Chapter 7 Seven

The night air was crisp as Isla walked aimlessly through the quiet streets, her heels clicking against the pavement. She wasn't sure where she was going-just that she needed to get away, to clear her head, to make sense of everything that had just happened.

Her mind was a tangled mess of emotions, memories, and unanswered questions.

Was it ever real?

Or had she been fooling herself all along?

Damian Sinclair had always been an enigma. From the moment they met at the gala, there had been an undeniable pull between them, an attraction that neither of them had tried hard enough to resist.

But was that all it had been?

A physical connection?

Something fleeting and meaningless?

She exhaled sharply, hugging her coat tighter around herself as the wind picked up.

They had spent nights together, tangled in sheets and whispered promises. She had seen glimpses of the man behind the cold, untouchable mask. But had it ever meant anything to him?

Had she meant anything to him?

Isla swallowed against the lump rising in her throat.

She had never asked him.

She had never dared to.

Because deep down, she had always been terrified of the answer.

Damian was never the type to voice his emotions, never the type to offer reassurances or sweet words. Their relationship-if she could even call it that-had always been built on stolen moments, on a fire that burned too hot and too fast.

But now, after everything, she couldn't help but wonder...

Had she been nothing more than a convenient distraction to him?

The thought sent a sharp pang through her chest, and she hated how much it hurt.

She wasn't supposed to feel like this.

She wasn't supposed to care this much.

And yet, she did.

Isla reached a park bench and sank onto it, pressing her fingers against her temples as if she could will the thoughts away. But they only grew louder, tormenting her with possibilities she couldn't ignore.

Would Damian even miss her?

Would he even care that she had walked away?

Or would he simply move on, as if she had never been a part of his life at all?

She didn't know.

And that was the worst part.

Because despite all the time they had spent together, despite the heat and passion that had consumed them, Isla still had no idea if she had ever truly meant something to him.

---

The Beginning of Their Affair

She thought back to the night everything had changed between them.

The gala.

That was where it had all started.

She had walked in, dressed in a sleek black gown, her hair pinned up, her makeup flawless. She had felt confident, poised, in control.

Until she saw him.

Damian Sinclair had been standing across the room, looking infuriatingly perfect in his tailored suit, a glass of whiskey in hand. His presence alone had been enough to unravel her composure.

He had been talking to someone-a business associate, most likely-but the moment his gaze met hers, the entire room had faded away.

She had felt it then.

That same undeniable pull.

The one she had been fighting for so long.

He had excused himself from his conversation and walked toward her with the kind of purpose that made her heart race.

"You look..." He had paused, his eyes sweeping over her, dark and intense. "Breathtaking."

She had tried to ignore the way his voice sent a shiver down her spine, tried to act like his presence didn't affect her.

But she had failed.

Because when Damian Sinclair looked at her like that, with heat in his gaze and something unspoken lingering between them, it was impossible to ignore.

They had talked, danced, exchanged teasing remarks that were laced with something more.

And then, after his ex-fiancée had stormed out of the gala, Damian had turned to Isla with that knowing look in his eyes.

"Let's get out of here."

She had hesitated.

She should have said no.

But she hadn't.

Instead, she had followed him, knowing exactly where the night would lead.

---

Reality Crashes Back

Isla closed her eyes, inhaling deeply as she tried to shake off the memory.

That night had been the beginning of everything.

But now, she wasn't sure if it had ever been real.

Maybe it had always been doomed to fall apart.

Maybe she had only been fooling herself into thinking it was something more.

She let out a bitter laugh, rubbing a hand over her face.

She needed to stop.

She needed to let go.

But how did you let go of something that had never truly belonged to you in the first place?

The morning air felt heavier than usual as Isla scrolled through her phone, her stomach tightening with every new headline flashing across the screen.

"Damian Sinclair and Katherine Vale Rekindling an Old Flame?"

"Spotted: Billionaire Damian Sinclair and His Ex-Fiancée Getting Cozy Again!"

"Katherine Stunning Return-Is She Back in Damian Sinclair's Life for Good?"

Isla's fingers tightened around her coffee cup, the heat pressing into her skin as she re-read the words, her brain struggling to process them.

Ex-fiancée?

Her breath hitched as confusion settled in.

Damian had been engaged?

She had never heard a single word about a fiancée. Never once had he mentioned a woman from his past-let alone one he had been serious enough about to almost marry.

And yet, here it was.

The proof, plastered across every major media outlet, accompanied by photos that made her stomach churn.

Damian and Katherine leaving a high-end restaurant together.

Damian holding the door open for her, his expression unreadable.

Katherine's perfectly manicured fingers resting on his arm as they stepped toward his building.

Isla set her coffee down with a shaky exhale, her pulse hammering in her ears.

What else hadn't he told her?

Had she been so blind-so wrapped up in whatever this was between them-that she had missed all the signs?

The thought made her chest tighten.

She didn't even know if what they had was real or if she had just been fooling herself.

Was she just a fleeting distraction?

Had she always been nothing more than something convenient for him?

The realization was like ice water down her spine.

She had been falling for him.

But now, she wasn't even sure if she had ever known him at all.

---

Office Whispers and Unanswered Questions

The moment Isla stepped into the office, she felt the weight of lingering stares.

Hushed conversations came to an abrupt halt as she passed by.

She could feel the questions in their eyes, the barely concealed curiosity.

Does she know?

Was she just a fling?

What does Katherine's return mean for her?

Isla ignored them all, keeping her head high as she made her way to her office.

She had bigger things to worry about than office gossip.

Like figuring out if the man she had spent months getting close to had ever been honest with her.

Her fingers tightened around the strap of her purse as she stepped inside her office and shut the door behind her.

She needed answers.

And there was only one person who could give them to her.

Her phone vibrated on her desk, pulling her from her thoughts.

She reached for it before she could second-guess herself.

Damian.

Her breath caught.

For a moment, she hesitated.

She didn't know what she wanted to hear.

Did she want him to deny it?

Did she want him to tell her that the headlines were wrong?

Or did she just want the truth-no matter how much it hurt?

She took a steadying breath and pressed the phone to her ear.

"Isla." His voice was smooth, familiar.

Too familiar.

She swallowed. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

There was a beat of silence.

Then, his voice, quieter this time. "Tell you what?"

Her jaw clenched. "That you were engaged."

Another pause.

Longer.

He exhaled. "It wasn't important."

Her grip on the phone tightened. "Not important?" she echoed, disbelief coloring her tone. "So, what? I was just supposed to find out from the tabloids?"

"She's not a part of my life anymore," Damian said, his voice edged with frustration. "She hasn't been for a long time."

Isla let out a sharp laugh. "Really? Because from what I've seen, she seems very comfortable by your side."

His voice was firm. "It's not what you think."

"Then tell me what it is."

Another silence.

One that spoke louder than words ever could.

Her stomach twisted.

There it was.

The hesitation.

The pause that confirmed every one of her fears.

She shook her head, swallowing down the lump forming in her throat.

"I should've known," she murmured. "I should've seen this coming."

"Isla-"

"No." She took a shaky breath. "It's fine, Damian. You don't owe me an explanation."

Even though a part of her wanted him to give her one anyway.

Even though a part of her wanted him to say something-anything-that would make this make sense.

But she wasn't going to beg for that.

Not anymore.

She hung up before he could say another word, her hands trembling as she set the phone down.

The weight in her chest was suffocating, but she wouldn't break.

She couldn't.

Not over him.

Not over a man who had never been fully hers to begin with.