “Come with me if you want to know.”

Without another word, he fell into step beside me. I pulled my phone from my bag and dialed quickly.

“Hello, ma’am,” Charles’s familiar voice answered on the other end.

“Come pick me up at the bus stop,” I instructed, walking faster.

But by the time we got there, Charles had already parked, waiting. His eyes widened the moment he saw Damian. His hand trembled against the steering wheel. He knew exactly who Damian was because I had told him everything about my past, about my family, about the tragedy.

“Drive home,” I said firmly, sliding into the backseat.

Damian hesitated before joining me in the back, his eyes darting between me and Charles. The moment he sat down, I couldn’t hold myself back any longer. I threw my arms around him. He froze at first, then reluctantly hugged me back. I buried my face against his chest, tears spilling. He was the family I had left even though he went from being my foster brother to bring my sister’s fiancé.

********

“You mean…” Damian’s eyes searched me carefully. “You are Kathryna Grayson?”

I nodded, tears streaming down my cheeks as I showed him the scar on my thigh which I had gotten from falling off the roller coaster during my fourteenth year birthday.

He immediately pulled me into his arms, clutching me tightly as his own tears slipped down his face. “I missed you so much, Kath. I swear, I prayed every single day to see you again.”

“I thought I had lost you forever,” I whispered against his neck. We stayed glued to each other for a while, savouring the moment while in tears.

When we finally pulled apart, he cupped my face. “What happened to you?”

“I had surgery. I needed to.” I admitted, knowing exactly what he really wanted to know. It was the face, the voice, the new life.

He hugged me again, tighter. “I thought I lost you forever.”

“I thought so too. They told me you died in a plane crash.”

“I survived,” he said quickly, his tone urgent, eyes shifting nervously. “But the crash was real. People did die. I… I just didn’t.”

I swallowed hard.

“So this mansion is yours now?” he asked, glancing around. “And you go by Lily Nolan?”

I nodded, wiping my tears. I grabbed his hand and led him into my room upstairs. “Yes. But then you need to keep my identity a secret, especially from Adrian.”

“Why?” His brows furrowed.

“Because I plan on avenging my family’s death,” I said flatly.

He let out a dry laugh. “You’ll get yourself killed, Kath. Adrian is not a man you can play with.”

“I know,” I said firmly, staring at my reflection in the mirror. “But I’m not afraid of him. I don’t care if it costs me my life. As long as I kill him with my own hands, I’ll be satisfied.”

Suddenly, I felt his presence behind me. The way his eyes narrowed and remained glued on me, it really said that he wasn’t interested in talking about Adrian anymore. His arms slid around my waist, his hands beginning to wander as he spoke. “You don’t know what I went through thinking you were gone. You don’t know how long I searched for you, how much I suffered. I missed you every single day.”

I felt his touch, but I pulled away quickly, reminding myself who he was.

“I’m glad to have you back too,” I said, keeping my voice neutral.

“What’s wrong, Kath? Aren’t you happy to see me?”

“I am.”

“Then why push me away?”

“Because you’re still my sister’s fiancé. You never denounced Clara. You can’t touch me like that.”

“I can denounce her for you,” he said desperately.

“Stop it, Damian,” I sighed.

“I love you,” he blurted.

My heart sank.

“After five years?” I asked quietly.

“That’s the problem, Kath,” he said, frustrated. “I’ve loved you even while I was with Clara. That’s the truth. I never stopped. Even when you rejected me, I still couldn’t let you go. I gave Clara a chance because of you… so I could stay close to your family. A family that was once mine too. Because of you I begged Gary and your mother to give me up. I had plans for us. I still do. If only you’d give me a chance.”

I scoffed, shaking my head.

This was the biggest mess of my life. And the fact that I didn’t know how to handle it killed me more. Which was worse… developing feelings for my family’s killer, or giving in to the man who once belonged to my late sister?

My knees buckled, and I collapsed onto the bed. My head spun, pounding violently. I felt nauseous instantly, making me run toward the bathroom, but before I could reach it, I vomited all over the floor.

Damian rushed to me, his eyes filled with worry and confusion. He held me, his hands trembling as he tried to help.

But deep inside me, a cold realization formed.

I just hoped it wasn’t what I was thinking.