The Price of Innocence

oor-to-ceiling window, seeing his own reflection-a man who possessed everything yet felt empty inside. The skyline sparkled like a precious gem, but to Damian, it resembled a beautiful pris

s unique, but by the end of the night, he had caught her texting someone else, her message overflowing with falsehoods. "Just finishing up with Damian. He's so dull. See you at the club?" Damian's jaw tightened as he snatched up

angled hair, he fell into the leather couch. His thoughts drifted back to the women who had preceded Vanessa-Sophia, the socialite who had embezzled millions from hi

ng this way, amidst individuals who were solely interested in his money, his influence, his

e all of his past relations

cial statements. But the figures were distant from his mind. He kept thinking a

had taken from him. He had trusted her utterly, only to find out she had been pilfering money from his accounts for months. Then there was Isabella, her l

ing stone-another beautiful fantasy shattered by the weight of cold ambition. He should have anticipated this.

n remorse-or perhaps just the fading remnants of a fire she no longer wished to f

er voice a mere shadow of the warmth it once posses

of her words settle heavily in his hea

forever would arrive a

fall. "If I remain, I'll lose myself. And you... you dese

entment to rise, etch her name into the same space where al

one last lingering glance, she turned and walked away,

rrounded by people who only cared about what they could extract from him. He needed to escape, to discover

s village in search of a wi

when he was a young man with grand aspirations. It was simple, untainted by the city's corruption. Perhaps t

steady and resolute. "Cancel all my meetin

quired, her tone profes

e answere

e skyscrapers transitioned to open fields and gentle hills. The farther he traveled from the urban landscape, the lighter he

n exiting his car, he filled his lungs with the familiar aroma of earth and greenery. Children dashed by, th

hadn't experienced in many years. This was the beginning. This was where he would