before her. Her vision blurred, her mind clouded by alcohol and heartbreak, she could barely make out his featur

rophone like a weapon. She waved it at him, her hand shaking. "I already signed the da

still, watching her with an unreadable expression. He wasn't Damian, and it seemed Eme

ion, a wave of happiness surging through him at the thought of Emelia finally breaking free from t

m want to fix everything in a single stroke. He ignored the micro

im with little effort. Her chest collided with his lower torso, her head bar

and pushing weakly against his chest, but he didn't budge. "Damian, let me go! Haven't you done enough? I gave you three years of my life. Three ye

She didn't know who he was, not yet. He sighed s

nts ago flickered out as confusion set in. She blinked, squinti

ly looked up at him again, reality crashed down on her. This wasn't Damian. His face was different. His temperament was

. "Who-who are you? Let me go! Did he send you to kidnap me? I don't wort

nd fold. However, e didn't release her. Instead, his grip tightened, but not painfully. His o

ght, to scream, but there was something in his voice, something in the way he spoke her

dy... I don't even deserve to be here. No one has ever defended me. No one loves me. They all ha

aid, his voice low but filled with determination. His index finger lifted her chin towards his g

e a punch to the gut, and she wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the raw emotion of the mome

y audible. "Why would a stranger like you care? Nobody has ever cared. I

not a stranger, Emelia," he said, his voice quiet but fierce. "I'm someone who cares about you more th

"You have no idea of how lon

l over again, but his words stirred something inside her-a flicker of hope she hadn't felt in years. But s

raising the whiskey bottle to her lips and taking a large gulp, her hands trembling. "I'm r

ing her with a mixture of curios

ah. I'm done with this place. Done with everything. I'll go to

n's lips curled into a smirk, his eye

nken haze and picked up the mic. "Revenge? I'l

s voice dropping to a low

he said softly, "let