She was still shocked. She tucked her hair behind her ear and stared at Andrew for a few seconds before she looked at me again. “I…don’t know what to say. I guess I’m just surprised that you made that decision. I know how important your work is to you.”
It used to be the most important thing in the world. But now it seemed like a reckless choice, a risk too great when I had something so valuable at home. Now that my heart had been fixed, I didn’t need the job anymore. Everything I needed was here. “I love you.” I looked into her gaze and watched the shock quickly turn into joy. “So don’t be surprised.”
I entered the factory and moved down to the basement floor, where all the equipment was set up. Clouds of steam rose to the ceiling and were carried outside through the pipes. There were two cooks making the crystal, while other men boxed the product and prepared to ship it.
Damien was there, watching everyone to make sure their jobs were done right. He may have screwed up with me, but he was a good boss. He instilled fear into the men, along with a healthy dosage of inspiration. He watched the containers being placed on the pallet so they could be taken to the surface in the industrial elevator.
I came up behind him. “You got a minute?”
Damien looked at me over his shoulder, his arms crossed over his chest. “I’ve got shit to do. I never have a minute.”
My eyes narrowed in annoyance. “It’s important.”
He rolled his eyes. “Everything in this business is important.” He walked off to the office on the other side of the room. It had been overtaken by Maddox at one point, but now it was ours again. He walked inside first and stood in front of the desk.
I followed him, and it was hard not to imagine Maddox sitting there with his feet on the desk. He’d been gone for months, but his ghost continued to haunt me. I didn’t have nightmares, but he was on my mind often.
Damien leaned against the desk with his arms across his chest. In a black t-shirt and jeans, he was fit and strong, and with that attitude, he could be quite the adversary. “This isn’t a date, so we don’t have all night.”
“Fine. I’ll just get to the point.”
Damien stared at me, his eyes guarded but also full of interest.
“The business is yours. I’m bowing out.”
He cocked one eyebrow before he straightened. “Huh?”
I knew he wouldn’t be happy about this, so it would be a long conversation. “I’m not doing this anymore. It’s time for me to move on.”
With Damien’s temperament, he would probably throw a fit and lash out. We’d been doing this together for years, and doing it on his own would mean he’d have to do all the work himself. Having a partner you could rely on was crucial to success. “If you’re gonna have a wife and kid, I guess that’s smart.”
Now it was my turn to be surprised.
“Your family deserves to be safe. Sofia deserves the quiet life she always wanted.”
I could hardly believe what he was saying.
“Hades, you know I don’t need you. I can do all this shit on my own in my sleep. But the reason we were partners was because we were friends. But that isn’t true anymore, so there’s not much point.”
His harsh response made me feel a little dead inside.
“What about the bank? I can handle that too if you want to leave.”
“No. The bank is fine. If I don’t work, I’ll lose my mind.”
Damien dropped his arms to his sides and stared at me for a long time. His expression was vivid, but his thoughts were concealed. There was a slight shift in his eyes as he took in my appearance.
“That was easier than I thought it would be.”
“You overestimate your value.” His tone was sarcastic but also slightly playful.
Damien and I didn’t interact at the bank often, so our time together would be diminished significantly. We’d set out to start this business when we left university, believing we would be friends forever. But now we were going our separate ways…permanently. “Good luck.” I headed to the door.
“So, that’s it?”
I stopped before I reached the door and slowly turned around.
“We’ve known each other for over ten years, and you’re walking away just like that?” Hurt was in his eyes…along with other things.
I stared at him. “What do you want me to say?”
After a full minute of silence, he shook his head slightly. “Nothing. A friendship like ours doesn’t deserve more than nothing. It deserves to be forgotten.” He took a step closer to me, his eyes filled with disappointment. “You don’t give a shit about me, and you never did.”
“Let’s not forget how this happened…”