Where Darkness Learned Breath by Rylor Dusk 87

Posted by ADMINMMADMIN, ? Views, Released on January 17, 2026

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87 Chapter 87: The Bitch

Aria POV

1

“And now you think you’ve won everything.” Vivian’s smile turned vicious. “The company, the revenge, even Damien. But you haven’t won, Aria. Not yet.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you’re not the only one who can play games.” She headed for the door. “I’ll take everything from you. Starting with Damien.”

“He doesn’t want you.”

“Are you sure?” She looked back. “Because four years ago, I had him. And I can have him again. Men like Damien don’t change, Aria, they just get better at lying.”

She left before I could respond as I stood there, her words echoing in my head. Men like Damien

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don’t change.

Was she right? Was I fooling myself thinking he was different now?

My phone buzzed with a text from Damien. How did the meeting go? Are you okay?

I stared at the message, Vivian’s words still ringing in my ears.

Another text came through.

I’m here when you’re ready to talk. No pressure. Just want you to know I’m thinking about you.

And then a third message.

Noah wants to know if we can have movie night tonight. He’s requesting popcorn and “the funny bunny movie.” Whatever that means.

Despite everything, I smiled. Maybe Vivian was wrong. Maybe Damien had changed or maybe I was just desperate to believe it.

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I texted back. Meeting was brutal but necessary. Be home in an hour. Tell Noah the funny bunny movie is a yes.

His response was immediate.

I’m proud of you. Whatever happened, I’m proud of you for facing it.

I sat down, staring at my phone, feeling something crack open in my chest. He was proud of me. Not because I was successful or powerful or ruthless.

But because I’d faced my demons. Maybe that’s what I’d needed to hear all along.

That Evening

I walked into the penthouse exhausted, emotionally drained, ready to collapse.

“Mama!” Noah launched himself at me from the living room. “We’re gonna make popcorn! The kind with butter!”

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I caught him, breathing in his little–boy scent. “Sounds perfect, baby.”

Damien appeared from the hallway, concern in his eyes. “Are you okay?”

“I will be.” I set Noah down. “Why don’t you go

pick out the movie? Daddy and I need to talk for a

minute.”

“Okay!” Noah ran toward the TV, already

chattering about bunnies.

Damien pulled me into his arms. “What happened?”

“I destroyed my parents.” The words came out flat. “Took everything. Made them beg and sent them away broken.”

“And how do you feel?”

“Empty.” I pressed my face into his chest. “It

should feel good, right? Justice served, revenge complete. But it just feels… empty.”

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“That’s because you’re not them.” His hand stroked my hair. “You’re not cruel. You were protecting yourself, but it cost you to do it.”

“Vivian showed up.” I pulled back to look at him. “Said she’s going to take everything from me, starting with you.”

His expression darkened. “She said that?”

“She thinks you haven’t changed. That you’ll go back to her eventually.” I searched his face. “Will you? Go back to her?”

“Never.” The word was fierce. “Aria, look at me. I’d rather die than come close to Vivian again. The thought of her makes me sick.”

“She’s beautiful.”

“She’s nothing compared to you.” His hands framed my face. “You’re brilliant and strong and real. She’s just… shallow. I can’t believe I ever” He shuddered. “I must have been blind and drunk

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and stupid.”

“I keep thinking about that day,” I said quietly. My fingers twisted in the fabric of his shirt. “Our

wedding reception. Walking in and seeing you

with her.”

Damien’s jaw tightened. His hands dropped from my face to my shoulders, steadying me. “Aria”

“When I wore that wedding dress, I remember looking at myself in the mirror that morning, thinking maybe things would be different after we were married. That maybe you’d finally see

me.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“I wore perfume. Something floral, you always said you loved floral scent” I laughed, but it came out broken. “Stupid, right? Like perfume would make you notice me.”

His grip tightened. “It wasn’t stupid, I was the

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stupid one.”

I looked up at him. His blue eyes were dark with pain, his jaw clenched so hard I could see the muscle jumping.

“When I found you with her” I touched his chest, right over his heart. “I remember thinking that I wasn’t good enough, maybe I was the problem.”

“You were always too good for me.”

“weeks later, I went to your office” My hand curled into a fist against him. “I was terrified and pregnant and alone. And you laughed at me, called me a schemer trying to trap you.”

Damien’s breath hitched. “I know.”

“Do you?” My voice rose slightly. From the living room, I could hear Noah chatter as he searched for the movie. I lowered my voice to a harsh

whisper. “Do you know what it’s like to be offered money for an abortion by the father of your

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child?”

“No.” His voice cracked. “I don’t. But I think about

it every day.”

“Then I went to my parents‘ house..” I was shaking now. “Begged them to let me stay. My mother told me to leave my phone, my keys, everything, and said they didn’t need me anymore.”

“Aria”

“I fainted on the street that night and woke up in a hospital.” Tears burned behind my eyes. “That’s when Olivia found me. She was the first person who was kind to me, she held my hand while I cried and told me I was going to be okay.”

His hands moved to cup my face. “I’m so sorry. I

was a monster to you.”

“I pawned my grandmother’s necklace. The only thing I had left.” I wiped my eyes roughly. “Got enough for a one–way ticket to London.”

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Damien pulled me closer, his forehead resting against mine. “If I could go back”

“You can’t.” I pulled back to look at him. “But I

need to know something. Why Vivan out of every other lady, why her?”

He went very still. “Aria”

“Don’t lie to me, not about this.”

“No.” The word came out strangled. “I never actually had sex with her, we only made out but I am trying to justify myself i was wrong”

I stared at him. “That’s a lie. I saw you at the reception. You were”

“We made out.” His voice was rough with shame. “I was angry and stupid. She came onto me and I let her because I wanted to punish you, but we

never had sex.”

“Why should I believe you?”

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“Because I’m telling you the truth.” He gripped my shoulders. “I wanted to hurt you that day. I let Vivian say whatever she wanted, let everyone think what they wanted, because I was trying to convince myself I didn’t care about you.”

My hand flew up and hit his chest. Not hard, but with all the frustration and pain I’d been carrying. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

He caught my hand, held it against his heart. “Because I was ashamed. Because I knew it didn’t matter—I still betrayed you. I still humiliated you in front of everyone. I still threw you out.”

“You let me think” I hit his chest again. “You let me think you had sex with my sister!”

“I know.” He didn’t stop me. “I know, and I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t change what happened.”

“No, it doesn’t.” His eyes were wet now. “But it’s

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the truth. I never touched Vivian that way. The only woman I’ve ever” He stopped, swallowed hard. “That night at the lodge during our

engagement. That was real, you were the only

one.”

I felt something crack inside me. “That night was

real?”

“The realest thing I’d ever felt.” His thumb brushed my cheek. “And it terrified me, when Vivan also showed me that fake recording it also triggered my anger, that I was falling for someone who wanted to use me so I pushed you away, convinced myself it meant nothing. But it meant everything.”

I

From the living room, Noah called out. “I found it! I found the bunny movie!”

“We should” I gestured vaguely toward the living

room.

“In a minute.” Damien’s hands framed my face.

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“Do you believe me? About Vivian?”

I looked into his eyes, searching for lies. But all I saw was raw, painful honesty.

“I want to,” I whispered. “God help me, I want to.”

“Then let me prove it to you. Every day. For the rest of my life if that’s what it takes.”

“All three probably,” I said, managing a small smile.

“Definitely all three.” He kissed my forehead. “But I’m sober now. I see clearly and all I see is you.”

“Damien”

“She can try whatever she wants,” he continued. “Seduction, manipulation, threats. It won’t work. Because I’m not that man anymore. I’m yours. Completely, utterly, irrevocably yours.”

I wanted to believe him. Wanted to trust that this

was real.

“Prove it,” I whispered.

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“How?”

“I don’t know.” I touched his face. “Just… don’t let

her win. Don’t let her take you from me.”

“Never.” He pulled me closer. “I’m not going anywhere, Aria. Not this time.”

Noah came running back into the hallway. “Come

on! Movie time!”

“That’s my boy.” Damien ruffled his hair. “Let’s make that popcorn first. You can help me press

the buttons.”

“I’m good at pressing buttons!” Noah announced proudly, taking Damien’s hand.

We walked to the kitchen together. Noah chattered excitedly about the movie while Damien got out the popcorn. I leaned against the counter, watching them–my son and the man who broke me, now making popcorn together like it was the most natural thing in the world.

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“Mama, watch!” Noah stood on a stool, carefully

pressing the microwave buttons under Damien’s guidance. “I’m making popcorn!”

“You’re doing great, baby.”

“It’s like magic,” he breathed.

Damien caught my eye over Noah’s head, and something passed between us. Maybe this could work. Maybe we could be a family.

If I could just learn to trust it.

We settled on the couch, Noah between us, his bowl of popcorn balanced on his lap. The movie started–some animated thing about rabbits saving the world.