Chapter 5
Just as Hilda was about to leave, Damien intercepted her at the office door, breathless. “Did Nora resign?” he asked.
Hilda gave him a puzzled look. “Wait… you didn’t know? She was absolutely determined to quit today. She even made it clear that it had nothing to do with you and said she’d talk to you when the time was right.”
The news hit Damien like a shockwave. He stood there, stunned and speechless.
His mind was instantly flooded with memories of me, with countless times I’d hesitated, just about to say something. But he had always been distracted by Astrid.
Even earlier that day, he’d defended her without a second thought, never once giving me the chance to speak to him alone. His focus had always been on her.
Suddenly, he grabbed Hilda by the shoulders, desperation creeping into his voice. “Do you know where she went?”
Without missing a beat, Hilda shrugged off his grip. “She’s not my employee anymore. How would I know? If you want answers, you’ll have to call her yourself.”
With all leads gone, Damien remained frozen in his office, lost in thought. In the quiet that followed, memories of us flooded his mind.
Five years ago, we met for the first time just outside the gates of National University of Politics and Law. I had just finished working on a legal case with my mentor and was walking back to the dorm alone when Damien noticed me.
Despite my protests, he insisted on carrying my luggage all the way to the undergraduate women’s dorm. It was then that I awkwardly had to tell him I was actually a graduate student.
That unexpected moment sparked the beginning of our connection.
From then on, fate seemed determined to bring us together, leading us to share meals and attend lectures side by side. Slowly, our friendship deepened into something more.
I eventually followed him to Aberton, filled with hope that we could build a life together in that unfamiliar place.
But just as marriage began to feel like a real possibility, Astrid arrived as an intern and gradually took up more and more of Damien’s attention. Audrey was furious on my behalf, calling Astrid shameless. But deep down, I knew the truth. The real issue wasn’t Astrid. It was Damien.
Even if Astrid hadn’t come into the picture this year, someone else would have. Damien was always going to end up hurting me for someone else. Growing restless from sitting too long, Damien slowly stood up. As he moved, a faint, familiar sparkle from the trash can caught his eye. Drawn by instinct, he stepped closer and spotted the shattered pieces of a bracelet resting there. That’s when it hit him. It was my bracelet, the one that had gone missing earlier that day.
On that same day, he let Astrid pull him away… without so much as a backward glance at me.
Damien carefully picked up the broken pieces, tears welling in his eyes.
Audrey leaned against the doorframe, her voice cold and sharp as she spoke. “What’s the use in regretting now? She’s already gone.”
Fighting back tears, he sniffled. “It’s not over… Once I fix this bracelet and find her, she’ll forgive me…
“She once said that her hometown was right next to mine. Tomorrow, I’ll ask Ms. McCarthy for time off to look for her there.”
“Don’t bother,” Audrey calmly said, the truth cutting through the tension. “She was never from the countryside.”
Damien stood frozen for a moment before slowly turning to face her. “That’s not true. She told me herself.”
“She only said that to protect your pride,” Audrey replied. “The truth is, Nora is a high–society heiress, born and raised in the heart of Pemberly.”
Damien’s face drained of color. His thoughts snapped back to the first time he met me.
Even then, the simplest T–shirt I wore was worth thousands of dollars. But he was too poor to understand it at that time.
Now, everything finally clicked. There was no way I’d ever come from the same humble beginnings he did.
Audrey didn’t bother arguing with him. After grabbing what she needed, she turned to leave.
But Damien wasn’t willing to lose his only lead to me. He rushed after her, calling out, “Audrey, please. Tell me where Nora’s real home is.
“I know you’re close to her. You have to know. Please, I’m begging you–just tell me!”
His hands shook as he pleaded, his desperation echoing in every word.
Audrey’s patience finally broke. “Stop dreaming! Nora has finally built a life away from this nightmare. There’s no way I’m giving you her real address.” Damien was left speechless.
Audrey was right. He’d crossed too many lines.
Perhaps Audrey had lost all respect for him long ago. I was the only one who kept holding on quietly until I finally let go and disappeared.
After landing a sharp slap across his face, Audrey turned on her heel and walked away.
Damien clutched
his cheek,
his
head hanging
low. “I’ll go
to Pemberly
to find
her,‘
“he whispered.
