When Love Is a Lie (Whitney and Damian) novel Chapter 79

Damian loomed over her, his intensity like that of a beast on the hunt.

He gripped her wrists and pinned them above her head, his knee forcing her legs apart.

Whitney struggled against him, her voice sharp with fear. "If you don't let go of me right now, the video will upload automatically!"

Damian froze. Her words struck a nerve, showing he still had something to lose.

Whitney's voice was steady, yet laced with an unmistakable edge of warning as she said, "The video is set to automatically upload from my computer. If you don't agree within three minutes, it'll go live. Damian, you wouldn't want everyone to see that, would you?"

Whitney's eyes burned as she stared him down. She was hoping he'd understand that she wasn't bluffing.

He narrowed his eyes, assessing her for a moment. Then, at last, he let go and moved off her.

Whitney exhaled with relief.

"So many women would kill to be Mrs. Howard, and yet, here you are, throwing it all away." Damian sneered.

Whitney replied softly, "Once, I wanted to marry you. I wanted to be with you. Not for the title, but because I loved you."

Whitney's tone tinged with a quiet sadness.

Back then, she had loved Damian with endless devotion.

He scoffed. "Love? Funny how fast that ran dry."

Whitney's voice was firm now. Her tone laced with frustration as she glanced at her phone. "You cheated on me with someone else. Am I supposed to keep loving you through that? I'm not going to argue this with you. Time's running out."

Damian stared at her, bitterness and resentment flashing across his face. He gave a short, derisive laugh, shaking his head. "Who would've thought the little girl who used to follow me around would end up negotiating with me."

Damian's tone was sharp, but there was a hint of reluctant resignation as he finally relented. "Fine. I agree."

Whitney's grip on her phone tightened. He'd finally agreed to the breakup.

Relief washed over her, mixed with a sense of bittersweet triumph.

Damian added, "But this engagement was arranged by our families. I'll handle Grandpa. As for your father, that's on you."

Whitney nodded, rising to her feet. "I understand. This won't be easy for either of our families. Don't worry. I won't reveal anything about you and Rachel."

She met his gaze. Her expression was calm but resolute as she said, "Take care of Grandpa. I won't be able to visit him anymore. It'll only make things harder for him."

Ending things with Damian would likely shake the Howard family, and she knew Elijah would be disappointed in her.

She wanted to spare him the pain of seeing her again.

As she stepped outside the villa, Whitney tilted her head back and took a deep breath, savoring the fresh air.

She felt lighter now. She was finally free.

The last eight years… It was finally time to let everything go.

Whitney shook her head politely. "No, thank you," she said, grabbing her cake and heading for the door.

The cashier glanced at Noel, trying to encourage him to buy the cake as a peace offering.

"Sorry, that cake's not really fitting," he replied as he followed Whitney out the door with his bag.

The cashier could only shake her head in pity. "So handsome, but he has no idea how to make his girlfriend happy."

Noel's G-Wagon was parked close to Whitney's car. As he approached, he noticed her placing her desserts on the passenger seat.

"Too much sugar is bad for you. Besides the high calories, it'll spike your blood sugar," he commented.

Whitney straightened up and gave him a light, playful smile. "I'm in a good mood. I don't care if it's two cakes or ten chocolate bars. I'll eat whatever I want."

Noel studied her for a moment, then silently unlocked his car and opened the door.

Suddenly, Whitney spoke again, her voice clear. "You were wrong that day."

Noel paused. With his hand on the door, he looked at her, a question in his eyes.

She walked up to his car, tilting her chin up slightly, a faint smile of triumph on her lips. Her eyes sparkled with a hint of pride.

She said, "Not everything is as you predict, Noel. Damian agreed."