Chapter 26
About a week later, news broke that a promising mid–sized firm in the industry had gone bankrupt.
Eighty percent of their clients ended up flocking straight to Whitlock Jewelry, which of course triggered a storm of speculation.
Reporters swarmed around Damian the moment he stepped out of his office, one of them daring enough to shove a mic in his face and ask, “Mr. Whitlock, any comment on the situation?”
Damian didn’t even blink. “If you play dirty, you’d better be ready to face the consequences.”
Just one sentence. Short, sharp and lethal. It basically confirmed that their downfall had been his doing.
The media quickly dug deeper, unearthing what had happened to him at that banquet. The whole scheme. The drugging attempt. People were shocked, but honestly, it sent a pretty effective warning across the industry–nobody would be stupid enough to try pulling that kind of stunt on him again anytime soon.
Still, even with his enemies handled, Damian had a new obsession.
“When can we go public, Andrea?” he asked for what felt like the tenth time that week.
I arched a brow. “Can’t we just keep things low–key?”
He crossed his arms and argued like a petulant teenager. “Low–key? I have an amazing girlfriend. The world deserves to know.”
I shot him a sideways look. “Hmm, I wonder who that might be.”
Without missing a beat, he pulled me into his arms. “You are. Who else could it be?”
I didn’t reply, only pouted a little.
After that night we slept together, we sort of… naturally slipped into dating. But deep down, I felt like something was missing. An official moment. A proper beginning.
Damian had been too busy wiping out the people who’d tried to trap him to notice my little hang–up. And I was too embarrassed to bring it up myself–I didn’t want to sound clingy or childish.
But Damian, ever so intuitive, caught on.
So on New Year’s Eve, he brought me to his villa.
The moment we stepped inside, I knew what he was planning.
The lights had been dimmed to a warm, soft glow–a little darker than usual, giving the whole house a romantic vibe. On the long dining table sat an elaborate floral arrangement surrounding a flickering candle centerpiece. And nestled inside the blooms was a necklace I recognized immediately–it was the one he’d won at an auction just days earlier. The diamond was huge, catching the light with every tiny movement.
Standing at the end of the table, Damian held a bouquet of white lisianthus and smiled at me under the soft lighting.
“They say every official relationship should start with flowers and a confession,” he began, his
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Chapter 26
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voice tender. “I didn’t come up with anything special, so I figured I’d stick with tradition.”
He paused, taking a breath. “Andrea… I like you. Not just for a moment. From the very first time saw you, you carved a place inside me. I was young and stupid back then. I kept trying to get your attention by pissing you off. Later, I realized–that’s not how you show love.”
“Sometimes, I wonder… if I had been a little more mature back then, if I’d started chasing you sooner, maybe you wouldn’t have had to go through all that pain. I regret letting you slip away for those five long years. But at least now, I still have time–time to heal you, to make up for all that’s been lost.”
His voice trembled slightly as he held out the flowers. “Andrea, will you be my girlfriend?”
God. He looked so nervous–even though we both knew what my answer would be.
My chest tightened with warmth, Smiling, I reached out and took the bouquet from his hands.
“Yes,”
The tension in his face instantly melted into pure joy. He lifted me off my feet and spun me around in a full circle.
“Damian, stop. Stop spinning! I’m getting dizzy!” I laughed, clinging to his neck.
He finally set me down, planting a heavy kiss on my forehead before carefully fastening the necklace around my neck.
And of course, that same night, he snapped a selfie of us and made our relationship Instagram–official.
Katia was the first to comment, “Finally official? Congratulation, love birds.”
Damian blinked, clearly confused. “Why does she sound like an overprotective sister who just watched her precious little sister get snatched up? Since when are you two so close?”
I held my chin up. “Girl thing. You wouldn’t understand.”
From that night on, Damian and I officially dove headfirst into our relationship.
And I had to admit–he was an excellent boyfriend.
He showered me with affection, spoiled me rotten, offered unwavering emotional support and let’s be real–his financial resources didn’t hurt either.
Bathed in his overwhelming love, I finally learned how to love someone with my whole heart. again.
While I was falling deeper and deeper into this beautiful chapter of my life, somewhere else, far across the country, Sable was living through a nightmare that never seemed to end.
Chapter 26
