Dirty Little Secret (GxG)

SEASON 2, CHAPTER 33

Dria's POV

Sandra's voice cut through the comfortable silence, and I felt the weight of her words settle into the room, bringing with it a sudden tension.

"What brings you here so late, Dria?" Her tone was soft but steady, with just a hint of caution. She looked at me expectantly, waiting for my answer.

My mouth opened, but nothing came out. Should I tell her? Should I confess that I missed her, that she'd been occupying my thoughts every day since the night I'd coldly shut her out? I had rehearsed this in my head a thousand times, thought through every word, but now, sitting across from her, it felt impossible. How could I explain that cutting her out had been a choice I regretted every single day? How could I ask if we could start over when I'd been the one to push her away?

Just as I was about to speak, Sandra's voice interrupted my jumbled thoughts. "I'm stepping down as the President of D Empire," she said, her gaze drifting away, her voice holding an unexpected resolve. "I've decided to leave the CEO life and start anew."

The words felt like a punch to the chest. I couldn't respond, couldn't even process it for a moment. Her words echoed around me, and I realized that this was something more final than anything I'd ever imagined.

Sandra stepping down? Leaving D Empire? The very idea seemed unreal. D Empire had been her life, her identity, as much as law had been mine. I struggled to breathe, my chest tightening as if her words had taken all the air out of the room.

A subtle, warm touch against my cheek brought me back to the moment, and I realized with a shock that my face was wet. I was crying. I hadn't even noticed.

"Dria?" Sandra's voice was filled with concern, her brow furrowed as she leaned in, studying me with a mixture of confusion and worry. "Why... why are you crying?"

I shook my head, unable to speak, unable to answer. Because what could I say? That the thought of her leaving, truly leaving, broke me in ways I hadn't even understood until now? That I was terrified this meant she was really letting go of me, that there would be no more chances, no more moments stolen in the silence?

She reached out, brushing her thumb across my cheek, wiping away the tears that I couldn't seem to stop. Her touch was gentle, grounding me even as my heart ached with a pain I hadn't anticipated. Her eyes softened, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of the old Sandra—the woman who had once held my heart with such fierce intensity, with a love that had never wavered.

But I didn't answer her question. I couldn't. Instead, I managed to whisper, "I'm sorry," my voice barely audible, the words choking in my throat. "I should go."

I stood, feeling the weight of everything unsaid pressing down on me, threatening to spill over if I stayed a moment longer. I couldn't bear to stay, couldn't bear to face the reality that I'd let slip through my fingers, to realize that she was moving on without me.

But as I turned toward the door, Sandra's hand caught mine, her grip firm but gentle. "Dria, wait. It's late, and you're... you're not in any state to drive." She took a deep breath, her gaze steady and unyielding. "Stay here tonight."

"Sandra, I can take care of myself," I replied, my voice sharper than I intended, frustration and heartache mingling into something too raw to control.

She didn't let go, didn't even flinch. Her eyes remained steady, filled with a determination that matched her usual, stubborn self. "You've had a lot to drink, and I don't want you driving out there. Please, Dria. Just... stay."

There was a finality to her words that I couldn't fight, no matter how much I wanted to resist, no matter how much I wanted to avoid spending another minute here, in her home, surrounded by memories that tore at me from every corner