CHAPTER 25 Damien's POV I sat in my office , my fingers tapping against the edge of my desk , a restless rhythm that matched the chaos in my head . " Three more media outlets , sir , " Mark informed me . They've been secretly tailing Mrs. Vaughn Miss Monroe , I mean . " My jaw clenched at the correction . No matter what they called her , she was still my wife . Legally . Emotionally . Mine I leaned back in my chair , running a hand through my hair , frustration prickling just beneath my skin . I'd given explicit instructions - no more stories , no more cameras , no more dragging her name through the mud . I thought I'd bought her peace . Apparently not . They wouldn't stop . And I was tunning out of ways to protect her without standing in the spotlight myself - and dragging her deeper into this endless mess . " The reporters have been dealt with , " Mark continued . " We paid them off to keep quiet . " My head suddenly began to throb . I closed my eyes and waved him away . But I knew . Just like the rats infesting the streets of New York , these gossip mongers were endless . No matter how much money I threw at them , no matter how many articles I buried or headlines I paid off , they'd always come back - gnawing , scavenging feeding on the same carcass of scandal they'd been feasting on . my fault . Celeste , once anonymous and untouched by the glare of wealth and status , was now prey . And it was my She didn't deserve this kind of hell , no matter her unfaithfulness . She'd once lived a quiet life . Ordinary . Peaceful . A life where she could walk the streets without bodyguards , without shutter clicks or whispers following her every move . But now , even a five - minute walk outside turned into a game of cat and mouse . Cameras hiding behind tinted windows . Strangers barking accusations under their breath . Her face plastered across every dirty tabloid and comment thread . I had built her a palace - and turned it into a prison " Un sir ? " My eyes popped open , and I saw t that my assistant was still exe standing there . " There's … a way , " he began slowly , " to end this . To quiet it all . Once and for all . " I said nothing . But my silence gave him permission to continue . " If the divorce goes through - formally , publicly - then the narrative changes . She's not the cheating wife of the Vaughn heir anymore . Just a single woman who's moved on . The scandal loses its bite . " The word hit me like a slap Divorce Just saying it sounded like betrayal I looked up at him , eyes cold . " Get out " He froze " I said - get out " +25 BONUS He left without another word , the door clicking softly behind him . I stayed still for a long time . In that instance , I remembered the look on my father's face , how he'd wanted me to get Celeste out of my life for good . But the pressure from my father , on top of the discontent of the shareholders and the endless speculation from the tabloids …. None of it really mattered to me . I could handle all of it . Hell , I'd spent my entire life preparing to bear the weight of this empire . I'd stand against every that circled overhead , tear down anyone who dared to speak my name with venom . But Celeste . vulture Celeste didn't have an army behind her . She had no powerful bloodline to back her , no ironclad legacy to hide behind . There were no publicists cleaning up her name , no lawyers spinning the narrative . She was standing in the eye of a storm with no umbrella , no armor - just her And I had put her there , which made me feel really quilty . She pretended to be strong . She always had . But I knew better . I knew that every cruel headline and every stranger who called her a whore , a liar , or a gold digger chipped away at her , destroying her bit by bit God , I can feel it slowly killing me too , just thinking about what it's doing to her ! The thought was unbearable . I certainly did not intend for her to suffer like this . I may not love her , but I don't want her to get hurt further by these other people . With a heavy heart , I picked up my phone . My grip tightened around it like it might slip through my fingers if I didn't hold on hard enough . I stared at the screen for what felt like forever before forcing myself to dial her number . Celeste . Her name alone made something twist violently in my chest The phone rang once . Twice . Then I heard her voice " Hello ? " I swallowed hard , the words sticking to the back of my throat like poison . Every part of me screamed not to say it . But I did . " Let's talk about the divorce . " Long , hard silence followed And then she spoke in a distant , hollow voice . " Okay " Click The call ended . Just like that . I stared at the screen . My thumb still hovered above the glass like I'd call her back . Like maybe I didn't just light the final match between us , My hand was shaking . I hadn't even realized it until I set the phone down and saw the tremor . A hollow ache lodged deep in my chest , echoing with everything I didn't say . And yet - buried beneath the burden of guilt and silence - something stubborn still burned . A flicker of desperation guard , just once . If she turned back and reached out , even the Maybe if she admitted she was wrong . If she let down her g slightest- I'd protect her again . No matter what it cost me . CHAPTER 25 I'd fight for her , even if it meant turning the world inside out . But the question was … would she even let me? Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!