**Chapter 149: Before Forever**The penthouse had never felt more like home than it did in the quiet weeks leading up to the next major hearing. The storms of scandal had mostly passed, leaving behind a new, cautious normal. Mornings were filled with chaos and laughter. Luca and Liora raced through the halls in their pajamas, Sera’s giggles echoing from her high chair as she smashed banana onto her tray. Damien moved through it all like a dark sun — commanding, steady, utterly devoted.I watched him from the kitchen island one Sunday morning, nursing a coffee while he flipped pancakes with surprising skill. He wore gray sweatpants and nothing else, the V of his hips and the prison scar on his side fully visible. My eyes traced the lines of muscle, the way his shoulders flexed with every movement. Even in domestic moments, he radiated power.“Eyes up here, little girl,” he said without turning around, a smirk in his voice.Heat flushed my cheeks. “Can’t help it. You look good in the ki
Read more