Chapter 114: Chapter 114

As Madison’s lips merged with Damien’s, stray tears flowed down her cheeks, but she didn’t stop kissing him.

Hell, she couldn’t stop! She’d been waiting her whole life for this moment.

They'd kissed a few days back... She'd felt his lips on hers when they'd let their carnal instincts take over during their angry spat and the argument that had brewed but remained unconnected that day... Today's kiss was unique.

It was unique, and she enjoyed it. She yearned for it. She cherished it and had even started it.

Madison could only sigh in pleasure and happiness as Damien wrapped his bandaged hands around her softly, his grip tightening as the kiss deepened.

Damn! He made her complete. He filled her. She was one and whole with him.

Just like when they’d been young, carefree, and just in love, this moment felt like it, and she didn’t want it to end.

With all the weight and burden from her shoulders lifting, her body relaxed into him. Her soul sang along with his, and she gave a soft, muffled sigh.

She felt him run his tongue over hers, and before she could reciprocate, he pulled away from the kiss, leaving her lingering, eyes opening and pleading for more.

“Oh, Maddie… my Maddie.” He whispered, his forehead touching hers as he lifted his right palm, brushing a stray tear away from her cheeks.

“Stop crying. It hurts right here….” He trailed, taking her right hand and placing it on his chest before continuing, “My heart hurts. That place hurts so badly whenever you cry. I can’t bear it.”

“I… I can’t stop and….” She broke off with a whimper, tears spilling down her face as she cried heavily.

Why couldn’t she just put a damn leash on herself? She was so fragile, quick to hurt, ever so sensitive, and she hated it so much.

“Please, Maddie. Please… I’m fine now, okay? Just stop crying and tell me how you’re doing. Has the doctor attended to you too, and hope you don’t…”

“I’m fine, Damien.” She interjected curtly, her lips quivering as she tried to gather herself together.

She pulled back from him, creating space between them, and she wiped her face clean with the back of her palm.

Her head bowed as she tried to begin her speech; she looked back up at him after some seconds of terse silence, and then she said, “I’m so sorry, Damien. So sorry for not giving you a chance. So sorry for being so harsh and refusing to listen to anything you wanted to say. I’m sorry for saying I would never forgive you, and I’m sorry for trying to leave too…”

“No! No!” Damien growled, making her pause in confusion as she gazed intently at him.

Her brows furrowed, and she asked, “Why? What? I… I need to apologize to you. I… I caused this. I mean, if I’d given you a chance, maybe I would not have been kidnapped, and you wouldn’t have to get yourself in this life-threatening situation. It was because of me and… and….” She trailed off again for the umpteenth time, “Every night while you breathed with that oxygen mask, your eyes shut tight, and your body still, I kept praying to God to please grant you a chance. I mean… I… fuck! I would never have gotten myself if you’d just gone without me forgiving you. Suppose I’d carried that guilt with me while you laid six feet under, damn Damien! I just…”

“It’s okay, Madison.”

“No, I have to continue. I have to say this to free myself from this guilt.”

“Madison…” Damien trailed off, but she didn’t stop talking, and with a defiant tone, sniffing as more tears threatened to fall down her cheeks, she said out loud, “I’ve forgiven you, Damien, and I hold no grudge against you.”

Damien’s jaw dropped as she said this, but she didn’t stop talking.

She continued her speech, telling him all she’d planned to say, and her heart fluttered freely.

…….

“Tell me you’ve forgiven me truly, Madison.“

The smile that lit up her face when he said this had Damien’s chest tightening in so much awe.

Fuck! He loved her so much, and he still couldn’t believe they were finally reconciling after all these years.

It felt so surreal and strange, but it was real.

After a decade, years that felt like an eternity, he finally had Madison Connor back.

His first love and the woman who had stolen his heart. They'd been together through thick and thin, despite everything he'd done to her and everything they'd been through.

Nothing could ever break this bond! Not now, not anytime soon, and this reconciliation would last until death did them part.

Oh, how he wished he could get out of bed, make the necessary arrangements, and marry her right away… He knew they had to take things slowly, but he couldn't wait.

He couldn’t wait to make her his for life.

This time, with no obstacles or humans standing in their way ever again. Damien just…

“I’ve forgiven you, Damien. I’m serious. I take back every harsh word I said, and now I want us to live in peace.”

His heart lifted again, and he felt some uncanny joy, one he’d never felt in years,

This was the kind of joy and happiness she brought to his soul. This was what he loved her for, and he would cherish it till the end of time.

Still staring at her lovingly, refusing even to look away, Damien allowed the brief silence to cloud and overshadow them.

“Damien…”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you, Maddie.” He interrupted, squeezing her hands gently as he dropped the heated question he’d been hoarding for some time now. “How are things between you and your parents? They came to visit, and they seemed rather happy with themselves and me. I couldn’t help but wonder if….”

“Whatever you’re wondering, Damien….” Madison cut him off in response as she continued, “Well, it might just be true. You want to know if I’ve reconciled with them, right?” She asked, and Damien tersely nodded, his eyes boring deep into her.

“Well, yes, I did reconcile with them. There are still many more patches I have to do with them, my father most especially, but it’s okay. We’re getting along fine now, and that’s all that matters.”

Squeezing her hands gently, Damien smiled and inquired again, “What about your brothers? Mason and Micheal.”

“They’re good. We’ve reconciled, and we’ve all decided to bury the past behind us. It wasn’t easy for me to forget all they did, how they abandoned me and….” She paused softly, a sigh escaping her lips before she continued, “But well, my heart is big enough to let them in. I think everything that happened was for the best too. I mean, if I hadn’t been abducted and you… I mean, all these wouldn’t have happened at all if those unfortunate incidents didn’t take place. I feel warm and happy now, and that’s just all I want….”

She continued talking, and Damien continued listening, his eyes watering at her emotional speech.

Madison was one strong woman, if not the strongest he knew. Even after all she’s been through. Sometimes he wanted to tell her that he didn’t deserve her and that she should forgive him and go her separate way, but he was so darn selfish.

So selfish that he couldn’t let her go, even if that would make peace reign. Even if she wanted to leave, Lord knows he wasn’t letting her go.

Never! She belonged to him, and they’d been destined since childhood.

It took some time before Madison stopped talking, and Damien just stared at her with a sad smile.

His right hand palming her cheeks, he stroked the soft skin gently, and she nestled her face deeper into his hands.

His heart warmed as he stared at her, and then and there, Damien realized that Madison was the most prized possession he’d ever acquired all his life.

All these years, he’d worked hard, become a billionaire, and gotten all the luxuries in the world, but he had never felt this happy.

Madison was like his drug and antidote mixed, and if he mistakenly let go, just like he did ten years back, he was bound to be doomed, and he couldn’t afford that at all.

“Damien…” His name escaped her lips, and he hummed in response and asked, “Yes, what is it?”

From the depths of her eyes, he could see that she wanted to ask him something important, and he was more than available to answer.

“I… I know this is not the right time to ask, but what about Katherine? Your lawyer and private investigator came to greet you, and I saw you discussing with them. I…”

“We weren’t talking about Katherine, Madison.” He interjected, his voice stern, and he continued, “I don’t want to talk about that lady now, okay? Her name only gives me chills and sends hatred coursing towards me. I can’t have her also ruining this perfect moment. So please don’t ask about her again. I’ll deal with her, but I need to deal with us first.”

“Oh, okay.” She paused, “I won’t talk about her. I respect your decision.”

“Good, that’s my girl.” He mumbled, stroking her cheeks while she blushed profusely.

“You never changed, Maddie….” He began to say after a while, “You’re still beautiful, and your smile lights up the whole place just like old times. You never changed; you’re still like the little girl I knew, the woman I fell in love with.”

Continuing to shower her praises, she blushed profusely, and Damien's chest swelled with pride watching her smile, giggling at the same time.

As they talked, he noted just how free and happy she was, and he felt proud that he made her smile this way.

Never in his life would he have imagined this moment or every single thing that’d happened these past few days, but well, it was all for the best.

“Hello, lovebirds.” A familiar voice singsonged, and looking up, his hands on Madison’s cheeks falling, Damien almost let out a curse when he saw Alvarez waltz in alongside his mother, who followed closely behind.

“Shit, man!” He cursed out loud, a hiss escaping his lips as he saw Madison scramble to get up from the bed and act all carefree like they’d just not shared some intimate moments earlier.

“Son, how are you doing? What did the doctor say?” His mother asked, embracing him gently as she proceeded to sit beside him on the bed, replacing Madison and Damien, all but rolling his eyes.

Why did they have to choose this time to come?

He stared up at Alvarez, who was now talking to Madison, and the second their eyes locked, his best friend shot him a smug look, clearly indicating that they’d interrupted on purpose.

“Son…” His mother called out again, her hands on his bandaged shoulders and dragging his gaze from Alvarez; he replied, “I’m fine, mother. Doing much better, and the doctor had only good things to say about my condition. It’s a miracle I’m alive. He keeps saying that, but he barely knows that I fought an internal battle within myself to come out of this alive because of that woman standing right there….”

Trailing off, he pointed at Madison, whose eyes widened as another bite set of blushes filled her cheeks, and Damien returned the shy smile she had on her face.

“Oh, son… I know, right, and I’m so glad you made it.” His mother said after some time, a genuine smile on her face, and bringing his hands to her face, she began to kiss his knuckles while he stared right back at Madison.

His gaze never letting go; he communicated with her through his eyes.

Professing his undying love for her and apologizing repeatedly, he mouthed after a while, grinning, “I fucking love you, Madison Connor, and I’m never letting you go. Never again!”