Chapter 16

Sloane clung to Damien's leg, her sobs soft and broken, every inch of her trembling with helplessness. But Damien just looked down at her with nothing but cold detachment. Towering over her, he gave her a cold, unfeeling glance, then kicked her aside without a word. "Funny. You actually remember I was the one who protected you all those years," Damien said, his voice tight with hurt. His eyes locked on hers, filled with a pain he wasn't even trying to hide. "After everything I did for you, this is how you choose to pay me back?" He took a slow, deliberate step toward her. The weight of his fury pressed down on her like a collapsing ceiling. She could hardly breathe. "Damien, wait... you've got it all wrong," she stammered, scrambling backward on the floor. "I didn't love them. I never did. It was all fake. I only ever loved you. I just used them... I wanted to push them toward Aurelia, so you wouldn't have to marry her. I did it all for you, Damien. For us." Swallowing her fear, S