Bound by One Night

The small park in Millstone was quiet at midday. Aria walked slowly down a familiar path with Damien at her side, her heart pounding as they neared the bench by the duck pond – the spot where her father asked to meet.

She spotted him before they reached the clearing. Her father rose from the bench, shoulders stooped and hair more gray than she remembered, his face lined with remorse.

He wrung his hands as they approached. "Aria," he breathed, voice thick with emotion.

Aria released Damien's arm and stepped forward. "Dad."

For a beat, they simply looked at each other. Damien hovered just behind her shoulder, a solid reassurance. Aria drew strength from that and broke the taut silence. "I got your letter."

He nodded, guilt in his eyes. "I heard about your engagement. Then reporters started calling… I realized staying silent might be hurting you instead of protecting you."

Aria's fingers curled at her sides. "You thought not contacting me was protecting me?"

His gaze dropped. "After everything…I thought you were better off without me. I'd already ruined so much. I didn't want to ruin your fresh start too."

She bit her lip, anger and hurt warring within her. "You should have told me," she whispered. "I had to hear about it from strangers. Then when you got out, you disappeared. I was so alone."

Her father's eyes filled with tears. He stepped forward – hesitating when Damien subtly tensed. Aria gave Damien a small nod; it was alright. Damien held back, watchful but giving them space.

Her father gently rested trembling hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry," he choked out. "For everything. I can't change the past, but I can tell the truth now. If the press want a story, I'll give it to them – that I alone am to blame, and you did nothing wrong."

Aria closed her eyes as tears slipped free. This man was so different from the confident father she once idolized, yet finally he was giving her what she needed: an admission, an offer of protection. "Dad..." Her voice broke, and she stepped into his arms.

He hugged her tightly at once, his embrace familiar despite the years. "I missed you, pumpkin," he whispered into her hair, using the old nickname that made Aria sob softly against his shoulder.

"I missed you too, Dad," she managed, clutching his coat.

They clung to each other, making up for lost years in that embrace. Decades of tension uncoiled inside Aria. Her father's mistakes had hurt her, yes – but in his arms now, she realized how much she'd missed him.

Eventually, Aria drew back, wiping her cheeks. She became aware of Damien, patient and protective a short distance away. She extended her hand toward him in invitation.

Damien moved to her side, his warm hand enveloping hers. Her father looked between them, wiping his eyes. "You must be Damien," he said, attempting a smile.

"I am," Damien replied politely, placing a supportive hand at Aria's back.

Her father studied the tall, steadfast man at his daughter's side and nodded. "Thank you for taking care of my girl."

Damien's grip on Aria's waist tightened slightly. "Sir, whatever comes out in the media, I'll protect Aria and Noah. They're my family now."

Her father's eyes brimmed anew as he nodded. "That's more comfort than I deserve, but I'm grateful she has you."

They all sat on the bench together – Aria between the two men in her life. Haltingly, her father filled in blanks of the past. He confessed he'd started embezzling money when her mother fell ill, desperate to pay medical bills, and that grief and debt later drove him to poor decisions he regretted deeply. He told her he'd kept track of her from afar, how proud he was of the life she'd built and the tears he shed upon learning he had a grandson.

Aria quietly shared pieces of her journey – raising Noah alone, struggling and surviving on her own terms. The conversation was painful at times, but each minute lifted a bit of Aria's burden. The little girl inside her who had yearned for answers was finally being heard.

Eventually, her father sighed and glanced at his watch. "The press will have a field day soon. I should give a statement."

Damien nodded. "I can have our family's media attorney present when you speak to them. They'll ensure your words aren't twisted."

Her father looked surprised by the kindness, then grateful. "I'd appreciate that."

They stood and walked slowly back toward the park entrance. At the gate, two of Damien's security personnel discreetly waited to escort her father to the journalists gathered beyond.

Her father turned to Aria once more, guilt and hope in his eyes. "I have no right to ask, but...maybe one day you could forgive me."

Aria met his pleading gaze. Anger and hurt still lingered, but she wanted to try. "Maybe one day," she whispered. "I'd like you to know your grandson... if you promise no more lies."

Thomas pressed a contrite kiss to her knuckles. "I promise. No more lies."

She managed a small smile through her tears. They embraced again tightly. Then her father extended a hand to Damien. The two men shook firmly. "Take care of my girl."

"Always," Damien vowed.

With a final grateful look, her father left with the security detail to face the waiting reporters.

Aria watched him go, heart swirling with sorrow for lost years and relief at finally confronting the past. A cool breeze stirred; she realized she was trembling.

Damien slid an arm around her, drawing her into his warmth. "You alright?" he murmured.

Aria leaned into him. "I will be," she said – and for the first time in a long while, she truly believed it.

They slowly started toward the car where their driver waited. Aria wrapped her arm around Damien's waist, and he pressed a kiss to her hair. "I'm proud of you," he whispered.

She looked up questioningly.

"For facing this, and for letting me face it with you," he clarified, grey eyes soft. "You're... incredible."

Her cheeks warmed and she smiled, small but genuine. "Having you with me made it easier."

He chuckled self-deprecatingly. "I didn't do much."

"You did," she insisted, stopping under an oak's shade. She cupped his cheek, heart brimming with gratitude and affection. "You do more for me than you realize."

His grey eyes softened. "Is that so?"

"You've given me strength and a family. You and Noah mean the world to me."

Emotion flashed across Damien's face – tenderness and joy. He turned his head and pressed a kiss to her palm. "We're not going anywhere," he vowed softly.

Aria's heart soared. Rising onto her toes, she closed the remaining inches and pressed her lips to his. Damien responded immediately, one arm gathering her close. This kiss was gentle and unhurried, born not of desperation but of understanding and promise. For a few seconds, the world fell away.

They parted slowly, foreheads resting together as they shared tender smiles. Damien nuzzled her nose playfully, coaxing a soft laugh from Aria.

"I love you," he murmured, the words a quiet pledge.

Joy unfurled in Aria's chest, chasing away lingering pain. "I love you too," she whispered, eyes shining.

Damien's smile broke wide and boyish. He cupped her face in his hands. "We should get back. Noah's waiting," he said gently.

Aria nodded. Noah – the bond that first brought them together, and the heart of the family they were becoming. She laced her fingers through Damien's as they resumed walking to the car. "Let's go home," she said softly.

"Home," Damien echoed with contentment.

As they neared the car, a couple of reporters lingering by the park gates snapped photos and shouted questions. "Miss Lancaster! Is it true about your father? About your past?"

Aria tensed, but Damien gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. He shielded her from the cameras and settled beside her in the car. As the vehicle pulled away, leaving the frantic voices behind, Aria released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

The fear that had haunted her – of her past destroying her future – had lost much of its power. The truth was coming out and there would be challenges, yes. But she wasn't facing them alone. She had Damien, she had Noah, and even her father back in her life trying to make amends.

Aria rested her head on Damien's shoulder, and he pressed a kiss to her hair. Whatever the world threw at them next, they would face it together. She closed her eyes, basking in the comfort of his embrace. The road ahead might twist and turn, but for the first time in years, Aria felt certain that everything would be alright.

She had love. She had family. At long last, she had hope.