Her Quiet Apology

Her Quiet Apology
The room was silent, heavy with the weight of Damien’s words. None of the men dared to speak at first. The sound of the clock ticking on the far wall filled the space, sharp and intrusive.

Graves finally crouched in front of him, and carefully reached for his hand. He didn’t speak at first, just opened the first aid box and began cleaning the blood from his knuckles. The faint sting of the antiseptic filled the silence.

Then he said in a quiet voice. “Boss… I don’t think it’s about that. She looks at you like there’s no one else in the room. You know that.”

Damien’s eyes lifted slightly, their usual fire dimmed. “Then why did it feel like I was being mocked for wanting her? Like I was… wrong.”

Rex shifted uneasily on the couch. “You’re not wrong, Boss. The guy was just an idiot,”

But Damien wasn’t listening. “I shouldn’t have taken her there,” he muttered. “I should’ve known what people would say.”

Thorne sighed under his breath and exchanged a look with Graves and Crusher. None of them had ever seen their boss like this; vulnerable, doubting himself. The man who ruled with silence and control was unraveling over a girl who didn’t even understand the depth of his fear.

“Boss,” Blade said for the first time. “You love her. That’s the only thing that matters. You’ve faced worse than people’s opinions.”

Damien looked up at him, a faint, humorless smile tugging at his mouth. “Opinions are easy to ignore, Blade. It’s her thoughts I can’t handle. I keep wondering what she’s thinking of me now.”

“Boss, that girl likes you so much. Trust me, you’ve earned it big,” Rex said reassuringly. “You have nothing to worry about. Absolutely nothing.”

The others nodded in agreement—everyone except Blade, whose gaze lingered on his boss with quiet concern. He couldn’t deny how much softer Damien had become since Lila came into his life, but to Blade, that softness wasn’t just love, it was vulnerability. And vulnerability was something their enemies had long been waiting to exploit.

Before long, the men managed to lift Damien’s mood by making him drink with them, even though he resisted at first. Eventually, fatigue won out and his eyes grew heavy. Graves and Rex helped him to his room, making sure he was settled before stepping out quietly.

Blade, who hadn’t joined in the drinking, remained thoughtful. His mind was still running, weighed down by instincts that wouldn’t quiet. He stood abruptly and muttered to Thorne and Crusher, “I’ll be back.”

Before either of them could respond, Blade was already at the stairs, his footsteps fading into the stillness of the hall.

Meanwhile, no matter how many times Lila turned or adjusted the sheets, her mind refused to let her rest. The image of Damien’s face at the party kept replaying in her head — the look in his eyes, the way he had practically dragged her into the car. She couldn’t tell if it had been anger, protectiveness, or something darker she couldn’t name.

A soft knock broke through her thoughts. Her heart leapt, and she hurriedly slipped out of bed, padding quickly to the door. But the hopeful smile that had bloomed on her lips vanished the instant she saw who it was.

“Blade?” she breathed, frowning. “What’s wrong? Where is he?”

“It’s nothing to worry about,” Blade said, his tone calm but his eyes betraying concern. “He’s sleeping now. But can we step outside for a moment? There’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”

Lila hesitated for a heartbeat before nodding. “Sure. No problem.”

“Thanks,” he murmured, and together they stepped quietly out of the house, the night air cool and heavy around them.

The two of them walked in silence for a while, their steps slow and unhurried under the soft glow of the outdoor lights.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Blade finally said, breaking the quiet.

Lila glanced at him and nodded for him to continue.

“What’s your family like?”

A small smile touched her lips. “I don’t know my parents. I was raised by my uncle Lucien — my father’s friend, who’s also a best friend to Wolfe,” she said softly.

Blade nodded thoughtfully. “Then you must really love your uncle… like family.”

“Of course, I love and care about him,” she replied with a genuine smile. “He loves me like his own daughter. I was supposed to spend this break with him, but he’s out of the country on important business.”

“The same way I love the boss, Lila,” Blade said quietly, his voice calm but heavy with emotion.
Lila stopped, turning to face him, and their eyes met.

“He might be cold and hard to understand,” Blade continued, “but he’s the only family I have. The only person I’m living for… and the only one I could die for.”

Blade swallowed hard and ran his tongue over his lower lip before continuing, his voice low but sharp. “It’s obvious he’s no longer himself since you came into his life. And the fact that he doesn’t even try to hide how he feels for you… that says a lot.”

He paused briefly, his eyes softening. “I was close to tears earlier when I realized he was upset because of the age difference between you two. He loves you so much, Lila. And it’s eating at him, worrying about how you feel about him.”

Lila blinked rapidly, tears threatening to spill. She opened her mouth to speak, but Blade raised a hand slightly.

“No, Lila. I’m not asking for your opinion,” he said gently but firmly. “I just need you to know this, if you don’t feel the same way about him, don’t give him false hope. He’s someone I care about with my whole life. So please… if you break him, you’re breaking all of us.”

Lila lowered her gaze, her lips pressed tightly together as a wave of guilt washed over her.

“I’m begging you,” Blade added quietly, pressing his palms together in a pleading gesture.

Lila didn’t say a word. She bit down hard on her trembling lip, fighting desperately to hold back the tears burning in her eyes. But the moment Blade murmured that he would head in first and turned away, the dam broke.

Tears spilled freely down her cheeks as she watched his figure fade into the shadows. Her hand rose to her chest, squeezing tightly as if she could quiet the ache pounding beneath her ribs.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered in a broken voice, her words trembling in the cool night air while her gaze lingered on Blade’s retreating back.