002 Unwanted Promises

The morning after the burial felt unreal. I woke up in my small apartment with puffy eyes and a heavy chest, still wearing the black dress from the day before. For a moment I lay there staring at the ceiling, hoping it had all been a terrible dream. Then reality hit again. Alex was gone. Forever.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand. Eleanor. I answered with a tired voice.

“Lila, my dear. How are you holding up?” Her tone was soft and full of concern, the same gentle strength she had shown since the accident.

“I don’t know,” I whispered. “It still doesn’t feel real.”

There was a short pause. “I understand. But we need to talk. Can I come over? I’m still in town for a few more days before I return to Libya.”

I agreed. An hour later she arrived with a small bag of fresh pastries and a kind smile that made my eyes sting. We sat on my worn couch, the same one where Alex and I had spent so many evenings planning our future. Eleanor took my hands in hers.

“You cannot go through this alone,” she said quietly. “Alex would not want you isolated and struggling. Mia keeps asking about you. She is only six but she felt close to you even before… everything.”

I swallowed hard. The thought of that sweet little girl made something ache inside me. “Eleanor, I appreciate everything you have done. But marriage to Damian? That seems impossible.”

She squeezed my hands. “I know it sounds crazy. Damian did not like the idea when I first suggested it. He argued with me for hours. But he finally agreed, for my sake and for the family’s stability. You share a connection through Alex. It would protect you legally and financially. The Voss name carries weight. Please, Lila. Think about it carefully. At least meet with us today.”

Her eyes were pleading. She had lost a son too. I could not find the strength to refuse her completely.

Later that afternoon I found myself standing outside a sleek downtown restaurant where Eleanor had arranged a private meeting. My hands shook as I walked in. Damian was already there, seated at a corner table like he owned the place. He looked even more imposing in person, tall and broad in a perfectly tailored dark suit, his jaw tight with barely hidden anger.

Eleanor greeted me warmly and guided me to sit. The tension in the air was thick enough to choke on.

Damian did not waste time. He leaned forward, eyes cold as they locked on mine. “Let us be clear. I only agreed to this madness because my stepmother begged me. Do not think for one second that this means I accept you. You are the reason my brother is dead. If you had not distracted him with your constant needs, he would still be here.”

The words landed like slaps. I flinched but forced myself to meet his gaze. “I loved Alex. I never wanted any of this.”

He let out a bitter laugh. “Love? You accepted the marriage proposal so quickly after Eleanor suggested it. If you truly loved him, you would have refused. Instead you are jumping at the chance to insert yourself into our family. Pathetic.”

Eleanor placed a gentle hand on his arm. “Damian, enough. This is not helping anyone. Lila is grieving too.”

He pulled away from her touch, but he stayed silent for the rest of the short meeting. Eleanor outlined basic details. A quiet ceremony in a few days. Legal papers to protect my position. I barely heard most of it. My mind kept replaying all the times I spent with Alex. I miss him so much.

When the meeting ended, Damian stood up first. “Do not expect kindness from me. Stay out of my way and out of my daughter’s life. That is the only condition I care about.”

He walked out without another glance.

Eleanor sighed as we left the restaurant. “He is hurting, Lila. Give him time. He will come around.”

I nodded politely, but inside I felt drained. Back in my apartment that evening, I tried to eat something but everything tasted like ash. I kept thinking about Mia. That little girl with the big curious eyes who had hugged me so tightly at the funeral. She deserved better than this mess.

My phone rang again. It was Eleanor.

“Lila, it is Mia. She has been asking for you nonstop and now she is having trouble breathing. The nanny cannot calm her down. Damian is in a meeting and not picking up. Can you come to the house? Please. Just for a little while.”

My heart clenched. I did not think twice. I grabbed my coat and headed out, even though every part of me knew stepping into that world meant crossing a line I might never uncross.

As the taxi pulled up to the grand Voss mansion, lights glowing warmly against the evening sky, I wondered how much more my heart could break.

And whether Damian would destroy what was left of it.