Chapter Twenty Four
The Eve of Reckoning
The suite was quiet, but the silence was deceptive coiled like a spring. Damien stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of Kelly’s penthouse, looking out at the glittering skyline. His expression was unreadable, but his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
Kelly lounged on the couch, her silk robe slipping off one shoulder. She watched him warily.
“You’re quiet again,” she said, voice teasing but uncertain.
He turned. “We’re done.”
She blinked. “What?”
“I said we’re done, Kelly.”
She stood, disbelief flashing in her eyes. “You’re serious?”
Damien nodded. “I should have ended it years ago. I let you poison everything good in my life. But this? This was the final straw.”
Her voice rose. “Because of a stupid kiss with Grayson Collin? That’s what broke you?”
He stepped forward, voice low and cold. “No. Because I finally saw what I looked like from the outside. And I hated it.”
She reached for him. “Damien—”
He pulled back. “Don’t.”
“You don’t mean this.”
“I do.”
Her voice turned sharp. “You’re just feeling guilty. That’ll pass. You and I—we’re inevitable.”
Damien shook his head. “No, Kelly. We were a mistake I kept repeating. But I’m done now. I’m choosing Cassie.”
Panic shimmered in her gaze.
“You think she’ll forgive you?” Kelly sneered. “You think that woman will ever look at you the same way again?”
“She already does,” he said, quieter now. “And maybe it’s not forgiveness. But it’s not hate. That’s a start.”
He turned to leave.
“Damien,” she snapped. “If you walk out now—”
He paused. “You’ll do what? Expose yourself in front of the press tomorrow? Crash a party full of cameras and CEOs?”
Her jaw tightened.
“You won’t ruin her day,” he said. “You won’t ruin her legacy.”
But she would try.
As soon as the door slammed behind him, Kelly grabbed her phone and called her PR fixer.
“I want access to the audio feed,” she hissed. “The mic system at the venue. I want to interrupt her speech.”
“Miss King, that’s highly irregular—”
“Then make it regular. Or I find someone else.”
She paced the suite like a woman unraveling.
“She’s not going to win. She’s not going to parade him around like some reformed king while I stand in shadows.”
Her fixer hesitated. “You realize this will be public?”
“I hope it is,” Kelly growled. “I want every single guest to see the truth. About her. About him. About me.”
She ended the call, hands shaking. This wasn’t about love anymore.
It was war.
Back at the King estate, Cassie rehearsed her speech in front of a mirror. The dress hung behind her, ivory silk embroidered with gold threading. A vision of regality but her eyes were focused.
Unforgiving.
Harper stood nearby, reading the final checklist. “Security confirmed. Leo will run tech. Jared’s handling press. Delia has the footage queued and encrypted.”
Cassie nodded. “Then tomorrow… we burn the lies.”