One Last 109

Chapter 109
Damien’s POV:
Watching Irene and Lenora’s exchange from across the room had torn something inside me. Lenora’s accusations, the hu in Irene’s eyes; it was all spiraling beyond control.
And for the first time, I was unable to be the one to fix it.
Somehow, Eva had planted so many seeds of doubt and anger that my family had become a house of cards, one harsh mouth-puff and it will collapse.
As Lenora angrily ran out, I took a few steps toward Irene, not so sure what to say. She was standing by the window, her ar were hugging herself, staring out into space as if they held some kind of answer. Her usual fire was dimmed. Her shoulde were sagged under a weight I couldn’t lift off her. I wanted to go to her and hold her, to promise her that none of this wou break us.
That somehow, we would find our way back to each other.
But instead, I was standing there as I felt the words die in my throat.
Finally, she turned to face me, her eyes weary. “Damien,” she started, her voice barely a whisper. “I’m leaving. I think it’s be if I leave for a while.”
The words hit me so hard in my gut, knocking the air from my lungs. “Irene, you can’t leave. Not now. We’ll figure this out took a step toward her, desperation clawing its way up my chest.
She shook her head, giving me a sad, almost defeated smile. “I don’t know if we can, Damien. Not with everything that’s happening. I’m only making things worse. Lenora, Eva… even you. Maybe you’d all be better off if I wasn’t here.”
“No,” I said quickly, my voice thick. “You’re wrong, Irene. They’re just… they’re confused. Eva’s put ideas in their head, twisted things. But they’ll come around. Lenora will come around.”
She looked down as if searching for strength somewhere in the grain of the wooden floor. “Maybe, but I can’t wait around and watch everything fall apart while she does. This… this is tearing me apart.”
I moved closer, hoping to bridge the emotional chasm that had grown between us. “Irene, please, stay. Please don’t go. I need you here.”
Her expression softened, but there was something etched in her gaze that caused my heart to twist. “You might think you need me here, Damien, but sometimes needing someone doesn’t mean they’re the right person to have beside you. I think some distance will make things clearer for both of us.”
I gently grabbed her hand, feeling the need to have her fingers against mine. “This isn’t how we solve things, Irene. Not by running away.” I told her in a strained voice.
Her hand tightened briefly around mine before she let go, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “I’m not running, Damien. I just… I need a break. From all of this.”
I searched her face, searching for some hint that she didn’t mean what she just said or that she was still willing to fight by my side. But all I found was exhaustion, a bone-deep weariness that fold me this wasn’t a decision she lightly arrived at.
It was at that moment that I realized how much damage Eva’s manipulations had done. I realized how deeply her lies had infused into the heart of my family. And I hated that Irene, of all people, was bearing the brunt of it.
“I don’t want you to go,” I said, my voice breaking on the last word. “Please, Irene. Don’t do this now.”
She looked at me, her eyes were filled with a kind of pain that cur deeper than any words. “I’ll come back,” she promised,
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15:05 Thu, Oct 31 RB.
Chapter 109
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though her voice was hesitant, almost as if she was trying to convince herself more than me. “I just need to find myself again… away from all of this.” She rasped.
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I opened my mouth to argue, to tell her that we could find a way through this together. But the look in her eyes told me that nothing I said would change her mind. She was already halfway gone, her spirit was already worn down by the constant battles, lies, and all that pain.
“I’ll leave tomorrow,” she said softly. “Just for a while. Until things settle.” She took a shaky breath, her gaze drifting back toward the window.
I wanted to shout and demand she stay, so she could see that leaving wouldn’t fix anything. But I knew that action would only drive her further away. So instead, I forced myself to nod, though every fiber of my being screamed against it.
And just as she turned to leave, to walk out of the room and out of my reach, a voice echoed from the doorway, sharp and cutting.
“Leaving again, Irene? Seems to be a habit, Eva snickered, her arms crossed as she leaned against the doorframe. “You think you can just walk out of here and avoid the mess you have created, huh?”
Irene stood up straight, and for a brief moment, a flash of that old fire sparked in her act or say otherwise.”
eyes.
“This mess is yours, Eva. Don’t
Eva’s smile was cold and calculating, and she shrugged, unfazed. “You can blame me all you want, but look around, Irene. Lenora hates you. Damien’s torn. Maybe you’re the common denominator here.”
I tightened my fists, wanting to tell Eva to shut up, to leave us alone, but Irene held up a hand, stopping me. “You’re right, Eva,” she said, her voice calm, yet edged with venomous sadness. “I am the common denominator because I was the only one trying to keep this family together.”
Eva let out a mocking laugh, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. Keep telling yourself that, dear sister. But it seems everyone else sees you as the problem.”
I felt a wave of anger rise in me, but before I could say anything, Irene turned to me, her expression softening. “Damien… take care of yourself. And… please, just don’t let her poison everything we’ve built.”
The finality in her words sent some annoying shivers through me. I watched her walking away, her footsteps echoing down the hallway, each step pulling her further from me.
Eva lingered, smirking as she watched me wrestle with the urge to follow Irene, to drag her back and somehow fix this. But I knew I couldn’t. Not without pushing her away completely.
As Irene disappeared around the corner, Eva stepped closer, a satisfied gleam in her eyes. “Looks like your little perfect life isn’t so perfect anymore,” she murmured, barely masking her delight,
I glared at her, feeling a surge of rage. “Why are you doing this, Eva?”
She tilted her head, feigning innocence. “Doing what? I’m only being a good sister. Giving Irene some space to realize she’s not fit for this family.”
My hands tightened into fists, but I forced myself to stay calm. “You may think you’ve won, Eva. But I’ll get to the truth, one way or another.”
She smirked a flash of something dark and dangerous in her eyes. “Good luck with that, Damien. But remember- sometimes the truth is worse than the lie.”
And with that, she turned on her heel, leaving me alone in the empty room, Irene’s absence echoing like a wound.
Tomorrow, she would be gone. And I was left wondering if this space between us was just the beginning of an end I wasn’t ready to face.