Chapter 6 - An Unreconciled Past
The workshop was dismissed early. Clara made chamomile tea in a cramped, sunny kitchenette at the back of the building. Lily, exhausted by the sheer emotional surge of the morning, had curled up on a worn plaid sofa with a picture book, her fingers clutching Clara’s spare sweater.
Clara set a ceramic mug in front of Damian. Her fingers were lightly stained with cobalt pigment.
""You took a massive risk bringing her here,"" Clara said quietly. ""If Eleanor finds out, she will claim you violated our custody agreement. She will use her judges to take Lily away entirely.""
""Eleanor has no judges left,"" Damian replied, wrapping his hands around the warm mug. ""I removed her from the estate yesterday. I am liquidating her holding entity on Monday.""
Clara stared at him, stunned. ""She is your mother, Damian. The entire board is built on her social alliances.""
""She poisoned our home, Clara. She told our daughter that love had a price tag, and that people who don't carry bloodlines are disposable."" Damian leaned forward, his voice steady but raw with regret. ""I spent three years hiding behind contracts, thinking I was keeping you safe by fighting her within the rules. I was a coward. I let her dictate the terms of our lives because I thought preserving the family name would protect Lily’s future.""
Clara shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. ""I didn't care about the name, Damian! I never cared about the Sterling name! I cared about you. I cared about our baby. When Eleanor threatened to drag my sick father through public fraud hearings over fabricated charity records, I ran because I couldn't bear to see this family destroyed. And what did it cost us? Three years of her childhood.""
May you like
""I know,"" Damian whispered. ""And I can never give those years back. But I can give you the rest of them.""
""It isn't that simple,"" Clara said, looking toward the sleeping girl. ""You have a corporate war to fight. And I have built a life here that doesn't include boardrooms, backstabbing, or marble mausoleums.""
