Two years later

 Damon was desperate to numb the ache, and he knew exactly how to do it, dove headfirst into the chaos of the night. He’d already hunted down most of the bastards who’d crashed the wedding, unleashing his rage on them like a storm. Bulldog watched him spiral, sinking deeper into that dark pit, and tried to pull him back. But Damon was too far gone, drowning in his own misery. He stumbled into the VIP section, demanded a bottle, and drowned himself in it. The crowd blurred around him, their laughter a distant hum. His mind kept circling back to Bella, her touch, her warmth. He shut his eyes, half-convinced he could still see her. Alone. Vulnerable. And Lucas? That cold, violent prick, what would he do to her? Damon downed another glass, barely registering Kayla calling his name. He eyed her like she was his next escape, letting her slide in beside him. Drunk and unsteady, he finally tried to stand, swaying as Kayla propped him up.

Damon woke up to Kayla naked beside him. “Fuck,” “Can’t remember a damn thing.” He grabbed his clothes and bolted.

Time slipped away, a month gone, and Damon’s mood only soured further.

The secretary buzzed in. “There’s a girl here to see you.”

“Send her in,” he muttered, barely looking up.

Kayla walked in, all smiles. “Hi, Damon.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What do you want?”

“I’m pregnant,” “You’re the father. And just so you know, I was a virgin.”

He snorted. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Why would I joke about this? You took advantage of me. I already called your mom.”

As if on cue, his phone rang. He answered, exasperated. “Yeah, Mom, no, I didn’t, because... Mom... Mom.”

He hung up and stepped closer to Kayla, his voice low. “Get rid of it. I don’t want it.”

“Can’t. “I want it. So, we should plan the wedding soon. I don’t want to show in my wedding dress.” With that, she turned and left.

“Fucking bitch,”. She’d played him perfectly. He felt like the walls were closing in. What the hell had he gotten himself into?

He married her, never touched her again, and at four months, she lost the baby. He wasn’t surprised, never believed it was his. His mom, now depressed, begged him to stay with Kayla for another year.

Kayla tried every trick in the book to get him into bed. None of it worked. He slept in the office, at hotels, anywhere but home. He was adrift, and he knew it.

He was in the middle of a heated meeting, everyone arguing over transportation logistics like it was the end of the world. They needed a new company, someone reliable, but no one could agree on who. His phone buzzed, breaking his focus. A picture. He opened it without thinking. A baby’s face stared back at him, tiny and bundled in blue, a shock of dark hair sticking up. His boy. The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. “Out!” he barked, his voice sharp enough to send everyone scrambling.

He sat there, staring at the photo for what he felt like forever. The number was untraceable, no way to call back. His boy. He kept repeating it, like if he said it enough, it would make sense. From then on, the pictures came weekly, like clockwork. Then, one day, a video. The kid took his first steps, wobbly and determined. Damon watched it alone, tears streaming down his face, feeling more lost than ever.

Two years passed….

“Bulldog, stay at the door. The meeting should go smoothly. I’ve been asked to come alone, we need this contract.” He knocked on the door, and a maid answered, leading him into the living area.

“Can I get you something to drink?”

“Coffee,” glancing around the penthouse. Nice. Expensive. Then he heard a door open and turned to see Bella. His brain stuttered, trying to make sense of it, was she here? He walked toward her slowly, disbelief weighing every step.

“Bella?” He reached for her, pulling her into a hug.

She didn’t hug him back.

He stepped away, confused.

“Please don’t touch me again,” told him flatly.

“What the hell did that bastard do to you?”

A nurse wheeled Lucas into the room.

“He can hear you, but he can’t speak.

The nanny brought Oliver in.

“My boy,” kissing his head. “What’s his name?”

“Oliver Jackson. We’ll work out a schedule so you can spend time with him. Now, are you ready for the contract?” She checked her watch.

“Bella, let me explain. I looked everywhere for you. The guy I sent, he’s dead.”

She held up a hand. “I’m not the same person you knew, Damon. Sit.

She dismissed the nurse and nanny, leaving Lucas slumped in the wheelchair.

A knock interrupted them. The maid ushered in a tall, polished man in an impeccable suit. He kissed Bella on the cheek, and Damon’s jaw tightened.

Bella looked different, shorter hair, thinner face, but the hardest change was the emptiness in her eyes. His brother had done that, and he’d let it happen.

“This is James, my lawyer,” “And this is his brother, Damon. Sit.”

James laid out paperwork. Then these are for Oliver. And these are for the shipping contract. If anything goes sideways, we work together, profits and losses split.”

"I'll sign them, but can I have a moment with Ms. Jackson?"

Mrs Jackson," Bella corrected, her tone sharp. "Just sign and leave," glancing at her watch.

Damon’s eyes narrowed. "Got it. Fine, I’ll take these, read them, and get back to you.

He stood, the weight of the moment pressing down on him. "Alright, we’ll talk later." He turned and walked out, Once the door shut, Bella let out a shaky breath.

James moved closer, wrapping an arm around her. "So, how was it seeing the bad boy again?"

"James, stop," pulling away slightly. "It’s complicated. He’s paying for it now, though, slowly, with interest."

"How long’s this going to take?"

"I’ll let you know. James, Thank you."

He smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "See you tomorrow."

She walked to Lucas, sitting in his lap, her arms around his neck. Then something happened, he moved his arm. She jumped and stared. Took his hand into hers, he squeezed it. Tears were falling on her face. It worked. You will recover Lucas.

As James walked to his car, Damon stepped out of the shadows. "Funny," leaning against the car. "She knew you’d be here waiting for me."

James tossed his briefcase into the car. They were evenly matched, same height, same build, same tension simmering between them.

"Yeah, she knows me," Damon said, crossing his arms. "Maybe it’s time you backed off."

"That so?" James shot back, “You think I’m walking away?"

Damon laughed, but it was hollow. "I’m not giving up on her. I never did. I looked for her."

"Good luck with that," James said, sliding into the driver’s seat.

Damon watched him drive off, then got into his own car and let out a frustrated yell. He needed a plan. First, he wanted to kill Lucas for all of this, but deep down, he knew the blame fell on him. He’d let her go, and now he was paying the price.