บททั้งหมดของ Broken Vows, New Promises: บทที่ 71 - บทที่ 80

Damien’s POVThe past never stayed buried.No matter how deep you buried the bodies.No matter how many times you tried to outrun it.It always found its way back.And tonight, mine had finally caught up with me.The laptop screen in front of me was still open, the encrypted files taunting me with a truth I had ignored for too long. The flash drive Aurora found—it wasn’t just a piece of Adrian’s past.It was proof of mine.Every mission Elias had ordered.Every name I had taken.Every crime I had committed in his name.There were hundreds of files. Hundreds.Aurora stood beside me, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. She had been quiet since I started going through them, but I could feel the questions radiating off her.I couldn’t look at her.Not yet.Because the moment I did, I knew I’d see it.The doubt.The moment she realized exactly what kind of man I had been.And maybe still was.A knot formed in my stomach as I clicked on another file. The screen flickered, and a grainy

Aurora’s POVThe estate was gone.The sky behind us burned, thick smoke rising like a funeral pyre. Damien’s entire world had just been reduced to ash.But he didn’t flinch.He drove with a steady hand, eyes locked on the darkened road ahead. No hesitation. No second-guessing.I, on the other hand, couldn’t stop shaking.The blood on my hands had dried, but I could still feel its warmth. The weight of what I had done—**what I had become—**pressed on my chest like an iron cage.I had killed a man.And I would do it again.Because if I didn’t, we wouldn’t survive.The SafehouseDamien drove us deep into the mountains, to a cabin hidden far from the main roads.I expected it to be abandoned, but as we approached, a figure stepped out from the shadows.Leo.Damien’s most trusted man.He had a rifle in hand, his expression unreadable.“You’re late,” he muttered. “We thought you were dead.”Damien stepped out of the car, his face unreadable. “Not yet.”Leo exhaled sharply, his gaze shifting

Aurora’s POVThe night was finally silent.No more gunfire.No more screams.Just the distant crackling of dying flames, the scent of blood and smoke clinging to the cold air.Elias was dead.It should have felt like victory.But as I stood beside Damien, staring at his lifeless body, I didn’t feel relief.I felt empty.Damien exhaled slowly, lowering his gun. He stared at Elias’s corpse as if waiting for him to rise again.But this time, there would be no escape.Leo approached, his gun still in hand, his face a mask of exhaustion. “It’s over.”Damien didn’t react. His hands were still clenched. His muscles still tight.I reached for him, pressing my palm against his forearm. “Damien.”His jaw tensed. But then, slowly, he turned his gaze to me.And in his eyes, I saw it—The weight of everything.Years of war. Years of chasing ghosts.And now, finally, the ghost was gone.So why didn’t it feel like peace?The AftermathLeo’s men moved swiftly, securing the warehouse.Ronan was taken

Damien’s POVThe past does not let go easily.Even after death, Elias’s influence lingered.Even after truth, my father’s betrayal burned.But Aurora was right about one thing—I had to rebuild.And that meant confronting the ghosts instead of running from them.I just didn’t expect them to come knocking so soon.Unfinished BusinessThe safehouse was running on minimal personnel now. Most of the men had been sent to secure our remaining assets, and those who stayed were recovering from the battle.Aurora sat across from me in the dimly lit study, her gaze steady. She hadn’t left my side since last night.I wasn’t sure if it was for my sake or hers.“I need to go back to the estate,” I said finally.Aurora’s expression didn’t change. “You’re not ready.”I clenched my jaw. “I don’t have a choice.”“Damien—”“There’s still work to do.”Her lips pressed together in frustration. “And when will it ever be done?”I exhaled sharply, leaning forward. “Elias might be dead, but his network isn’t.

Damien’s POVThe card sat on my desk, the inked king staring back at me.Welcome to the game.A chill ran down my spine.Cassian Moreau wasn’t just sending a message—he was staking a claim.And I wasn’t about to let him.I picked up the card, my fingers tightening around the edges. Then, without a word, I tossed it into the fireplace and watched the flames eat it alive.Leo stood near the door, arms crossed, tension rolling off him in waves. “What’s the move?”Aurora sat on the armrest of the leather chair, watching me carefully. She had barely spoken since last night, but her eyes told me everything.She was waiting.For the storm.For me.I turned to Leo. “We dig. I want every file, every trace of Moreau’s operations. If he’s been hiding in the shadows, someone knows where.”Leo nodded sharply and left without another word.Aurora finally spoke, her voice soft but firm. “And what if you don’t like what you find?”I met her gaze. “Then I burn it.”Shadows of the PastAn hour later, I