“What are you doing here?” I managed at last, raw.
He didn’t answer. His eyes locked on mine and held. Invisible wire tightened between us—charge humming through questions, accusations, and the ache that wouldn’t die. The air thickened until it hurt to breathe. I couldn’t look away. Neither could he.
“Damian is here because you uncovered a forgery,” my father said, almost casual.
“What?” The room tilted.
“The seal Damian and I acquired together. You discovered it was fake.”
“Your father and I have known each other a long time,” Damian said evenly.
My father’s hand landed on my shoulder—steadying, anchoring. “Damian and I have worked together for years. We’re close friends. When you moved to Cold Spring and needed work, I asked him to hire you—to keep an eye on you. He agreed immediately.”
For one fragile second, I wanted to believe it was harmless. Protection, nothing more. But the thought died on contact. It wasn’t only a job. It wasn’t only safety.
I had given him my heart—blind—never knowing I’d been caught in a net from the beginning. Every step, every word, maybe every touch, predetermined. Nothing between us had ever been untouched or truly ours.
And worst of all—Damian didn’t stand apart from this world.
He belonged to it.
I had never been free. I had never truly chosen.
I’d been moved across a board—a pawn.
The ground split under me. I no longer knew who I was, or who I could ever trust. The chair scraped as I shoved it back and stood.
“Please tell me I’m about to wake up from this nightmare.”
No one contradicted me. No one even bothered to lie. In Damian’s eyes there was only bitter, unflinching truth. I stepped back instinctively, as if distance could save me.
I stared at him, breathless, unableto understand how he could sit so calm while my world collapsed. His gaze stayed on mine—steady, relentless—and that made it worse.
My father sighed. “Daisy, we live in a dangerous world. I have enemies everywhere. The illegal antiques trade is more than business—it’s a threat. I wanted to protect you. Damian was the only one I trusted. And he kept his word, Daisy. The men outside the shop… they were his. They have been watching over you since the day he hired you.” Damian’s gaze flickered away for a heartbeat, as if the truth carried a weight he didn’t want me to read in his eyes.
“The… illegal… antiques trade?” My voice cracked. “Am I in the wrong movie? What the hell is going on?” I shook my head. “You abused my trust,” I snapped at my father—then cut my eyes to Damian. “Both of you.”The man I had loved was just another mask in my father’s empire. And I’d fallen for the mask.
“Please, try to—”
“You know what? I won’t make a scene. But I won’t stay here another second. I’m going home. We can talk later. Or better—never.”
I turned and walked out, desperate for air that didn’t taste like lies.
“Tristan, go with her,” my father’s voice followed.
“Daisy!” Tristan called. I stopped, turned just enough.
“I have to go with you,” he said.
“Don’t you have anything better to do than play babysitter?” The lash of it surprised even me.
His brows rose.
“I’m sorry,” I exhaled. “That was mean. It’s not your fault.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.”
