Chapter 85
Damien’s POV:
Did I really have nothing left but Eva? The thought grawed at me as I sat on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the sunlight pouring through the window. The house was eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the usual morning chaos with Charlie. running around. Irene making coffee, and the faint hum of life we had built together.
But now they are gone.
It had been days since Irene left without a word, taking Charlie and disappearing like ghosts in the night. I had tried to convince myself she would come back, that this was just some cruel, temporary punishment for our disagreement. Or perhaps, an expensive prank or joke. But every day that passed, the hope dwindled and diminished, leaving me with nothing but an aching emptiness and the ever–present shadow of Eva like a persistent leech on my skin.
It freaking sucked.
Eva had been persistent, hovering around me like a storm cloud, but pretending to be the only clear sky in the magnifying chaos. She was trying to become my rock in this devastating period, quietly filling the void left by Irene’s absence.
At first, I didn’t pay much attention, I was too consumed with guilt and confusion. But now, as I sat there, Eva’s words from the previous night kept replaying in my mind.
“she abandoned you, Damien. She left without even telling you why. After everything you’ve done for her, after everything you’ve shared, she just walked out. Do you really think someone who loves you would do that?”
Her voice had been soft, laced with sympathy and concern, but the undertones were unmistakable. She wanted me to hate Irene. She wanted to plant that seed of resentment and water it with her supposed loyalty.
Oh, damn her!
Tm the only one who hasn’t left, she had whispered, her hand resting on my arm. “I’ve been here through it all. I’ll never abandon you. Certainty swam in her eyes and tinged her tone.
I had looked at her then, focused on her, and saw that her eyes were full of sincerity, and her touch was gentle.
And for a moment, I wavered
A small part of me- tired, hurt, and angry, wanted to believe her. Eva had always been there, hadn’t she? Even when things got hard, even when Irene had pushed her away and treated her like the enemy. She stayed. She supported me.
But then reality snapped back. No. This wasn’t right.
I shook my head vehemently, disagreeing strongly with the thoughts in my head.
Irene wouldn’t just leave for no reason. She wouldn’t abandon me unless she felt she had no choice.
And why did Eva keep pressing this point? The more I thought about it, the more something felt off.
I stood up abruptly, shaking off the lingering fog of doubt that Eva’s
words were slowly creating. I couldn’t allow myself to be manipulated. Eva had an agenda, and I needed to stop letting my emotions cloud my judgment.
I needed to be in my right mind and focus on the problem at hand- Irene left me and I needed to find her and bring her back home:
“Im going out,” I said, not even glancing at her as I grabbed my jacket
Chapter 85
“Damien, wait—” Eva started, her voice soft and pleading, but 1 was already halfway out the door.
I needed answers. I needed to find Irene and Charlie.
And I needed to find them fast before I went crazy with the help of Eva’s webbed words.
It had taken me days to contact every person I had in my private investigation network. Irene had vanished without a trace. and for a moment. I almost believed she had truly disappeared But I wasn’t going to give up. Not on her. Not on my family.
The first few days had been a blur of phone calls and meetings with investigators. I had gotten little sleep, my mind too consumed with the need to find them, to understand what had happened. Each lead I chased down turned out to be a dead end. Irene had been careful, covering her tracks well enough that no one knew where she had
But eventually, my persistence paid off.
gone.
The private investigator I had hired, a guy I had worked with in the past, called me that morning.
“I’ve got a lead.” he said, his voice crisp and professional. “It’s not confirmed yet, but I think I’ve tracked Irene and Charlie to a small town a few hours away. It’s remote, quiet–perfect for someone looking to disappear for a while.”
My heart leaped into my throat. “Are you sure?
“As sure as I can be without actually seeing them. I’ve got an address. I’ll send it over.” He replied firmly.
Thung up, feeling a surge of adrenaline. I wasn’t going to wait. I needed to go there myself, see them, talk to Irene, and understand why she had left without a word.
The drive was long, every mile filled with nervous anticipation. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, my mind racing with thoughts of what I would say when I finally saw her.
Would she even want to see me? Would she explain why she left? And what about Charlie? How was he holding up?
As I neared the address, my chest tightened. The town was small barely more than a few streets lined with modest houses. It was the kind of place where people went to escape the noise of the world, to hide away in peace.
I wonder how she must have found somewhere to run to so quickly in the middle of the night. And how had she gotten a place like this?
I slowed down as I approached the house the investigator had given me. It was an old, weathered building, hidden away on the edge of town, surrounded by overgrown bushes and trees. My heart pounded in my chest as I parked the car and sat there for a moment, gathering my thoughts.
I needed to do that so I don’t ruin things even further when I set my eyes on her and my emotions go haywire.
What if she doesn’t want to see me? The doubt crept in, but I pushed it aside, I needed to do this.
1 got out of the car, my legs feeling shaky as I walked up the narrow path to the front door: The house was quiet, with no sign of movement inside. I hesitated for a moment, my hand hovering over the door, unsure if I should knock, barge in, or just walk away.
But before I could decide, the door creaked open.
I froze, my breath catching in my throat as Irene stood there, her eyes wide with shock.
We stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, neither of us saying a word. Her hair was messy, as though she had just woken up, and she was wearing a simple sweatshirt, nothing like the version of herself I was used to seeing.
Chapter 85
She looked tired, and worn down, like she had been carrying a weight too heavy for too long.
My eyes drifted past her, and then I saw him- Charlie, sitting at a small table inside, his back turned toward me. My heart clenched at the sight of him, my little champion, safe but so far away from me.
“Irene..“I finally managed to say, my voice hoarse. “Why?”
She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her eyes darted between me and the door like she was unsure if she should. let me in or slam it shut in my face. I could see the conflict written all over her face, the same turmoil I had been feeling for days.
For a brief second. I wanted to reach out to pull her into my arms and tell her everything was going to be okay. That we could fix this. But something held me back–an invisible wall between us, built by the silence and the secrets that had driven us apart.
Before I could say another word, the door behind Irene swung open wider, and my heart dropped to my stomach.
Eva was standing there, her face pale as she stared at us.
“Irene, what’s going on?” she asked, her voice steady but her eyes wide with an emotion I couldn’t quite place.
Irene stepped aside, and I realized with a sickening sense of dread that this wasn’t over. Not even close.
The weight of the situation hit me all at once. Whatever explanation Irene had, whatever we were about to discuss, it wouldn’t be simple. The web between the three of us–me, Irene, and Eva–was far too tangled.
And I wasn’t sure I was ready to hear the truth.
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