Lahat ng Kabanata ng Broken Vows, Rising Flames : Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

Damon’s POV I slowed my pace as I approached her, my mind buzzing with Maurice’s words. “My mom says you’re very important in my life.”It kept ringing in my head, until I was in front of her. She forced a smile, the kind that made it clear she wasn’t interested in whatever had brought me to her. “Clara,” I said carefully, trying to keep my tone neutral, “you’ve been absent for a couple of days. How are you and Maurice doing?”Her eyes lifted to me briefly, then dropped back to her phone. She seemed so immersed in it, as if she couldn’t live without it.“We’re fine, Damon,” she finally answered, her voice flat. “Nothing to worry about.” From the way she said it, it was obvious she wasn’t just busy, but deliberately acting cold. I just wanted to know they were okay, not start a fight.“You’re sure, Clara?” I pressed gently, my voice low. “The principal says Maurice is missing school. I just want to be sure everything’s alright.” She snorted softly, not holding back in showing her

Damon’s POV I should have just stayed in the office….The moment the rooftop door opened and I saw Clara in another man’s arm, I knew that. For a moment, I forgot to breathe. It wasn’t until I nearly choked that I drew in my next breath. Even then, it felt heavy—like I was inhaling my frustration along with the oxygen.“Come on, Damon. You can’t chicken out now,” a small voice within me whispered. To my knowledge, it was telling me to step forward and be manly about it. I mean, I had no reason to be upset— she wasn’t mine anymore.“And whose fault was that?” another voice cut in, not even minding the fact that I already felt like complete shit.The voices in my head were a nightmare. Could it be my guilt trying to punish me for the way I had treated Clara in the past?Well, just like the first voice advised, I took another sharp inhale and stepped forward, my heart pounding against my ribcage—I was barely holding it together.My head was held upright, trying so hard to muster the

Clara’s POV The drive back home had been quiet for a while, the city’s lights moving past us in a complete blur. It wasn’t necessarily uncomfortably, just heavy like there was something unsaid sitting between us. My head rested against the seat, staring blankly out the window as we drove past familiar streets and buildings. It had truly been an exciting day—I couldn’t be more thankful to Leonard and Elaine for making it happen. As the ride continued, the thoughts slowly began to crept in. Damon! I could sense the shock in his face the moment he saw myself and Leonard entwined in each other’s arms. Not going to lie, I enjoyed every bit of it. Further rejecting Leonard’s handshake while spitting trash only confirmed my hypothesis— he was pained. “I’m taking the left turn, right?” Leonard’s voice snapped me out of my daze. “Uhm?” I was lost—I couldn’t catch anything he said, so I had to ask again. He took a quick glance at me and quickly returned his focus to

Damon’s POV I drove into the company premises as usual and pulled over in the parking lot.Leaning back in my seat, I stared up at the building that loomed before me. It was another day to give my best.After a couple of minutes, I finally reached for my briefcase on the passenger seat, pushed the door open, and stepped out of the car. The cool morning air brushed against my skin as I locked the vehicle and adjusted the sleeve of my suit.My mind was already drifting toward the pile of work waiting for me upstairs as I walked toward the building’s entrance.Halfway there, the sound of an SUV driving into the premises made me pause. It was a new vehicle. I couldn’t remember seeing it around before, so I was curious to know who came with it. The engine hummed softly before coming to a stop and I watched as a man in a uniform stepped out and rushed over to the passenger door. The door opened, and my heart skipped a beat as Clara stepped out. Our gaze met instantly and she held it.

Damon’s POV “It’ll be between you and Clara.”The words rang in my head for the upteenth time before I finally snapped out of it.I let out a short laugh— one that sounded more like a scoff. The last time a vote was done between the both of us, Clara won. I couldn’t let that repeat again, never! “Clara isn’t running for CEO,” I announced like I had the final decision, “she isn’t—“ “The votes will decide that,” Sylvester interrupted. “She’s a board member with the same voting rights as us. She even owns fifty percent of this company's shares.” “Owning fifty percent of the shares only increases her revenue. She has no experience running for such a position.”“Experience?” Sylvester muttered, slowly tilting his head. “It’s funny how that suddenly matters now. I mean, you have been running this company into the ground for months with your experience— maybe we need someone with no experience this time.” My mouth opened, then closed. I couldn’t find the right words to say — I had no