"I need to go. Celia has been waiting too long already, and she needs to rest," Damon said, turning to leave. But Vivienne’s voice stopped him mid-step."Wait, Damon."He sighed. "What again? I don’t have all night to waste talking. I already heard what you said, and I promised I’ll bring down the person who framed me. He won’t go scot-free."Damon’s mind, however, was already elsewhere—on Celia.What if she’s uncomfortable waiting for him? What if she wants to go home already? A flood of thoughts rushed through his mind, all centered around her. She’d been through enough today, and he swore he would never let something like this happen to her again."No, Damon," Vivienne said quickly. "That’s not what I wanted to say. I just wanted to know if you’ve forgiven me. Now that you know why I did everything I did… will you forgive me? And maybe we can look for the person who framed you together?"Damon exhaled before speaking."I’ve forgiven you, Vivienne. But I still can’t trust you compl

Damon walked closer to Celia. “How long have you been standing there?”“I just got here,” Celia said quickly. “I thought you and Miss Ashford were arguing.”“No, we weren’t,” Damon replied. “We were just talking. She explained why she misunderstood me before, and I’ve forgiven her.”Celia smiled brightly. “That’s really good. I’m so happy you two finally understand each other. I’ve always wanted things to be fine again.”Vivienne froze for a second, unsure what to say. Celia’s excitement made her feel uneasy because, just minutes ago, she had told Damon something she now regretted. But she forced a small smile. “Thank you, Celia. I’m glad too. I didn’t mean for things to be that way before.”“It’s okay,” Celia said kindly. “I always know you didn’t. What matters is that everything’s clear now.”Vivienne nodded, trying to match Celia’s warmth even though her thoughts were tangled. Celia had done nothing wrong; she’d always been kind, gentle, and honest. Vivienne knew she shouldn’t have

Mrs. Thorne was still in the hospital. The doctors were inside the emergency room with her, and Michael paced restlessly in front of the door alongside his father. The tension in the air was thick and suffocating.Serena sat on one of the waiting chairs, her expression unreadable. She and Michael hadn’t spoken a single word since Mrs. Thorne collapsed.Then suddenly, Michael stopped pacing. His eyes fell on Serena as if he had just realized she’d been there all along.“What are you doing here?” he demanded furiously. “You made my mother pass out, and now you’re sitting here like nothing happened—as if you’re not the cause of all this!”Serena let out a quiet sigh and rose to her feet, a faint, mocking smile curling on her lips as she faced him.“I didn't make your mother collapse, Michael,” she said coldly. “I didn't make her too weak to handle the mess that you all started. If none of you had provoked me, none of this would’ve happened.”Her tone was sharp, her eyes defiant.“And I d

“No… no, Father, you can’t do that to me! I won’t let you! I’m your son... your only son! Damon doesn’t exist anymore. He’s gone, ever since the day you expelled him!” Lucas pleaded desperately, his voice trembling. “I’m the only true heir of the Sterling family. Please, don’t look for him. I promise I’ll change. I’ll be better, Father—your perfect heir.”He could already imagine his life collapsing if his father found Damon and made him the heir while he rotted away in prison.Edward Sterling folded his arms, watching his son’s panic with a cold expression. “Why are you suddenly so terrified of me finding your brother, Lucas? He’s still my son. And stop saying you’re my only one. You’re not. In fact, I’ll soon find out if you’re even my son at all, after the DNA test.”The thought of finally finding his expelled son after all these years brought Edward an unfamiliar warmth, almost happiness.“Stop! Stop, I mean it!” Lucas shouted, his voice cracking. “Don’t you remember? Before you e

Damon’s lips curved faintly when Celia asked, “Who owns this mansion again?”He paused for a second before answering in his usual calm tone. “It’s from Anthony. He gave it to me after I saved his mother. He said he wanted to show his gratitude in his own way, and I couldn’t refuse him then.”Celia’s brows lifted slightly. “Anthony gave you this? This entire place?” She glanced around again, her eyes taking in the tall doors and marble pillars. “That’s… a lot for a thank-you gift.”Damon gave a small shrug. “You know how he is. When he wants to do something, he goes all out. He didn’t take no for an answer.”Celia nodded slowly. She knew Anthony well enough to believe that. Still, she couldn’t help thinking the gesture was too much. “I guess he really meant it when he said your help saved their lives,” she murmured, following Damon as he walked toward the entrance.He tapped a code on the side panel, and the doors opened soundlessly. Celia stepped inside with him, stopping just past th