The city burned with headlines.
Serena tried not to look. She turned off her phone, avoided the apps, blocked notifications—but it didn't matter. The fire was everywhere, creeping under doorways and curling through the cracks in her carefully stitched control.
It was in the way the driver looked at her when she entered the car.
The way whispers fell silent in every elevator.
And worse—the way Damon's eyes had grown a little heavier each morning. He was protecting her, yes. But also… bracing for impact.
Because they both knew this wasn't the end.
It was the spark.
And now the gasoline was about to pour.
---
She stood by the window of Damon's private study, arms wrapped tightly around herself, wearing one of his tailored shirts like armor. The rain outside drizzled lightly against the glass, casting dim streaks of gold over the skyline.
She didn't hear the door open.
But she felt the shift in the air.
"Serena," Damon said behind her, his voice a controlled edge.
She turned, searching his expression.
"What is it?"
He hesitated.
And she knew.
Something broke.
He stepped closer, holding out a file—slim, expensive-looking, sealed with the discreet stamp of one of the elite firms he used for internal audits and surveillance.
"What is that?"
His jaw flexed.
"Proof."
She took it slowly, hands trembling. Opened the flap. Inside—photographs, transcripts, digital logs. Her eyes moved quickly across the words. At first, none of it made sense. A series of phone calls. Meetings. Transferred payments.
Dates. Times. Places she recognized.
A familiar name repeated.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Her stomach dropped.
"No," she whispered.
Damon's voice was quiet now. "He was the only one with access to the hallway cameras. He scheduled the staff rotations. It was Luca who gave the footage to the tabloids."
Serena's vision blurred. "Your cousin?"
"He sold us out," Damon said, flat. "For a seat on the board. My father offered him your father's contract if he helped create a scandal strong enough to force me out."
"He was in your home," she said, voice breaking. "He laughed with us. Poured wine. He looked me in the eyes—"
"I know."
The silence between them stretched until it ached.
And then—Serena's tears came, hot and blinding. "All of this… just to destroy you?"
"No," Damon said darkly. "To remind me that I'm not invincible. That we're not invincible."
She collapsed into the chair beside her, one hand over her mouth.
Damon crouched in front of her, pulling her hands gently down.
"I told you this world doesn't play fair."
"I just didn't think betrayal would come from someone who called you family."
His voice dropped.
"That's the only kind that really hurts."
---
Hours later, the penthouse was quieter. But neither of them could sleep.
They sat in silence on the couch, the fire flickering low. Serena curled into Damon's side, her head resting just above his heart. His arm was tight around her, fingers absently stroking her shoulder, his mind elsewhere.
He spoke first.
"I should've seen it coming."
"You trusted him."
"I was raised not to."
She lifted her head, gazing at him.
The man she'd fallen for.
The man now bleeding silently inside.
"Then let me believe in you instead," she said. "Let me be the one who never lies to you."
Damon's hand cupped her face, his thumb stroking beneath her eye. "You already are."
She kissed him then.
Not like before.
Not like fire or escape.
But like forgiveness.
Like she was choosing him in the middle of the ruin. Not despite the flames, but because of them.
Because loving Damon Cross was never going to be simple.
But it would be real.
And in a world where truth was currency and betrayal came with a price—
That meant everything.