Chapter 30
CHAPTER 30
“ H ello, Rebecca,” Damian said as he walked in.
Becca blinked, her breath catching in her throat.
Rebecca.
No one had called her that in years. The way the name rolled off his tongue, so casual, so unaffected—it threw her off. She hadn’t expected Damian to sound so calm. She sure as hell didn’t feel calm. The name alone sent a surge of guilt, anxiety, and... something else. Panic, maybe? It had been a long time since she’d let anyone stir those feelings in her, and here he was, doing it effortlessly.
She stared at him, waiting for the surge of emotion to hit her, but it didn’t come—not in the way she’d expected.
Ten years ago, she’d walked out on him during their honeymoon and never looked back. She’d run away in the middle of the night, leaving nothing but a note—no explanations, no phone call, just silence. She hadn’t even stayed long enough to hear his response. The guilt had gnawed at her for years.
He was looking at her now with a faint smile, but she couldn’t shake the thought of how much she had hurt him. It had been an awful thing to do, and she could only imagine what he’d gone through. He’d been in love with her, she knew that, but she’d been young and a mess, and she’d panicked. She hadn’t known what to do with herself, let alone with someone who genuinely cared about her.
Her mouth went dry. “Damian,” she whispered.
He looked good. Much better than she remembered. The husband she’d left behind had been tall, slim, and kind of nerdy-looking, with his slightly crooked glasses and tousled hair that always seemed one gust of wind away from chaos.
This man standing before her was... different .
Self-assured. Confident. His easy smile didn’t carry any of the uncertainty she remembered, and those crinkly eyes, like he laughed more often now, were nothing like the intense, brooding stares he used to give her. What a change from the man she’d married.
Becca expected a flood of emotions, something more than guilt, but instead, there was an overwhelming sadness that things had ended the way they had. The fondness she’d once felt for him was like a distant echo, hollowed out by time and her own decisions.
Yet, there was still that guilt.
How could she ever make it right?
“I’m sorry for leaving the way I did,” she blurted out, feeling the need to say something, anything , to break the silence. The apology felt raw, awkward, tumbling out before she could catch it. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”
The vulnerability in her voice made her wince. She was supposed to be stronger now, but in front of Damian, she felt like that same scared, confused girl from a decade ago.
He walked over to the bed. “That’s why I’m here. I wanted to say that I’m sorry too.” His voice was gentle, genuine. “I know your father pressured you into marrying me, and I’m sorry I took advantage of the situation.”
She swallowed hard. “ You’re sorry? I’m the one that should be apologizing.”
“He’s a bad man, Becca. It’s a good thing he’s finally behind bars.”
A surge of emotion brought tears to her eyes. Damian had forgiven her. That meant more to her than anything else.
“I know,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I guess I was hoping he’d change, but of course, that never happens. I should have learned my lesson last time.” If she had, things with Damian might have been different.
“People can change,” Damian said softly. “I’ve grown a lot in the years since I stopped working for Alek. I’m a completely different person now.”
She studied him—his relaxed demeanor, the tanned arms and face, his ready smile. The transformation was undeniable. The pale, intense young man she had known was gone, replaced by someone who seemed at peace with himself.
She studied his relaxed demeanor, the tanned arms and face, his ready smile, and recalled the pale, intense young man he’d been ten years ago. “I can see that.”
She felt Dom stiffen beside her.
“Are you happy, Damian?”
He glanced at Thorn, and Becca didn’t miss the tender look that passed between them. She’d been right! Those carats on the operator’s finger had been given to her by Damian.
“Yeah, I’m happy.”
“Good.” She smiled at the two of them. “I’m glad.”
Becca met Thorn’s gaze and an understanding passed between them. No more words were necessary. Thorn had captured her ex-husband’s heart, and Becca was okay with that. More than okay. Damian deserved to be happy, and judging by the look of him, this woman was good for him.
Suddenly, the guilt she’d been carrying around for the last decade lifted.
She exhaled. It felt wonderful to be free of it at last.
“I’m glad you came to see me.”
“When Pat told me what had happened, I thought it would be a good opportunity to put things right,” Damian said. “Ten years is a long time to hold a grudge.”
Becca cringed. “I felt so guilty, abandoning you like that, but I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t carry on with that farce any longer.”
“It’s okay,” Damian said. “I didn’t understand at the time, but over the years I’ve had plenty of time to think about it, and I realized how young you were and how Markov manipulated you. It wasn’t fair, and I should have stopped it.”
“You were young too,” Becca whispered. “He used both of us.”
“That he did,” Damian said softly. “Anyway, we can talk some more when you’re feeling better. We’ll be in Panama for a few days. I just wanted to clear the air and say I’m glad you’re okay.”
“Thanks, Damian,” she said, as Thorn took his hand and they left the room.