[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260322E1C3D0-270":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},270,56,"Chapter 56: \"Are You Trying to Force My Hand?\"","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">At the victory celebration, Remi couldn't stop the tears from spilling over.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"It wasn’t easy, but we finally saw the rainbow,\" she sobbed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline laughed softly, pulling a tissue from her clutch to gently dab at her friend’s eyes. \"You didn't cry when we were running ourselves ragged, so why the waterworks now that we’ve finally made it?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"It’s just… we didn't waste these past few months for nothing. You don't get it, Evangeline. When I go home for Christmas, my parents are going to be so proud of me!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Remi lifted her chin, a defiant glint in her eyes. Everyone had mocked her when she refused her family's arranged path to stay in London, claiming she was chasing a \"dream\"—a word people only used for things that never actually came true.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But now? She could finally go home with her head held high.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Noah watched the two resilient young women, his heart swelling. He had been a deserter once, trading his ideals for the hollow comfort of his ego, hiding away in that tiny, suffocating world. He was grateful these two, who seemed so delicate on the surface, had reached out and dragged him from the mud. Without them, he’d likely still be wasting away in some forgotten backwater town, watching his life slip through his fingers.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Being around people who reached for the stars changed you. It mattered who you kept in your corner.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Noah raised his glass. \"Thank you both. For not giving up on me, and for bringing some light back into my life.\" He downed the drink in one go.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Neither of them had ever seen their colleague this emotional. They clinked their glasses against his and drank deeply.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Hey, Senior,\" Evangeline said, her voice slightly blurred by the wine. \"Why don't you bring your mother out here? We’re making money now.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Next year,\" he promised. \"Once everything is steady.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evangeline nodded, her head feeling heavy. \"I need to go home, too. It's been a long time since I've seen my parents.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">They were all in their early twenties. No matter how fiercely they fought to survive in the city, the moment they thought of home, they were still just kids, aching to curl up in their mothers' arms and be spoiled.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">***\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">As the winter break approached, Remi packed her bags, her excitement palpable.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Damian pulled her into his arms, his voice dropping into a wheedling, low rasp. \"Remi, are you really not going to take me home with you?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I can't. I’m not ready for that kind of commitment yet. If you come back with me, my whole family is going to start grilling us. Be a good boy, okay?\" She reached up, brushing his cheek in a gesture meant to soothe.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"If not now, then when?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Seeing the man insist on a concrete timeline, Remi scoffed. \"Damian, are you trying to force my hand into a marriage?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The moment the words left her lips, Damian’s expression turned to ice. His gaze sharpened, his entire aura shifting from the playful, doting partner into something cold and predatory.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Is that all this is to you?\" he demanded, his voice chilling the air. \"Just a game?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Remi surged to her feet, her own temper flaring. \"Damian, are you losing your mind?!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">For the first time, they glared at each other, the air in the room turning brittle and heavy. After a long, agonizing silence, Damian let out a jagged, self-deprecating laugh.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Fine. I get it.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He turned on his heel and stormed out, the door slamming with a violence that shook the walls.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Remi collapsed back onto the bed, her chest heaving as she pounded her fists into the pillows. \"What is his problem?!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The silence that followed was deafening. The echo of the slamming door seemed to hang in the air, and the scent of his cologne still clung to the room. Her anger slowly bled out, replaced by a dull, aching soreness. Her eyes filled with tears, her lower lip trembling as she bit down on it, feeling deeply wronged.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Stupid jerk,\" she sobbed into her pillow. \"Acting like that... I'm never forgiving you!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Eventually, the exhaustion of the outburst took hold, and she drifted into a restless sleep.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Damian had spent the last hour driving aimlessly, the cold air and the road doing little to temper his frustration. But as his blood cooled, his mind drifted back to her. He had seen the way her eyes reddened the moment he walked out.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He couldn't leave it like this. He gave in and turned the car around.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When he unlocked the apartment, the silence was absolute. Panic gripped his chest. Had she left?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He pushed the bedroom door open, his shoulders sagging in relief when he saw her curled up on the bed. He stepped closer, his heart breaking at the sight of her tear-stained pillow and her puffy, reddened nose. Every sob she had let out seemed to be a silent indictment of his behavior.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He let out a long, weary breath, his jaw tight with regret. He shouldn't have pushed her. He knew better.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He leaned down, his finger tracing the line of her nose. \"You’ve completely ruined me, haven't you?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Remi sensed the movement and flicked her eyes open. The moment she saw him, the tears came flooding back. She turned away, burying her face so she wouldn't have to look at him.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I’m sorry, Remi.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She struggled when he reached for her, trying to wiggle away, but Damian pinned her gently, pulling her firmly into his chest.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I'm sorry. I was wrong,\" he whispered into her hair, his voice rich and steady. \"If you aren't ready for marriage, I’ll wait. As long as you’re here, I don't care how long it takes.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Remi felt a shiver run down her spine, the sheer sincerity of his tone melting her defenses. She told herself she needed to stay tough—if he got away with this level of temper now, what would the future look like? She kept her eyes shut, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a response.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Damian panicked, pressing his forehead against hers and nudging her gently. \"Remi... I really messed up. It won’t happen again!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Remi’s mind was screaming, but her heart was already yielding. Suddenly, she felt his lips brushing against her face—first her temple, then her eyes, then her cheek. She snapped her eyes open, her hands flying up to push against his chest.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Damian, stop it!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He kept his face miserable, grabbing her hand and pulling it firmly against his heart. \"Remi, it hurts right here.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Oh, please! Save the drama. Where was that 'predatory' energy from earlier?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I'm sorry. I just... I was just so impatient.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Remi straightened her face, trying to sound firm. \"Damian, can we just let things happen naturally?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She was a free spirit, the kind of person who moved through life by intuition. And right now, her intuition was screaming that she wasn't ready to walk down the aisle.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Damian stroked her eyebrows, his throat bobbing as he forced out a ragged, \"Okay.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The tension finally snapped. Remi pulled her hand away from his chest, her expression softening.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"So,\" he murmured, a hint of his usual playfulness returning. \"Can I kiss my princess again?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Remi tilted her chin up, a smug, haughty look crossing her face. \"Fine. I suppose I can allow it.\"\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272913279]