Damien’s POV

I woke with the quietest satisfaction I had felt in some months. The kind that didn’t roar like victory, but whispered like peace. Beside me, she lay still, her breath even, her lashes resting gently against her skin. For months, my mornings had been filled with meetings, numbers, strategies, and empty victories. But this morning was different. This morning, I woke up beside Clara.

For a moment, I didn’t move. I simply watched her, as though I was afraid that blinking would ...