Chapter 65 SOMETHING HAZY.
\~~~SERENA.
My heart raced as I stared at Damien, his words hanging in the air like a noose. Four years of watching me and collecting secrets like trophies.
I was twenty one, and carefree, before Ryan swept in and complicated everything.
"Fascinating? To whom?" I scoffed, my voice sharper than I meant. "To you? A total stranger?"
He didn't flinch, his dark eyes steady on mine. "You were never a stranger to me."
That hit me hard. My stomach twisted, a knot of nausea and confusion tightening inside. Never a stranger? What did that even mean? I'd walked into this marriage blind, thinking it was just a deal, his name for my revenge, or something like that.
But now? It felt like I'd been played from the start.
"I married you thinking this was some twisted revenge story," I said, shaking my head. "But you?" I paused, searching his face for lies. "You were already ten steps ahead."
He sighed, deep and weary, rubbing his jaw with one hand. The stubble there rasped under his fingers, a small sound in the heavy silence. His bare chest rose and fell, the muscles shifting under tanned skin. Even now, after everything, my eyes wanted to trace those lines. Damn it.
"I never planned to hurt you," he said, voice low and rough.
"But you did," I whispered, the words barely audible. Tears pricked at my eyes again. "You took away my choice."
Silence fell between us, heavy and uncomfortable. It pressed down like the humid air before a storm, making it hard to breathe. I could hear the distant tick of a clock in the hall, counting seconds that stretched into eternity. Damien stood there, shirtless and vulnerable in his own way, but I felt exposed, and raw.
Finally, he broke it. "I should have told you. But timing matters."
"Don't," I warned, my voice cracking. "Don't justify this."
"I am not," he said softly, stepping just a fraction closer. "I am explaining."
I looked at him then, really looked. This man I'd slept beside every night for over two weeks, his body warm against mine. The one I'd laughed over silly things like on the yacht, like spotting dolphins in the waves.
The one I'd desired, his hands on my skin making me forget the world.
A man who had known me longer than I knew him. It was terrifying, exhilarating, and wrong.
Memories of his earlier words echoed in my head. “Ryan is my nephew, Serena. Family complications. But you… from the first time I saw you, four years ago, I couldn't look away. You were bright, fierce. Then Ryan got involved, and I saw the mess he was. The affairs, the lies. I kept my eyes on it to make sure you didn't get hurt worse.”
I shook my head, backing toward the door. My back hit the wood frame, cool against my heated skin. "Eyes on it? That is creepy, obsessive. And now this marriage? Was it all part of your plan? Track me until I was free, then swoop in? W… wait. Did we not first meet at the family event four years ago?"
It wasn't adding up anymore. The timeline blurred in my mind.
"No. That was the second time I met you."
"What?!" I hollered, louder than I intended. My voice bounced off the walls, startling even me.
"That was the second time, Moonlight," he repeated, calm as ever.
My brows snapped together, frustration boiling over. "When was the first time?"
But he didn't say anything. He just looked at me, unmoving, his expression unreadable. Those eyes, so intense, pinned me in place.
"Answer me, Damien. When did we first meet?"
He crossed the space between us before I could pull back, his arm wrapping around my waist. Strong, unyielding, and pulling me flush against him. His bare chest pressed to my sweater, heat seeping through the fabric. I could feel the steady beat of his heart, contrasting my own frantic one.
"Does it matter, baby?" he murmured, his lips hovering over mine. So close I could taste his breath of mint and something uniquely him.
"D… don't do that, Damien," I mumbled, my body betraying me as it leaned in just a bit. Pinned against his hardness, I felt small, safe, and furious all at once.
"What?"
"When did we first meet?"
He smiled faintly, that infuriating half-smile. "Why don't you tell me? Where did you go on the night of your party after your first year examination?" His hand rubbed slow circles on my back, soothing despite everything. Then he leaned in, kissing the corner of my lips softly, teasingly.
“W… what?”
“The party after your first year examinations,” he repeated. “Where did you go that night, Serena?”
Then he stepped away.
I stood still as he pulled away, watching him walk into the closet like the conversation was over. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving me reeling.
The party after my first year examination?
Hundred level at law school had been brutal with endless lectures, cramming until my eyes burned, and exams that felt like battles. When the results came out and I passed, my mates and I celebrated hard. We hit a club downtown with music pounding, and bodies packed tight. I'd danced until my feet ached, laughed until my sides hurt, maybe had one too many drinks. It was a blur of freedom after the stress.
I remembered the music, the laughter, the noise and certainly, I remembered leaving with them.
But…
I also remembered something else.
Something hazy. Something I had never thought much about.
I remembered stepping outside for air. I remembered feeling overwhelmed. I remembered getting into a car that wasn’t supposed to be mine.
My chest tightened.
No…
That didn’t make sense.
I turned slowly toward the closet door, my heart pounding.
“What are you saying?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Damien didn’t come out and didn't answer.
And suddenly, the past I thought I understood no longer felt solid beneath my feet.
Four years of watching.
Four years of knowing.
And one night I could barely remember.
My stomach dropped.
Whatever the truth was, I knew one thing for sure,
My life had crossed Damien Hale’s path long before I ever realized.
And that terrified me.