LOGINDAMIEN.I sank into the couch, head pressed into my hands, chest tight. The news, the headlines, the avalanche of truth—it was overwhelming.My mind spun. The floor vanished.I looked at Selene. She watched me quietly, calm but alive. Her eyes met mine, and I felt the weight of everything—the lies I had believed, the suspicions I had held against her, the doubt I had allowed to fester. Could it be that she had been telling the truth all this while? The thought clawed at me, sharp and insistent.“I… I need space,” I said finally, voice rough, fractured. “I need to process all this.”She didn’t argue. She nodded, understanding. Her gaze held mine for a long beat, and I saw her comprehension, the patience, the restraint. She agreed, silently.I booked a suite at the hotel opposite mine. I watched her pack slowly, deliberately, selecting a few of her properties before stepping out. Frustration bubbled under my skin. I had ignored calls from the board of directors, unread emails, all of it
SELENE.I was going to walk out of the room feeling accomplished, the flash drive heavy in my bag like a secret I could finally use. Everything I needed was finally mine. I hailed an Uber without a second thought, letting the city blur past the window. By the time I reached the penthouse, I felt a strange calm, a thrill I couldn’t quite name.I stepped out of the cab and walked inside. The apartment was quiet. Damien hadn’t returned from work. The emptiness made my chest tighten. I moved to my room, dropping my bag onto the bed, and perched my laptop on my lap. My fingers hovered above the keyboard for a moment before I slid the flash drive in.The files opened, spilling secrets onto the screen. Philip and Marcus. Conversations, texts, confessions, and refusals. I could feel the tension in Philip’s voice, his desperation for his son’s treatment. Marcus’s cold, calculating replies. The messages where Philip begged for money, and Marcus ignored him. I swallowed hard, my hand trembling
SELENE.I would not break.The words lived in my mouth as Damien and I walked away from the gala. The night air wrapped around us, cool and sharp against my skin, washing away the perfume and noise and false smiles. My leg throbbed with every step, but I did not slow.I would not break.If Marcus wanted to play dirty, then I would stop pretending I was made of glass. I would clear Damien’s name.And I would ruin Marcus’s.The drive back to the penthouse passed in silence. City lights streaked past the windows, blurred and distant. Damien’s focus stayed on the road, his hands steady on the wheel. I watched him without meaning to. The tension in his shoulders never fully eased.Neither of us spoke. There was no need.When we arrived, the penthouse welcomed us with quiet and shadow. The door closed behind us, sealing the night outside.“I need a shower,” I said softly.Damien nodded once. “Alright.”That was all.The bathroom light was too bright. It stripped away the illusion I had worn
SELENE.My eyes fluttered open slowly, the world coming into focus in fragments. Light first. Then a ceiling I did not recognize. Then a presence too close to ignore.Damien.He stood beside the bed, shoulders stiff, eyes fixed on mine. There was irritation there, clear as day, but beneath it something else flickered. Concern. The kind he probably hated letting slip.For a second, neither of us spoke.His jaw tightened, muscles shifting as if he were grinding his teeth. When he finally spoke, his voice came out rough, impatient.“Why would you fall like that just to get my attention?”The words stung more than I expected.“You could have gotten yourself seriously hurt.”His irritation sharpened the words, but it did nothing to hide what lay underneath.I swallowed. My throat felt dry. I tried to sit up.Pain stopped me cold.He noticed.Of course he did.His eyes tracked every movement, even when he pretended not to care.“What was it you wanted to show me?” His voice was clipped. Con
SELENE.I had just slipped my arm into my sleeve when his hand closed around my wrist. Warm. Clammy. Too familiar.I froze.Philip’s fingers tightened, his grip careless and entitled, like my body was something he had already paid for twice. I turned slowly, my stomach twisting as his eyes dragged over me, lazy and hungry.“Leaving already?” he asked, his voice thick, lips curling into something ugly. “You sure you do not want a proper goodbye?”He stepped closer, too close. I could smell the alcohol on his breath. Sour. Heavy. It clung to him like a second skin.My first instinct was to yank my hand free. To recoil. To let the disgust show. Instead, I stayed still.'You agreed to this,' I reminded myself. 'You walked in knowing exactly who he was.'His thumb brushed against the inside of my wrist, slow and suggestive. I felt my skin crawl.“I want sex,” he said plainly, the word dripping from his mouth without shame. “Now.”For a moment, all I could hear was the pounding of my own pu
SELENE.The office door closed behind me with a muted click.I stepped into the hallway, my heels echoing softly against the floor, my mind already racing ahead. Philip. The club. A weekend entry point. Threads finally beginning to connect.I pushed the glass doors open and the city rushed back in around me. Noise. Movement. Life pressing close.My phone buzzed in my hand.I stopped short.Marcus.The name glared up at me from the screen like an accusation. My fingers curled around the phone instinctively, my heart stumbling once before picking up speed again.I did not move.The buzzing stopped.Then started again.And again.Persistent.I let out a slow breath and answered.“What do I owe this visit?” I asked coolly.His voice came through loud and unrestrained, missing the usual smooth edge he wore so well.“What the hell are you doing with Commissioner Gordon?” Marcus demanded.My stomach dipped.I had forgotten, stupidly, that Marcus never needed to be in a room to know what was







