CHAPTER 5: DECISION

Damian pushed open the door to the guest suite and stopped. Chloe stood with her back to him, shoulders hunched forward, gripping a thick folder so hard the edges bent. Tears tracked down her cheeks and dripped onto the papers.

“You were always going to throw me away,” she whispered, voice cracking on the last word. She didn’t turn around.

He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. “That addendum was drafted before we met. Before I knew you. It’s standard protection for..”

“Standard?” Chloe spun, eyes red and fierce. She shoved the folder at his chest. “Pay me off, take the babies, erase me from their lives. That’s your standard. I should’ve known.”

Damian took the papers, jaw tight. He had meant to shred the damn thing weeks ago. “It doesn’t matter now. Vanessa’s gone. We’re adjusting the plan. The marriage will protect everyone, including you.”

She laughed once, sharp and humorless, then wiped her face with the back of her hand. “Protect me? You threatened to cut me out five minutes after your fiancée walked. I’m done listening to your versions of protection.” She moved to the closet, yanked out her overnight bag, and started shoving clothes inside.

“Chloe, stop.” He reached for her arm but pulled back when she flinched. “The twins need stability. Walking out now helps no one.”

She kept packing, movements jerky. “I’m not walking out on them. I’m walking out on you controlling every piece of this. Go handle your image crisis. I’ll stay in this room until the babies come, but don’t expect anything else from me.”

His phone buzzed relentlessly. Board meeting in twenty minutes. He checked the screen, his mother had already texted twice. “We’ll finish this later. I have to go downstairs.”

“Fine. Leave.” She zipped the bag but left it sitting on the bed, not carrying it anywhere. She stayed.

Damian took the elevator to the corporate floor, mind still stuck on the way Chloe’s hands had trembled while packing. The conference room doors opened to a dozen suits already seated.

Marcus lounged at the far end of the table, smirk in place like he owned the room.

“Nice of you to join us, brother,” Marcus drawled. “Or should I say half-brother? Keeping secrets these days?”

Damian took his seat at the head, ignoring the jab. “Let’s get to the numbers. The East Coast expansion...”

His mother cut in from the chair to his right, pearls gleaming under the lights. “The numbers can wait.

What about Vanessa? She called me this morning. Smart girl. She’s willing to come back if you drop this surrogate nonsense and fix the scandal properly.”

Damian’s grip tightened on his pen. “Vanessa walked out, Publicly, I’m not crawling back.”

Marcus leaned forward, elbows on the table.

“Crawling? From what I hear, you’re forcing that bakery girl into a quickie marriage to save face.

Board’s not impressed, Damian. Looks desperate. Makes us look weak.”

Several heads nodded. Damian kept his face blank, but irritation coiled in his gut. Marcus had always sniffed around for weaknesses, ever since he’d learned the truth about their shared father.

“The marriage stabilizes the company. Chloe carries the heirs. It’s done.”

His mother waved a dismissive hand. “Heirs from a plus-size nobody? Vanessa comes from the right circles. She understands discretion. I can smooth things over with her family tonight. End this embarrassment before the vote next week.”

“Mother,” Damian said, voice low and final, “stay out of it. The decision is made.”

Marcus chuckled. “Family secrets are useful, aren’t they?” He slid a thin folder across the table. “Like how I bought influence over a few key suppliers for that little Brooklyn bakery. Chloe’s business could face some… delays, Shortages, Bad press of its own. Might make her more agreeable to whatever terms you set.”

Damian’s eyes snapped to the folder. Inside were copies of contracts, signatures from vendors Chloe relied on.

His stomach hardened.

"What did you do?"