The CEO's Rejected Wife And Secret Heir novel Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Chapter 28 – Aria Cornered

Aria POV

He was already there when I arrived, leaning against the wall outside my office building in his dark suit with his hands in his pockets, looking like he’d been waiting for hours.

It was 1:30 PM. Our meeting wasn’t until two.

I considered turning around, getting back in my car and calling this whole thing off. But I’d promised him one conversation—one chance to say his piece. Then I could walk away with a clear conscience.

I approached slowly, my heels clicking against the sidewalk as he looked up.

"You’re early," I said.

"I couldn’t wait." He straightened, his expression hopeful. "Thank you for agreeing to this."

"Don’t thank me yet." I walked past him toward the entrance, not bothering to slow my pace. "You might not like what I have to say."

He followed without a word, and we walked through the lobby in silence while other employees glanced at us and whispered, though I ignored them all.

The elevator ride to the twentieth floor felt endless, with Damien standing on the opposite side of the car. That was new.

My office was at the end of the hall with glass walls, modern furniture, and a view of the city that reminded me every day how far I’d come.

"Nice office," Damien said, looking around.

"Better than a parking garage or a preschool playground, which is where you’ve been ambushing me lately." I set my bag down with more force than necessary.

"I wasn’t" He stopped, then sighed heavily. "You’re right. I’m sorry. I didn’t know how else to see you."

"So you stalked me?" I crossed my arms, keeping the desk between us.

"I was desperate." He moved closer, his voice dropping. "Aria, please. Can we sit down?"

"No." I stayed firmly behind my desk, using it as a barrier. "You wanted to talk, so talk."

He ran a hand through his hair, clearly struggling. "I don’t know where to start."

"Start with the truth." My voice came out harder than I’d intended. "Why are you really here? What do you want from me?"

"I want..." He paused, searching for the right words. "I want to be part of my son’s life."

"Our son has a life—a good life without you." I leaned forward, letting him see the steel in my eyes.

"I know." He stepped closer to the desk, his expression pained. "I know he’s been fine. Better than fine. You’ve done an amazing job raising him alone."

"Don’t patronize me." I stood up abruptly, my chair rolling back. "I didn’t raise him alone by choice."

"I know that too." His voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "I know what I did, what I said, how I..." He closed his eyes as if the memory physically hurt him. "How I destroyed everything."

"Then why are we having this conversation?" I walked around the desk, closing the distance between us. "You know what you did. You know you don’t deserve forgiveness. So why waste my time?"

"Because I’ve changed." He looked at me directly, his gaze unwavering. "I’m not the same man who"

"Stop." I held up a hand, cutting him off. "Every cheater says that. Every liar, every man who realizes too late what he lost."

"I’m not lying." He moved closer, his desperation starting to show. "Aria, I’ve spent three years trying to find you. Three years realizing what I threw away, what I..." His voice cracked slightly. "What I destroyed with my own hands."

"Good." The word came out cold and sharp. "You should suffer like I suffered."

"I do," he whispered. "Every single day."

"Not enough." I stepped back, needing the space. "You want to know what real suffering is? Try being pregnant and homeless. Try working three jobs while your body falls apart. Try giving birth alone because you have nobody." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"Aria"

"Try watching your son take his first steps without his father," I continued, my voice rising with each word. "Try explaining to a three-year-old why he doesn’t have a daddy when all his friends do. Try being both parents and knowing you’ll never be enough."

Silence filled the office, heavy and suffocating. Damien’s hands shook at his sides.

"I would give anything to take it back," he said finally. "Anything. My company, my money, my life—all of it."

"I don’t want your money." I walked back to my desk, needing something solid to hold onto. "I have my own now."

"I know," he said, following me closely. "Monroe Global is impressive. You built something incredible from nothing."

"Don’t change the subject." I sat down, forcing myself to meet his eyes. "You wanted to explain, so explain. Why should I let you anywhere near my son after what you did?"

He pulled up a chair and sat across from me, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees in a posture that suggested both vulnerability and exhaustion.

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