All Chapters of The Wrong Girl Burns Bright: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The thought hit like an ice pick to the heart. His blood ran cold.A fear he'd never felt—loss—dropped under him, bottomless.He shoved past his mother, anyone in his way. Ignored the chaos, the screaming. Then he ran—straight out of the wedding like he'd lost it.The Rolls-Royce tore down the road, blasting through red lights, pushing full speed before screeching to a stop in front of the Carrington ruins.Hoses still blasted water. Smoke and ash choked the air.Damian threw the door open and stumbled out.The charred wreck hit him like a punch. His chest locked. He could barely breathe."Cleo... Cleo!"His voice came out rough as he rushed the smoking debris."Sir! It's dangerous! It could collapse!" a firefighter called, grabbing him."Let go!" His eyes were bloodshot. "She might be in there!"He dropped to the rubble and started digging with his bare hands.His tux tore. Sharp edges sliced his palms. Blisters rose fast. He didn't feel any of it.One thought—'Find her.'

The window slid down, revealing Damian's gaunt, cold profile.He didn't even look at her. He spoke to the bodyguard up front."Get her out of here."The bodyguard stepped out and, without a word, dragged the screaming Nora away.The car pulled off.In the rearview, Nora collapsed on the ground, sobbing.Damian closed his eyes. Nothing moved in him. Just empty cold.He only wanted to find Cleo.Nothing else mattered.Nights turned into their own kind of torture.Damian stopped sleeping. He drank just to knock himself out.And when he did, it was the same nightmare—over and over.Cleo—pale, desperate—as she fell into the water.Her shaking figure in the dark, locked away.Flames rising, swallowing everything.Every time, he tried to reach her.Something stopped him.He could only watch her disappear.Then he'd jerk awake—heart racing, chest tight, soaked in cold sweat.He turned dark. Short-tempered. Everyone at the company walked on eggshells.The old Damian—discipli

The whispers pricked at him, but he didn't care.All he saw was Cleo's cold face."No. That wedding doesn't count. I never accepted it. Cleo... I was wrong." His grip tightened on her. "I know that."I shouldn't have tried to control you with rules. I shouldn't have doubted you. I shouldn't have taken Nora's side. I regret it."Please... come back with me. No more rules. Do whatever you want. Go wherever you want. I'll listen. Just... don't leave me. I can't live without you..."Northvale's untouchable king—now in a foreign airport, in full view of everyone—clutched a woman and begged.The scene stunned everyone present.Cleo stiffened. His eyes were red, his words a mess. Something in her wavered—then iced over.'Too late. After what I went through, what does his pain even matter?'She took a slow breath and peeled his fingers off her sleeve, one by one."Damian." Her voice cut clean through the noise. "Your apology's too late. I don't need it."She flicked off his last fin

Cleo froze, turning to him.His profile softened in the dark, eyes still on the road."Years ago. That racetrack in Northvale—I saw you. What were you, seventeen? Eighteen? You were there with your dad and his mistress's kid. Your sister tried to set you up, make you look bad. But you?"A low chuckle, like he was right back there."You cleared the obstacle in one clean jump and beat that guy who looked down on you. Sitting on that horse, grinning like you owned everything—cocky as hell, fine as hell. I remember thinking, 'Damn, this girl's something else.'"Cleo just stared, stunned.She'd almost forgotten that day. Never thought anyone else would remember—let alone like this."Too bad," Rory sighed, a hint of regret slipping through. "Back then, all you saw was Damian Joubert—that fake, self-righteous bastard. Me? I might be reckless, but I'm not stupid. Can't force it if it's not there. So I didn't chase you just to look like an idiot."His words landed heavy, something in Cl

With every accusation, Damian's face went paler. His body swayed, like he might collapse.The things he'd ignored—brushed off—sounded different now. Bloody. Brutal. Suffocating."No... that's not... Cleo... I..."He tried to push back, but the words fell flat.Nothing came out.The regret hit hard, crushing, like it might rip him apart.He pushed to his feet, trying to get out of the suffocating air—then hit the suitcase by the couch.It crashed open. Everything spilled out.He dropped down on instinct, grabbing her things. Stuffing them back in, his fingers hit something hard in the lining.He pulled it out.A medical report.He opened it.[Diagnosis: Deep second-degree burns with infection.][Long-term rehab required. Monitor for scar buildup.][Recommendation: Psychological counseling. Signs of PTSD.]'Burns.'His breath cut off.He remembered.The overturned tea tray. He'd shoved Cleo aside to shield Nora...'So that was it.'She'd been hurt that bad. Not just h