The rain refused to stop.
Selina stood on the cold marble balcony of the Imperial Crown Penthouse, her hands gripping the railing until her knuckles turned white. The night stretched endlessly before her, the city lights below blurred through the veil of rain and her unshed tears.
Behind her, the faint sound of the door creaking open broke the suffocating silence.
She didn't turn. She couldn't.
Not yet.
"Selina..." Damian's voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, yet it slammed into her like a tidal wave.
For a moment, she couldn't breathe.
Her entire being had longed for this voice—through every sleepless night, every moment of despair. But now that he stood behind her, flesh and blood, alive… she didn't know if she had the strength to face him.
"You shouldn't be standing here in the cold," he said, his footsteps approaching carefully, cautiously, like a man afraid one wrong move would shatter what was left between them.
Selina's hands tightened against the railing.
"Why did you come back, Damian?" Her voice cracked despite her best efforts to sound strong. "Why did you make me believe you were gone forever?"
Silence.
It stretched painfully between them before he finally answered.
"Because I thought… you'd be safer without me."
Selina let out a shaky laugh, bitter and full of raw pain.
"Safer?" She spun around, her eyes blazing with tears and anger. "Do you know what 'safe' felt like, Damian? Watching our son cry himself to sleep, asking me every night why his father left him? Waking up every morning praying it was just a nightmare—only to realize it wasn't?"
Her fists pounded against his chest, over and over, her sobs breaking free after months of suffocating silence.
"You left me to fight alone! To suffer alone! How could you, Damian? How could you?!"
Damian didn't move, didn't defend himself. He let her hit him, let her tears soak his shirt, his own eyes burning with guilt too heavy to bear.
And then—he pulled her into his arms.
Tightly. Desperately. Like a drowning man clinging to his only salvation.
"I'm sorry… I'm so damn sorry, Selina…" His voice cracked, his composure breaking. "If I could take back every second I left you alone, I would. But I'm here now. I'm here."
Selina collapsed against him, the fight draining out of her.
For a long moment, they stood there in the storm, their broken hearts finding solace in each other's arms.
Later That Night – In the Quiet of the Penthouse
Selina sat curled up on the couch, her son sleeping soundly in the next room—finally safe, finally home.
Damian stood at the window, watching the rain, his shoulders tense under the weight of everything left unsaid.
"Do you regret it?" she asked softly.
He turned, his eyes shadowed. "Regret what?"
Selina hugged her knees to her chest, her voice barely audible.
"Coming back to me… risking everything. Would it have been easier if you'd just stayed gone?"
Damian crossed the room and knelt before her, his hands gently taking hers.
"Selina, listen to me. The day I left, I died. I walked through hell every single moment I was away from you. Do you really think I care about easier? I care about you. I care about our son. I came back for you. And I'm not leaving again. Not ever."
Fresh tears welled in her eyes, but this time they were softer, heavier with the weight of forgiveness she wasn't sure she was ready to give—but desperately wanted to.
"Promise me, Damian…"
He pressed his forehead against hers.
"I promise. Whatever storm comes next, we face it together. No more secrets. No more running."
Their lips met—soft at first, then desperate and consuming, as if they could erase all the pain of the past year in that one kiss.
But far away, hidden behind the curtains of power… another storm was already gathering.
In a darkened study, a frail but familiar figure stared at the surveillance footage playing on an old monitor.
A low, raspy voice filled the room.
"So… my prodigal son has returned. And he dares to think he's won?"
The camera panned out slowly.
The Lu Family's true patriarch—long thought dead—smiled a cold, deathly smile.
"Let's see how long you can hold your throne, Damian Lu. This game isn't over. Not by a long shot."
Fade to black.
💥 [Author's Comment – Bossku, are you ready for the final arc?]
💬 Comment "Final Sweet Ending!" if you want to wrap it up beautifully.💬 Or comment "Set Up Season 2!" if you're ready to lay the groundwork for an even bigger second arc and long-term earnings!