บททั้งหมดของ The Past Between Us: บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

The hospital room felt too quiet after the chaos. I stayed by Damiens side until the nurses made me leave for the night. Sophia drove me home. Liam was already asleep in her arms when we arrived. I carried him to bed and held him close. His small body reminded me why I had to stay strong. The next morning everything moved fast. Damien was discharged with strict orders to rest. He refused. He sat at the dining table with his arm in a sling and made calls. Private investigators. Lawyers. Security teams. He was building a wall around us. I watched him from the kitchen. The man who once ignored me for years was now fighting like hell to protect me. It felt strange. Almost unreal. “We need to meet with Victoria” he said suddenly. “She knows more than she is telling us.” I froze. “After everything she did?” “She is scared now” Damien replied. “And scared people talk.” We arranged the meeting at a neutral place. A small cafe far from both families. Sophia stayed with Liam at home with t

Everything happened at once. The partner pointed the gun straight at Liam. My son’s small body shook with fear. “Mommy…” I stepped forward without thinking. “Take me instead. Let him go.” Damien grabbed my arm. “Lila no.” The partner laughed. “How touching. The unwanted wife offering herself. But I want the files. All of them. And the originals your father hid.” Victoria moved slowly beside me. Her voice was shaky but clear. “It is over. The police know everything. They are surrounding the building. Let the boy go and maybe you still have a chance to run.” The partner’s face twisted with rage. “You stupid bitch. You were supposed to help me destroy them. Not turn on me.” He swung the gun toward Victoria. In that split second Damien lunged. He slammed into the man with his good shoulder. They crashed to the ground. The gun skidded across the floor. I ran for Liam. I scooped him up and held him tight against my chest. “I have you baby. I have you.” Damien fought hard. Even with

Three years later The house was quiet for the first time in weeks. Rose was finally asleep after singing every song she knew, and Liam had passed out with his soccer ball still in his arms. I stood on the balcony in my silk robe, the same one Damien loved seeing me in, breathing in the cool night air. Strong arms wrapped around me from behind. Damien’s chin rested on my shoulder. His lips brushed my neck. “You should be in bed, Mrs. Voss,” he murmured, voice low and teasing. “We have an early flight tomorrow for our anniversary trip.” I smiled and leaned back into him. “I know. I just… sometimes I still can’t believe this is real. Us. The kids. The peace.” He turned me around and cupped my face. His grey eyes were soft but intense. “It is real. And I will spend every day making sure you never doubt it again.” We kissed slowly, the kind of kiss that still set my body on fire after all this time. His hands slid down my back, pulling me closer. I was just about to suggest we take th

The silence in the house was suffocating. Liam had gone back to his room after sensing something was wrong, and Sophia had taken Rose upstairs to give us space. I stood in the middle of the living room, arms wrapped around myself like I could hold my breaking heart together. Damien hadn’t moved. He stared at the photos on the coffee table like they were evidence against him in court. “Say something,” I whispered. “Anything. Tell me I am wrong. Tell me this is all fake.” He ran a hand through his hair, the same nervous gesture he used years ago when he was hiding how much he hated our marriage. “It is not fake. But it is not what you think.” I laughed bitterly. The sound hurt even me. “Of course it is not. It never is with you.” He took a step forward. I took one back. “Elena works for a private intelligence firm. I hired her three months ago because the partner has people on the outside still working for him. She has been feeding me information. The hotel meetings were to pass do

I stared at the screen until the words blurred. My hands were ice cold on the keyboard.Everything is ready. She believes you. We move on the final transfer tomorrow. Once it is done, the partner gets his money and we disappear. Just like we planned.Elena.Damien.The man who had just held me while I cried was planning to run. With her. With money that probably came from the same people threatening our children.I copied the folder to a USB drive with shaking fingers, then wiped the history. My heart was beating so hard I was scared it would wake him.I slipped back into the bedroom. Damien was still asleep, his face peaceful like he had not just destroyed everything again. I looked at him for a long moment. The same face I had loved for over a decade. The same face that had broken me more times than I could count.Quietly I packed a small bag. Clothes for me and the kids. Passports. Cash I had hidden for emergencies. I moved like a ghost through the house.Liam woke up when I gently