The Return

Evelyn froze in place.

Her voice trembled slightly. "Who… who came back?"

Calen's jaw tightened. "Damien."

For a moment, Evelyn couldn't speak. Her chest filled with tension — confusion, anxiety, and something else she couldn't name. Her past and present clashed all at once.

"He's the one creating problems in our company?" she asked, her voice laced with disbelief.

Calen nodded slowly. "Yes. It's him. Damien's the one pulling the strings behind all the recent trouble."

Evelyn swallowed hard. "But… we haven't received any official communication from his father's company, right?"

Calen shook his head. "That's because he's not doing it through his father's company anymore. Damien is operating independently — under his own firm."

Evelyn's eyes darkened with unease. "So he's back… and he's not hiding it."

Calen looked at her carefully. "He didn't come back by accident, Mom. He came with a purpose. "

Evelyn leaned back slightly in her chair, her eyes fixed on the floor as though she were speaking more to herself than to Calen.

"Even after all these years…" she whispered, her voice trembling, "he still hasn't changed?"

There was hurt behind her words. Not just surprise — but the kind of pain that only time should have healed, but hadn't.

Calen sat forward, his expression dark. "No, Mom. He hasn't changed at all."

His tone was clipped, almost bitter. "The same pride. The same ego. The same obsession with proving something."

Evelyn looked up at him slowly, her throat tightening. "But why now? What did we do? Why does he want to come back and hurt us like this?"

Calen's fists clenched at his sides. "That's just it. We didn't do anything. But in Damien's mind, we are the ones who failed him. Who betrayed him."

Evelyn shook her head, her voice cracking. "But how? What fault was ours?"

Calen's jaw tightened. "Mom, you know how Damien sees the world. If something went wrong, someone had to be blamed. And we were the nearest targets. We were the ones who stayed behind, who held things together. But for him… that was never enough."

He paused, then added quietly, "He didn't return for closure. He came back to ruin everything we've protected."

Evelyn sat in silence, the weight of Calen's words settling like stone in her chest. The quiet beeping of the hospital monitor was the only sound in the room.

Calen's call brought Adrian to the hospital within the hour.

The moment Evelyn saw her husband walking through the corridor, she stood up immediately. But her heart sank the moment her eyes met his face.

He looked exhausted. Not just physically — it was something deeper, like the weight of years had settled over him all at once.

"Why do you look like that?" Evelyn asked, walking toward him, voice trembling with concern.

Adrian didn't answer immediately. He just shook his head and sat down heavily beside her.

Evelyn sat too, her hands nervously clutched together. "What happened?"

He exhaled, his voice low, strained. "The projects… everything's slipping away. Investors are backing out, clients are hesitating. The company is in serious trouble."

Evelyn felt her heart sink. "Is it because of Damien?"

Adrian nodded grimly. "He's striking exactly where it hurts. He knows our weak points… and he's using them. Ruthlessly."

She was silent for a long moment. Then she said softly, "Maybe we should go talk to him. Explain. Apologize if we must. Just tell him the truth… ask him to stop."

Adrian gave a hollow laugh — tired and bitter. "It's too late for truth, Evelyn. He doesn't want our explanations. All the evidence… the documents, the reports — everything somehow points against us. It's like he's already prepared the battlefield before we even knew a war had begun."

Evelyn closed her eyes, the helplessness washing over her like a wave. "Why is this happening? Why now?"

She turned her gaze toward the hospital bed, where the unconscious girl lay still, unaware of the storm outside.

"If that accident hadn't happened back then…" Evelyn's voice broke as she whispered, "We would have all been so happy today. Together. Safe."

Her hands trembled slightly. "One mistake… just one wrong decision. And so many people are still suffering for it."

Adrian looked at her, the regret in his eyes as deep as hers.

Neither of them said it aloud — but both were thinking the same thing.

Sometimes, life never forgives the past. It just keeps collecting interest on the pain.

The doctor stepped into the hospital room, glancing at the monitors and the girl on the bed.

"She's stable now," he said with a small smile. "She'll stay unconscious for a while longer, but her vitals are steady. You can step out, maybe grab a quick meal. She'll be fine."

Evelyn exhaled in relief, though her heart was still heavy. She turned to Adrian, who hadn't left the chair beside the bed since he arrived.

"You've not eaten anything all day," she said gently. "Come with me. We'll just sit nearby, grab something and come back."

Adrian shook his head. "You go ahead, Evelyn. I'll stay with her. I'm not really hungry."

She frowned slightly and turned toward her son. "Calen?"

"I'll stay too, Mom," he said. "You go get something warm. I'll watch Dad and her both."

Evelyn gave a soft nod, grateful that at least Calen still carried steadiness in the storm.

She crossed the street to a quiet restaurant opposite the hospital. The air inside was warmer than she expected, the smell of spices clinging to the walls. She picked a table in the far corner, away from the crowd, and gave her order in a tired voice.

Her thoughts wandered—about the girl, about Damien's return, and the uncertainty sitting like a stone in her chest. She rubbed her forehead gently, trying to ease the pressure building behind her eyes.

But then… a shadow moved across the table.

She looked up.

A man stood before her, tall, effortlessly composed, dressed in a sharp black coat.

That smile—slight, amused, cold—hadn't changed.

"Hi, Auntie," Damien said as he pulled the chair opposite her and sat down without waiting for permission. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

Evelyn stared at him, her spine straightening, hands still on the table.

"You've… changed," she said, barely above a whisper.

Damien chuckled softly, resting his elbows on the edge of the table. "Changed? That's surprising. I thought I'd be unforgettable." He leaned slightly forward, his eyes fixed on her. "Or maybe… you chose to forget me."

You're absolutely right again, Satwi — you never said Damien's mother was harsh. That line was wrongly assumed by me, and I sincerely apologize for adding something you didn't say.

"Why are you doing all this?" Evelyn asked, her voice trembling as she looked into Damien's eyes. The boy she once knew was long gone, and the man in front of her… he was filled with something darker. Something broken.

Damien let out a low breath, the corners of his lips curling into a cold, bitter smile.

"Why?" he echoed. "To take my revenge."

Evelyn's brows furrowed. "We didn't do anything to you. Why are you punishing us?"

"Didn't do anything?" Damien's voice grew sharper, the hurt behind it beginning to crack through. "How can you say that so easily?"

He leaned slightly forward, eyes locked on her.

"I saw you like my mother. I treated you with the same respect. You were warm. Kind. At least, that's what I believed."

Evelyn's voice softened, fear and sorrow intertwining. "You're misunderstanding us, Damien. We didn't know anything. Nothing was told to us either."

But Damien didn't waver. His eyes held the weight of years — years filled with betrayal, silence, and loneliness.

"There was a time," he said quietly, "when I wanted to protect all of you. I thought of you as my own family. I truly did."

Those words hit her harder than any accusation could.

She froze.

Her voice caught in her throat. She could feel the pain in his voice — not just anger, but the ache of someone who once loved deeply and was left bleeding.

And then… he stood.

No final word. No dramatic outburst.

Just silence — thick, aching silence.

Damien turned away and walked out of the restaurant, leaving Evelyn sitting there… shaken, speechless, and filled with questions she might never get answers to.

About fifteen minutes passed.

The restaurant door opened with a soft chime as Calen and Adrian stepped inside. Both looked exhausted — not just from the day's chaos, but from the heaviness that had returned to their lives without warning.

They spotted Evelyn sitting in the corner and walked over to her table.

"Mom," Calen said gently as he pulled out the chair opposite her. "Is everything okay? You look…"

He didn't finish the sentence — but the worry in his voice was unmistakable.

Adrian sat beside her, silently watching her expression. Something was off.

Evelyn didn't speak right away. Her fingers were still lightly wrapped around the untouched glass of water, and her eyes stared blankly at the table, lost in thought.

Calen reached out and touched her hand softly.

"Mom?" he asked again.

She blinked and looked up, her voice quiet but clear.

"Damien was here."

Both Calen and Adrian stiffened.

"What?" Adrian asked, his tone sharp, eyes narrowing.

"When?"

Evelyn glanced toward the restaurant entrance, though Damien was long gone.

"Just a little while ago. He sat right where you're sitting now."

Calen looked shaken for a moment, then clenched his jaw. "What did he say?"

Evelyn swallowed hard. "He said… he came back to take revenge."

A silence settled over the table again — heavier than before.

Just as the weight of Damien's return sank in, Calen's phone buzzed on the table, breaking the silence. He glanced at the screen, and his eyes widened.

"It's the hospital," he said, answering immediately. A brief pause… and then he stood up, his voice sharp with disbelief.

"She's awake."