Page 44 of Vows of Deceit
He smiled. “Take all you need. I’m not going anywhere.”
And for the first time in months, Cassie believed someone.
Chapter Thirty Five
A Dinner for Two
The invitation arrived in an ivory envelope, handwritten in the same script that had once signed her birthday cards, anniversary notes, and love letters. Cassie stared at it on her desk for a long time. Dinner. No press. No agendas. Just closure. She almost threw it out. Almost. But later that evening, curiosity or maybe compassion won out.
The restaurant was quiet, candlelit, with a discreet staff trained for high-profile clientele. Cassie arrived in an understated black dress, her hair pulled back, heels clicking softly against the marble floor.
Damien stood when she entered. He looked older. Not aged, but worn down. Like a man who had finally met the weight of his consequences.
“Cassie.”
“Damien.”
He pulled out her chair. She sat.
Silence lingered like fog until he finally spoke.
“I wanted to say goodbye. Properly.”
She nodded. “Then let’s hear it.”
He didn’t flinch.
“I lied. I cheated. I destroyed the one good thing in my life because I was too cowardly to face my own confusion.”
Cassie’s breath caught, but she said nothing.
He continued, “You were always real, Cassie. You gave everything to me, your loyalty, your love, your ambition. I... I didn’t know how to accept that without wondering if I deserved it.”
“And you decided I didn’t,” she said softly.
His eyes flickered. “No. I decided I didn’t deserveyou. So I sabotaged it. I leaned on Kelly because she fed my worst instincts. Made me feel powerful. In control. But you...” He paused. “You made me feel vulnerable.”
Cassie looked away.
“I don’t expect forgiveness,” he said. “But I needed you to know that it wasn’t about you not being enough. It was always me who wasn’t enough.”
She finally met his gaze. “You destroyed a lot of good things.”
“I know.”
“And I can’t go back. Even if there are days I remember what we had and miss the version of you I thought I loved.”
He swallowed hard. “Thank you for coming.”
Their meal arrived and neither of them touched it.
“I’m stepping away from Sterling Ventures,” he said. “Permanently. I’m starting over. Therapy. Charity work. Maybe something quieter. Something honest.”
Cassie stared at him for a moment. “I hope you do. I really do.”
They stood at the same time.
At the door, he hesitated. “Do you hate me?”
