Page 32 of Vows of Deceit
“Cassie…”
She raised her eyes to his, voice just a whisper. “Say it.”
His hand cradled her jaw, thumb brushing her cheek. “I’ve tried not to fall for you. I really did. But every time I see you rise through this storm, I fall harder.”
The tension snapped.
Their lips met in a slow, searing kiss. Not the desperate heat of stolen moments, but the ache of something real earned. Cassie melted into him, his arms holding her steady as the elevator hummed beneath them. When they pulled apart, she rested her forehead against his chest.
“I can’t promise what happens after the reveal,” she said softly.
“You don’t have to,” he murmured. “Just don’t shut me out.”
She nodded, her voice barely a whisper. “Okay.”
The elevator dinged. The doors opened. Cassie stepped out first, head high but this time, her heart was no longer heavy because she wasn’t walking alone.
Chapter Twenty Four
The Eve of Reckoning
The suite was quiet, but the silence was deceptive coiled like a spring. Damien stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of Kelly’s penthouse, looking out at the glittering skyline. His expression was unreadable, but his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
Kelly lounged on the couch, her silk robe slipping off one shoulder. She watched him warily.
“You’re quiet again,” she said, voice teasing but uncertain.
He turned. “We’re done.”
She blinked. “What?”
“I said we’re done, Kelly.”
She stood, disbelief flashing in her eyes. “You’re serious?”
Damien nodded. “I should have ended it years ago. I let you poison everything good in my life. But this? This was the final straw.”
Her voice rose. “Because of a stupid kiss with Grayson Collin? That’s what broke you?”
He stepped forward, voice low and cold. “No. Because I finally saw what I looked like from the outside. And I hated it.”
She reached for him. “Damien—”
He pulled back. “Don’t.”
“You don’t mean this.”
“I do.”
Her voice turned sharp. “You’re just feeling guilty. That’ll pass. You and I—we’re inevitable.”
Damien shook his head. “No, Kelly. We were a mistake I kept repeating. But I’m done now. I’m choosing Cassie.”
Panic shimmered in her gaze.
“You think she’ll forgive you?” Kelly sneered. “You think that woman will ever look at you the same way again?”
“She already does,” he said, quieter now. “And maybe it’s not forgiveness. But it’s not hate. That’s a start.”
