Brooklyn hadn't been back home for 24 hours, but already the penthouse felt smaller.
Colder.
Quieter.
Even with Damien's arm around her, even with the city lights glowing in the distance, there was something in the air — a tension neither of them wanted to speak out loud.
Elias had been arrested. The news was everywhere. His smug mugshot was splashed across headlines, accompanied by words like "cyberstalking," "espionage," and "disgraced Carter heir."
But it didn't feel over.
Because it wasn't.
---
Carter Enterprises – Secure Room
Vivienne stood beside Grant Maddox, both of them staring at the screen in silence.
The drive marked Project Grace had been recovered from Elias's office during the FBI raid. Grant had decrypted it within the hour.
And what they found?
Was nuclear.
"Are you sure about this?" Vivienne asked, her voice tight.
"Yes," Grant said grimly. "It's real. Elias recorded this months ago. He planned everything down to the minute."
Vivienne crossed her arms. "And Damien has no idea?"
Grant shook his head.
"We have to tell him. Now."
---
Penthouse – That Evening
Brooklyn had just curled into Damien's arms on the couch, his fingers gently tracing patterns across her back, when the front door opened.
Grant didn't knock.
He just walked in, holding a laptop.
"What is it?" Damien asked immediately.
Grant didn't speak. He set the laptop on the coffee table and hit play.
A video filled the screen — grainy but clear.
Elias sat behind a desk, smiling that sickening smile.
> "If you're watching this, then I've already been arrested. But don't celebrate just yet.
Because this? This is my legacy."
Brooklyn leaned forward.
> "You see, dear brother, I knew you'd fall for her. Brooklyn James — the soft-spoken queen who plays house in a billionaire's castle.
But what if I told you… she wasn't who she said she was either?"
Damien stiffened.
> "I dug deep. Deeper than you did. And guess what I found?"
Elias held up a file. A thick one.
> "Our dear Brooklyn had her name changed six years ago. From Brooklyn Grace Hawkins to Brooklyn James. Why? Because she was involved in a corporate embezzlement scandal — as a whistleblower."
"The company? Northwest Foundations. Guess who funded them back then?"
Damien's voice came out low and tight. "Don't say it—"
> "Me. I did. And she cost me over five million dollars."
Brooklyn's heart stopped.
> "She didn't know I was behind it, of course. But I knew who she was the moment I saw her. I could've exposed her. I could've ruined her from day one."
"But where's the fun in that?"
He leaned in closer.
> "So instead, I waited. I gave her enough rope to hang herself. And now? You're in love with a woman who cost me everything.
And you made her your wife."
He smiled cruelly.
> "This wasn't just business, Damien. This was personal."
The screen went black.
---
Silence
Brooklyn stared at the laptop, chest heaving. She could barely breathe.
"I… I didn't know," she whispered. "I didn't know Elias was behind that company. I was just a low-level assistant. When I saw what they were doing to the grant money, I reported it anonymously. I thought I was doing the right thing—"
"You changed your name," Damien said, his voice quiet but cold.
Brooklyn looked at him, heart cracking.
"I had to," she said. "After the case, I was blacklisted. No one would hire me. I was receiving threats. My parents had to move. It was hell."
Damien stood, pulling away from her.
"You never told me."
"I didn't want my past to define me," she cried. "I wanted a fresh start."
"And you got it. In my house. In my life." His eyes burned. "All this time, you let me believe I was the only one with secrets."
Brooklyn stood too, shaking.
"I never lied to you. I just... left it buried. I didn't think it mattered."
Damien's jaw tightened.
"It matters now."
---
Vivienne's Intervention
Vivienne stepped between them.
"Enough," she snapped. "You're doing exactly what Elias wanted — tearing each other apart."
Damien turned away, but she kept going.
"Yes, she changed her name. Yes, she kept her past quiet. But she wasn't hiding a crime — she was hiding trauma. She exposed a multimillion-dollar scam. She's not the villain here. Elias is."
Brooklyn wiped her face, voice hoarse.
"You said you loved me," she whispered.
Damien's shoulders tensed.
"I do."
She waited.
But no more words came.
---
A Long Night
Brooklyn didn't sleep.
She sat on the window bench in the nursery, staring out at the city, hands resting on her belly.
She thought about the girl she used to be — the one who believed in truth and justice and consequences.
Then she thought about the woman she had become — fierce, afraid, in love, and desperate to be enough.
---
The Next Morning – Decision Time
Damien woke to an empty bed.
He found Brooklyn in the kitchen, dressed in a simple beige sweater and soft jeans, a small overnight bag on the counter.
"I'm going to my mother's," she said softly. "Just for a few days."
Damien looked at her, pain flickering in his eyes.
"Brooklyn…"
"You need time to process," she said. "And I need space to breathe."
He reached for her hand.
"I didn't mean to push you away."
"I know," she whispered. "But you did anyway."
She kissed his cheek and picked up her bag.
"I'll call you when I get there."
And then she walked out.
---
Closing Scene – Damien Alone
The penthouse had never felt so empty.
Damien sat on the edge of their bed, staring at the spot where Brooklyn's pillow still held the faintest scent of her hair.
Vivienne entered quietly.
"She loves you," she said. "And she didn't betray you."
"I know," Damien said.
"But you let her walk away."
"I had to."
Vivienne studied him.
"No, Damien. You chose to."
And with that, she left him to sit in the silence.