Elena Rivers
The headlines hit harder than the slap.
"Tech Tycoon Claims Ex-Lover as Mother of His Child in Shock Announcement"
"Who Is Elena Rivers? Damien Vale's Mystery Woman"
She didn't leave her apartment for two days. Not because she was hiding—but because stepping out meant facing the twisted narrative Damien had painted around her. Around them.
Christopher tried calling. She didn't answer.
Her lawyer tried urging her to take legal action. She told him to wait.
She needed to think. To feel. To breathe.
But Damien had stolen that too.
She walked into the kitchen, eyes catching the half-filled glass of water she never finished. She couldn't sleep. Couldn't eat. Could barely exist under the weight of what he'd done.
And yet…
There was still the baby.
And somehow, that still tethered her to him.
A knock on the door broke her thoughts. Not loud. Just… deliberate.
She knew it before she opened it.
Damien stood there—dressed in black, no smile, no arrogance. Just stillness.
"You have no right," she said coldly.
"I know," he said, stepping inside anyway. "But I need to explain."
She didn't stop him.
He didn't speak at first. Just watched her—his eyes tracing her face like he needed to memorize it before she vanished.
"I waited," he said quietly. "I let you try to live without me. I watched you touch him. Let him touch you. But when I found out about the child… I lost the last part of me that could wait."
Her voice cracked. "You humiliated me. You made my body a headline."
"I made us undeniable."
"I never wanted to be yours, Damien."
"I know," he whispered. "But I never stopped being yours."
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