Chapter 27
In reality, they were simply words waiting for whatever came next.
“For what?”
He gave a quiet laugh.
“Do you want the alphabetical list?”
“Specificity helps.”
He nodded.
Fair.
“For freezing the accounts.”
I said nothing.
“For changing the locks.”
Still nothing.
“For your father’s loan.”
His jaw tightened.
“That was unforgivable.”
“Yes.”
He accepted the answer.
“For telling people you were acting emotionally because I was too afraid to admit you had found something real.”
I looked at him.
That one mattered.
“For making you feel ignorant.”
His voice became quieter.
“For making you think you had no value outside what I gave you.”
People moved around us.
Glasses clinked.
Someone laughed near the bar.
I realized nobody was watching.
For once, there was no audience.
“I do not expect you to forgive me,” Damian said.
I thought about that.
“Good.”
A shadow of pain crossed his face.
Then he nodded.
“Good.”
We stood in silence.
Finally, he asked, “Are you happy?”
The question surprised me.
Not because it was complicated.
Because it was simple.
“Yes.”
He absorbed the answer.
“Without me.”
I almost corrected him.
Instead, I understood that he was not accusing me.
He was finally saying the part he had never believed.
“Yes.”
A sad smile crossed his mouth.
“I deserved that.”
I shook my head.
“This is not about deserving.”
His smile disappeared.
“That was part of our problem.”
“What was?”
“Everything had to be a transaction.”
I looked at him.
“Reward, punishment, loyalty, betrayal.”
I paused.
“Even love.”
He lowered his eyes.
Across the ballroom, someone called my name.
Priya stood beside two lenders, motioning me over.
Damian followed my gaze.
“You should go.”
“Yes.”
I took one step.
“Clara?”
I turned.
He looked uncertain.
It was a new expression on him.
“What did you mean that day?”
“Which day?”
“At Mara’s office.”
He swallowed.
“When you said the best thing I ever did was make you test whether you were nothing without me.”
I studied him.
“You froze the money.”
He nodded.
“You changed the locks.”
Another nod.
“You took the things you thought made me secure.”
I looked across the ballroom toward the people waiting for me.
“And I was still here.”
Damian said nothing.
I continued.
“That was the test.”
His eyes shone.
“And you passed.”
“No.”
I smiled gently.
“There was never supposed to be a test.”
Something in his face broke and settled at the same time.