Chapter Fifty

Summer

I exhale, the air leaving me in a shaky rush, my throat raw and tight from voicing out the memories I’d buried so deeply. It feels like I’ve scraped open an old wound, one I thought had scarred over long ago.

Across from me, River slumps into a chair, her expression stricken, her hands trembling as she presses them to her mouth, taking in the weight of the past I’ve just placed in her lap.

Archer pulls a chair close to me, gently pressing down on my shoulders as he guides me to sit. My legs give in, grateful, and he hands me a glass of chilled wine. I grasp it as if it’s a lifeline, gulping down the cold liquid, hoping it might dull the sting coating my throat.

After a few swallows, I set the glass down, my gaze shifting back to him. Damian.

He’s right there. In front of my eyes. At my engagement party. And yet, in all these years, he never showed up, never once came back or reached out. Fate really has a twisted way of weaving paths back together. In this vast world, of all people, he is my best friend’s husband.

This man, who once filled the hollow corners of my childhood, who was my shelter, my savior is now… a stranger. He stands by River, his face as unreadable as ever, that same shadowed intensity in his gaze, but now colder, more distant.

The pang in my chest sharpens as I think of all the years that passed without a single word from him. It was as if we’d been cast aside, left to survive without the one person I thought would always come back for us.

But Damian vanished as if he never existed in our lives. And now here he is… Standing right in front of me, yet somehow, he feels like he’s a world away.

Even back then, he wasn’t the typical boy; he had the intensity that made him seem far older than his twelve years. But now, after over twenty years, that intense edge has grown into something far more lethal.

And tonight, I discovered he is River’s husband. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine Damian to be River’s husband. I can’t believe we met on the New Year’s Eve and still couldn’t recognize each other.

The ache spreads through me, tightening my chest. I realize now how foolish I was, carrying the fragments of those memories, thinking they still meant something. They did to us. They shaped us, carved us into who we are today.

But to Damian?

He forgot about us even when he said he wouldn’t. Even when I begged him not to.

I choke back my tears, swallowing the lump that threatens to suffocate me. “We waited and waited for him, every single day, hoping that Damian would walk through that door or at least send us some sign that he hadn’t forgotten about us. But there were no letters. No Damian. Just this endless, aching silence.” I pause, fighting the tremor in my voice. “And with him gone… Caleb’s cruelty returned, only, it was much worse. Every ounce of rage and bitterness he’d saved up over the year, he unleashed on us. Damian wasn’t there to protect us anymore, and Caleb made sure to take advantage of it.”

River’s hands cover mine on the table. Her gaze filled with an ache that mirrors my own. “God, Summer... I’m so sorry,” she whispers. Her soft voice breaks. “No one deserves to go through that, least of all you. I can’t believe you survived so much pain.”

I give her a sad, faint smile. “Having Raleigh with me was the only thing that kept me going. He took the worst of it—he always did. Whenever Caleb’s torture got ugly, Raleigh would throw himself between us and that cost him.” My eyes drift over to Damian, wincing at the sight of his swollen lip, then back to River. I remember the way she leapt between them, her bravery shining as she tried to shield her husband. She’s got that same fire, that fierce protectiveness Damian once had for us. “Raleigh was furious when he saw Damian today,” I say softly. “Please, don’t hold it against him.”

River shakes her head frantically, her eyes softening with understanding while Damian’s gaze is fixed somewhere in the distance, hands buried deep in his pockets, his jaw clenched hard.

“Damian,” I say, fighting back the tide of anger and heartbreak rising inside me. “Raleigh didn’t lash out at you because of what happened after you were adopted. We never blamed you for what that monster and his family did to us.” My voice cracks. “The reason he lost control, the reason I broke down on my special day, is because seeing you tore open old wounds. You broke our hearts, Damian. You promised to stay in touch, but you didn’t. You left and never looked back. You never… we loved you!” I break down, burying my face against Archer, sobbing as the dam bursts open. His arms wrap around me instantly.

The memories, every ugly, jagged one, rush back and tear through me like shattered glass.

Archer doesn’t speak, just lifts me up, settling into the chair before laying me across his lap, pulling me close. He holds me while I let it all out, his hand moving gently over my back. He smooths his hand over my head and his soothing touch helps me find my breath again.

“It’s better if I call Raleigh,” Archer says, cradling the back of my head. “You guys need to work this out privately, not in front of an audience.”

“Thank—” River starts but Archer interrupts.

“No need to thank me,” Archer says. “I’m doing this for Summer. And only for Summer.”

A few minutes pass before Archer gently lifts me and helps me back into the chair reluctantly. “I need to speak with my parents. They look worried.”

I try to rise, desperate to follow him, but before I can move, Archer’s hand is on my shoulder, pressing me back into the chair. His gaze is sharp. “Stay,” he orders, his voice low.

River steps in immediately, asking him to go while she stays with me. Archer watches us, hesitating for a beat before he finally pulls himself away.

She presses some appetizers into my hand, encouraging me to eat something to regain my strength. Then she replaces the wine glass with a chilled glass of water.

I nibble on them obediently. Archer, meanwhile, strides purposefully across the room. I watch as he speaks quietly to his parents. Then, he approaches a few acquaintances, likely asking them to pass along the news that the party is being cut short.

When he returns, his expression softens again upon seeing me, the familiar warmth in his eyes calming the storm still churning in my heart.

“I’m taking her to the green room. You guys can talk there,” Archer announces.

Before I can get to my feet, Archer sweeps me into his arms, holding me against his chest as he leaves the hall.

My head rests against his broad shoulder as we make our way down the hallway.

As I look up, I see the worry lines creasing his brow. Reaching up, I gently press my fingertips between his dark eyebrows, trying to smooth away his frown. “I ruined our special day,” I whisper.

Archer’s eyes soften as he looks down at me. “You’re in my arms, wearing my ring. To me, that sounds like a damn special day.”

I smile weakly. “You know what I mean. I made a scene… everyone saw. Even your parents—”

“I don’t give a damn about what anyone thinks,” he says. “What matters is that the woman I love, the one who means everything to me, broke down in front of me, and I couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it.” His grip on me tightens, his anger barely contained. “What matters is finding that motherfucker, Caleb. I’ll put every resource I have into tracking him down, and when I do, he’s going to regret—”

I press my lips to his, cutting off the angry edge in his voice. “I love you,” I murmur against his mouth.

His arms tighten around me, his gaze holding mine. “I love you more, Summer. Now let’s get you to the green room.”

I nod, letting my eyes close as Archer carries me. His arms are my safe haven, each step of his bringing me closer to peace. The weight of old wounds, the hurt that had been buried for so long, begins to lift.

I can feel the comfort of his love seeping into me, healing parts of me that had been broken open tonight.

I am the luckiest woman in the world.

◆◆◆

I never imagined this moment would be so… suffocating. All the words I thought I had prepared—the questions, the demands for answers, the emotions I’ve been sitting on for years—they’re all gone. I’m blank.

Damian hasn’t spoken. He’s barely even looked at us since he entered the room and took a seat on the couch opposite me. Raleigh’s standing by the small window, his body tense, his fists clenched at his sides. I can feel the anger radiating off him in waves.

Raleigh finally strode into the room just few minutes ago. His phone was switched off and Archer had to contact Hannah to get through to him. I knew Raleigh wouldn’t ignore Archer. His loyalty to Archer was ironclad, a respect too deep to refuse.

“Raleigh…” I begin softly. “Please, come and sit down.”

He finally turns to face us, his expression hardened. His jacket’s gone, and his crumpled white T-shirt clings to him, tousled hair hinting he took a long ride on his Harley. He looks like he’s ready to walk right back out.

“Why?” he snaps, his voice edged with bitterness. “Why the hell should I sit down? So we can catch up, after twenty fucking years of silence? Yeah, that sounds real great.”

I start to speak, but he cuts me off, raising a hand. “You can coddle him all you want, Summer. Don’t think for a second I’m gonna do the same.” His voice is rough. “The only reason I’m standing here is because Archer called, told me what went down with you earlier. And goddamn it, Summer, this man doesn’t deserve your tears.”

“Raleigh, please—”

“What’s the point of all this when he doesn’t give a damn about any of us? Just look at him.” He gestures toward Damian, who sits there, completely detached, one leg draped over his knee. But even in that calm posture, the muscle in his jaw ticks—Raleigh’s words are definitely affecting him. “He still doesn’t give a shit.”

“You’re wrong.”

Raleigh scoffs, turning, and shaking his head as if he can’t believe I’m still defending him.

I push to my feet. “You really think anyone—me, you, or anyone in this world—could’ve forced him to be here, listening to you insult him like this? The only reason he’s here, taking all of this shit, the only reason he let you hit him, is because he cares.”

He faces me again. “All right, fine. Let’s say he cares. So what? Where was that care when he turned his back on us? He’s a fucking billionaire, Summer. He could’ve easily tracked us. This guy’s richer than God, and to top it all off, he was right here, living his life, and we had no clue.”

I wince as Raleigh lets out a cold, humorless laugh. “Maybe you should tell him how we spent months thinking he was dead—or worse. Go ahead, tell him how we nearly destroyed ourselves with that thought. I’m sure it’ll do wonders for his ego.”

Damian remains silent, his lack of response like a brick wall. Cold. Impenetrable. I don’t know if we can ever get past it.

Raleigh curses loudly. “This is fucking pointless.” He turns, marching toward the door.

“I stayed away for your own good.” Damian says flatly.

Raleigh freezes because Damian finally spoke.

I take a few hurried steps forward, my pulse quickening. “What do you mean?” I ask, struggling to understand. When there’s more silence, I ask again, “You think… you think it was better to just leave us to think you were dead? For us to suffer in silence, to believe you didn’t care?”

Damian’s eyes finally flick up to mine, but there’s nothing there. No softness, no warmth. Just blankness. “I stayed away because it was the only way to keep you safe. If I had come back, if I had reached out to you two, you would’ve been dragged into the war I was fighting. I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t risk it.”

It’s not the answer I was expecting, but there’s a cold finality to it that makes my blood run cold. “What war? What could possibly have been so important that you couldn’t even send us a letter? Why didn’t you trust us enough to at least tell us what was going on?”

Damian’s gaze hardens, eyes darkening with something cold and dangerous. “My family was torn apart because of someone’s greed,” he says. “I started looking into it the day I was adopted, using whatever I could—starting with the internet. That’s when I realized what I was really up against. We’re talking about people who will stop at nothing to keep their dirty secrets hidden. People who’ll cross any line. And if you were in my life, you would’ve been targets too. I couldn’t risk that. I wasn’t going to let them hurt you.”

That’s when Raleigh slowly turns to face him, his jaw tight. “Then why the hell did you marry?” His voice is laced with disbelief. “If you were doing all of this to protect us, claiming anyone close to you would’ve been a target, then why the hell did you go and marry someone? Doesn’t that contradict everything you just said? You got involved with River, put her at risk. You’ve proven the exact opposite of what you’re claiming.”

Damian’s face tightens. “My wife’s case is different.”

“How?” Raleigh tilts his head, studying Damian with suspicion. “How is that different?”

He waits for a response, but Damian stays silent, his expression unreadable.

“Tell me how that makes sense.” He shakes his head. “Sounds like a hell of a lot of hypocrisy to me.”

I bite my lower lip nervously as I watch Raleigh go on. He looks at him, smirking mirthlessly. “He expects us to believe him when this ‘protecting us’ crap doesn’t add up. I’ll tell you why he married River. He married her because he wanted to. Simple as that. He married her for—”

“Revenge.” Damian completes, shocking us.

I freeze. “You married River for… revenge?” The words leave me breathless. “What the hell does that even mean?”

Damian slowly stands up, his movements fluid as he turns away from us. “I don’t forgive anyone who crosses me.”

His words are vague, but the tone sends a shiver down my spine. It’s like the room temperature just dropped ten degrees.

Raleigh and I exchange a look, both of us momentarily speechless. But Raleigh’s the first to break the silence. “So… you get back at people who cross you, but you somehow forgave Caleb—”

“Caleb and his parents are dead,” Damian interrupts.

Raleigh’s breath catches in his throat whereas I gasp out loud.

“They got what was coming for them.” Damian adds, his voice devoid of emotion, like he’s stating a simple fact.

I stagger and clutch at Raleigh’s arm. “Who are you? You just hinted of committing a crime and… and married a sweet girl like River for revenge! Why? ”

“Because her father ruined my life.”

Raleigh curses under his breath, his fingers raking through his hair as he tries to process this madness.

“What’s wrong with you?” I cry out. “What has River got to do with all this?”

Damian faces us, his eyes making my blood run cold. “I hate him. And everyone connected to him. I won’t rest until I’ve made them all suffer.”