Chapter 47 - The Poisoned Past
Serena barely slept. The city’s glow filtered in through the penthouse windows, but it wasn’t enough to quiet the storm inside her. Every time she closed her eyes, the words from the drive burned in her mind.
Wolfe Enterprises acquisition of Moreau Holdings: leverage through leaked scandal. Personal ruin of CEO accepted as collateral.
It didn’t just sound ruthless—it sounded personal. And now Isla’s venom, her public strikes, her obsession with tearing them apart… all of it made sense.
Serena rubbed her arms, her skin cold despite the heat humming through the vents. Damian had destroyed Isla’s family. And here she was, his wife—his pawn.
But what made it worse wasn’t just what he’d done. It was that he hadn’t told her. He’d kept her in the dark, as if she were too fragile—or too unimportant—to face the truth.
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By morning, she plastered on a smile, joining Damian for breakfast at the long glass table. He looked sharp as always—navy suit, tie perfectly knotted—but there was a heaviness around his eyes, as if he hadn’t slept either.
“You barely touched your food,” he noted, sipping his coffee.
“I’m not hungry.” Serena pushed the plate away.
His gaze lingered, studying her, suspicion flickering across his face. “You’re hiding something.”
She forced a light laugh. “Not everything is about business and secrets, Damian.”
But her voice wavered. And he noticed.
He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table, his voice dropping to a quiet intensity. “I know Crane’s been circling. If he’s feeding you lies—”
Her chest clenched. Lies? The evidence hadn’t looked fabricated. It had looked deliberate, calculated.
“I don’t want to talk about Crane,” she snapped, rising from the table. “Not now.”
Damian’s jaw flexed. He let her go, but his eyes followed her with a mixture of frustration and worry.
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That afternoon, Serena walked through Central Park, her hands shoved deep in her coat pockets. The flash drive weighed against her hip like an anchor.
Her phone buzzed. An unknown number. Against her better judgment, she answered.
“Mrs. Wolfe,” the voice purred. Isla.
Serena froze. “How did you get this number?”
“Oh, darling. I have ways.” Isla’s laugh was sharp, cold. “You’ve seen it now, haven’t you? The truth about what Damian did to my family.”
Serena’s breath caught. “You— you sent the drive.”
“Of course I did. Consider it a gift. Or a warning. Damian Wolfe doesn’t love. He consumes. And when he’s finished, he leaves nothing but ashes.”
Serena’s heart hammered. “Why show me this?”
“Because you’re next. You think you’re special because he kissed you, because he plays husband so convincingly? He used me, too. Until I wasn’t useful anymore.” Isla’s tone softened, almost pitying. “Wake up before it’s too late.”
The line went dead, leaving Serena trembling on the park bench.
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That night, she confronted Damian in the study. He sat behind the desk, scrolling through contracts, his expression impassive until he looked up and saw her pale face.
“Serena.” His voice softened instantly. “What is it?”
Her throat tightened. The words clawed to get out, but fear tangled them. She held up the flash drive instead.
Damian’s expression froze. For the first time in weeks, she saw genuine shock ripple through his armor.
“Where did you get that?”
“Does it matter?” she whispered, her hand shaking. “Tell me it’s not true.”
His silence screamed louder than any confession.
Tears stung her eyes. “You ruined Isla’s family. You destroyed everything she had. And you never told me.”
Damian stood slowly, his face unreadable. “Serena, listen to me—”
“No.” Her voice broke. “I want the truth. All of it.”
He exhaled, a long, heavy sound, then stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Yes. I dismantled Moreau Holdings. But it wasn’t for sport. Isla’s father crossed me. He tried to sabotage my company. He gambled with his investors’ futures, and I did what I had to do to protect Wolfe Enterprises. He lost, Serena. That’s all it was.”
“All it was?” she choked out. “You destroyed people’s lives.”
His eyes flared. “And if I hadn’t, thousands of others would have lost theirs. That’s the cost of power. The world isn’t fair—it’s a battlefield. And I won.”
The words cut deep, colder than the winter air. Serena stepped back, her chest aching. “You talk like it’s all just… numbers. But these were people. Families. Isla’s family. How can you expect me to trust you after this?”
Damian’s voice dropped, hoarse and raw. “Because I love you.”
The room went silent.
Serena’s breath caught. He’d said it before in fleeting ways, unspoken in his actions, but never this direct. Not like this.
Tears slipped down her cheeks. “Love built on secrets and destruction isn’t love at all, Damian. It’s poison.”
She turned, storming toward the door.
“Serena—”
She didn’t stop.
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Alone in her room, she slid down against the door, clutching her knees to her chest. His words replayed in her mind, clashing with Isla’s warning.
Damian had chosen her. But he’d also chosen power, destruction, ruthlessness.
Could both truths live in the same man?
She didn’t know.
But what she did know was this: the poison of his past was bleeding into their present. And if she didn’t decide soon whether to fight for him or against him, it would consume them both.
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