Damon stood across the street, eyes locked on the small, cozy café where he had spotted Lila through the window. She was laughing, her head tilted back, sipping on a latte as Caleb leaned across the table, his smile broad and easy. The light from the café spilled out onto the sidewalk, casting a warm glow around them.
Damon's heart stuttered in his chest, a strange mix of jealousy and anger swirling inside him. What was going on?
His mind was already racing — they were too close... but something was wrong. There was something about Lila's smile tonight that was too easy, too relaxed. She wasn't looking at Caleb like someone just trying to be friendly.
No, there was something more there.
Damon's fists clenched as he watched Caleb reach out, brushing a strand of hair away from Lila's face. He saw it — the way her cheeks flushed under Caleb's touch, the way her lips parted in a way that was... far too familiar for Damon's liking.
Just as Damon was about to storm into the café, a voice startled him.
"Well, well... Look who's spying."
He turned sharply to find Marissa standing beside him, her arms crossed with a knowing smirk on her face.
"What are you doing here?" Damon snapped, trying to keep his voice steady, his eyes not leaving the couple inside.
"Caleb's with her, right?" Marissa asked, her tone oddly light. "Lila's not the only one in that café having fun. Caleb and I are... well, we're kind of an item now."
Damon blinked, momentarily stunned. "What?"
Marissa just shrugged, unfazed. "You didn't know? Caleb's been chasing Lila's friend for weeks. Guess you weren't paying attention."
Damon's jaw clenched. His mind was spinning. Caleb and Marissa? What the hell was going on? He didn't know why it bothered him so much, but the thought of Lila with Caleb suddenly made him see red.
But it wasn't just jealousy about Caleb and Lila. It was deeper — something more tangled.
By the time Damon had stormed into his office, he was barely holding it together. He waited, pacing in his massive office, his fists clenching and unclenching.
Lila walked in hesitantly, sensing the tension in the air, her brow furrowing with confusion. But before she could even sit down, Damon was on her.
"What the hell is going on, Lila?" His voice was cold and cutting, and it stung. "Why are you hanging out with Caleb like that?"
Lila looked at him, startled. "What are you talking about, Damon?"
"You were at the café with him, laughing, acting like... like he means something to you! And here I thought you were—" Damon stopped himself, running a hand through his hair, furious with himself. "You've been playing me this whole time, haven't you? Trying to worm your way into the Cross family."
Lila's eyes widened, her face flushed with disbelief. "What? What are you talking about?"
Damon's voice grew louder, his eyes flashing. "You think I don't see it? You're a gold digger, Lila. That's what you've been doing all this time — getting close to me, getting close to Caleb. Trying to get your claws into anyone who'll give you what you want."
Lila froze. The words hit her like a slap across the face. For a moment, she couldn't breathe. The room felt smaller, suffocating.
"Damon, you don't know anything about me!" Her voice was shaking, her hands clenched at her sides as she stood tall. "I never wanted anything from you. Nothing."
His eyes narrowed, his lips curling into something almost cruel. "Then what the hell were you doing in that café with Caleb? You looked so damn cozy. Don't tell me you don't know what you were doing. You think you can play me?"
Lila's heart pounded. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words were stuck. She had never expected Damon to accuse her of something like this. She had never wanted anything from him.
"Why the hell do you care?" she snapped, her voice growing steadier, the anger burning through her pain. "Why does it even matter? You made it clear you didn't want me, and yet here you are, throwing accusations at me like I'm some... some gold digger."
Damon's expression twisted in frustration. "I'm just trying to protect my company! You think I can't see through your act? That you're all just trying to get your hands on something bigger, on something richer?"
The words stung like venom, but something inside Lila finally snapped. Her emotions swirled, confusion turning into something more — something raw.
"Do you really think I'm that shallow?" Lila's eyes blazed as she stepped forward, her voice shaking with anger. "Do you really think I came into your life to play some damn game? I'm just trying to survive, Damon. I don't care about your money. I don't care about your family." She laughed bitterly, tears stinging her eyes. "I don't want your damn pity or your attention. You think I've been following you around like a puppy, hoping for a handout? I don't need you. I never have."
Damon stood there, his mind reeling. The words hit him like a wrecking ball, each one cutting deeper than the last. He wanted to shout back, wanted to defend himself, but he couldn't. Something in her voice — something in the way she said it — made him realize that he was wrong. He was so wrong.
Her chest heaved as she looked at him, tears finally slipping down her cheeks. "I never wanted any of this... I never wanted you to think I was... some gold digger."
Damon's heart twisted painfully, his gaze flickering to her tear-streaked face.
Shit.
What the hell had he done? What had he said?
He took a step forward, wanting to comfort her, but she stepped back, shaking her head.
"Don't," she whispered. "Don't come near me."
Damon stood frozen, the crushing weight of his own mistakes bearing down on him. The realization hit him hard — he had pushed her too far, had lashed out when all she had done was try to get through this ridiculous arrangement.
Lila, the woman he had pushed away, now stood before him, broken.
And for the first time, Damon truly realized that he had been the one who had been blind all along.