Chapter 469

Sofia’s POV
My wolf whimpered in my chest, her pain mirroring mine. I wanted to scream, to tear at something, but instead, I stood still, cold and numb, refusing to let him see how much it hurt.
“Fine,” I said quietly, forcing my voice not to shake. “You’re fucking other women, then I guess I can too.”
His head snapped up at that, his eyes flashing with something dark, but instead of the rage I expected, he only scoffed.
“I never stopped you,” he said flatly. “Do whatever you want.”
Those words shattered me. Completely.
The Damien I knew, the man who once couldn’t stand another man even looking at me, was gone. The Damien who used to pull me close, mark me, whisper that I was his and no one else’s—he wasn’t standing here anymore. This version of him was cold, distant, and unrecognizable.
I swallowed hard, my throat burning. “Right,” I whispered. “Do whatever I want.”
I turned away before the tears could fall, before I humiliated myself any further. My legs felt weak as I walked out of the room, but I didn’t stop until I reached my own. I closed the door quietly behind me and leaned against it, my breath shaking.
The moment I was alone, I crumbled.
I curled up on my bed, hugging my knees to my chest as silent sobs tore through me. I hated myself—for still loving him, for still wanting him even after everything. For caring when I should’ve stopped a long time ago.
Every memory of us came rushing back—the laughter, the moments together, the promises. And now, all that was left was this emptiness that clawed at my heart.
I cried until I couldn’t anymore, until exhaustion numbed the ache in my chest. My eyes were swollen, my throat raw, but finally, I drifted into a half-sleep, my mind too tired to fight the pain.
Then, I heard it—the sound of keys turning softly in the lock.
My heart skipped a beat. Instantly, I knew it was Damien.
I quickly wiped my face and closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep. My breaths came slow and steady as I listened to the door creak open.
Footsteps. Slow, deliberate. The air shifted with his scent—warm, musky, achingly familiar.
He stood there for a while, just watching me. I could feel it, the weight of his gaze heavy on my skin.
Part of me wanted to sit up, to scream at him, to ask why. But I couldn’t. I stayed still, silent, my heart pounding painfully in my chest.
When he finally moved closer, the mattress dipped slightly as Damien sat down beside me, his scent wrapping around me in a way that made my chest tighten. I kept my eyes closed, my breathing even, pretending to be asleep. I couldn’t face him. Not after what he said.
For a moment, he didn’t move. The silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating. Then his voice came, low and rough, carrying that familiar edge that always seemed to cut straight through me.
“I know you’re awake, Sofia.”
My pulse quickened, but I didn’t move. I couldn’t. My back was still to him, my hands gripping the blanket tightly.
He sighed softly. “You always try to hide when you’re hurt.”
The sound of his voice alone made my eyes sting again, but I forced myself to stay still, to keep pretending. I didn’t trust myself to look at him—because if I did, all the anger I had left might collapse into longing.
He shifted slightly, his voice quiet, almost hesitant now. “I wasn’t with her.” Official source is.net
I swallowed hard, my heart hammering. Don’t react, Sofia.
He continued, his tone sharper now, like he was trying to convince both of us. “She—my secretary—she drugged me tonight.”
My fingers tightened around the sheet.
“I didn’t know it at first,” he went on, his voice low but urgent. “She came into my office after a meeting, said she wanted to discuss something important. She offered me a drink. I didn’t think anything of it.” He exhaled shakily. “But then everything started to blur. My body wasn’t responding right. She tried to—” He stopped, his jaw tightening audibly. “She tried to take advantage of that.”
He paused, letting the words hang between us.
“But my wolf reacted before things could go further,” he said, his tone rough, sounding sincere. “He neutralized the drugs. I didn’t touch her, Sofia. I swear I didn’t.”
A tear slid silently down my cheek, but I still didn’t turn. I wanted to believe him—Moon, I did—but my heart was too raw, too bruised to let hope in again so easily.
Damien’s voice softened then, the edge giving way to something I hadn’t heard in a long time. “That’s why I was late. I wasn’t out with her. I was dealing with her. Making sure she’ll never step foot in my office again.”
He moved a little closer, his warmth brushing against my back. I could feel the tremor in his voice when he spoke again. “You think I don’t love you anymore, but you’re wrong.”
My breath caught.
He let out a faint, humorless chuckle. “Maybe I’ve done a terrible job showing it. Maybe I’ve said things I shouldn’t have… but the truth is, Sofia, I still love you more than I know how to explain.”
The silence stretched again. My wolf whimpered softly, her anger melting into confusion and aching hope.
“Maybe one day,” he said quietly, almost in a whisper, “I’ll prove it to you. Maybe one day you’ll see that I never stopped.”
I kept my back to him, my eyes squeezed shut as tears fell silently onto the pillow. I didn’t move, didn’t speak. Because if I did—if I turned around now—every wall I’d built to protect myself would come crashing down.
So I stayed still, pretending to sleep, while his confession hung in the dark like a fragile truth neither of us knew how to handle.
And when I felt his fingers brush lightly against my hair, trembling before pulling away, I knew that despite everything, he still cared.
And worse, I still did too.