The Day I Walked Away My Empire Began novel Chapter 160

When business was at its lowest, she was the one who rallied hundreds of loyal men and brought the Heath family back from the brink.

When he was being hunted, surrounded by enemies on all sides, she was the one who cleared every obstacle in his path. All the dirty work, the shady deals, the things that could never see the light of day—she handled it herself, never letting him get his hands dirty.

But what really haunted him was that night.

He’d been set up, lured onto a ship in international waters under the guise of a business meeting. The dozen bodyguards he brought were slaughtered. He barely survived, left bloodied and broken.

She threw herself in front of him, shielding him with her own body. She took thirty knife wounds all for him. He saw it with his own eyes: the blade slashed from her brow down to her chest, her fingers severed. She collapsed on top of him, her body torn apart.

In that moment, he swore to himself: If I make it out of this alive, I’ll never betray her. No matter what the world throws at me, I’ll never let her down.

“Bria, I’m sorry. I lost my temper just now,” he said quietly.

Bria’s tears finally broke free, raw and silent. “Steven, I don’t blame you. Even if you’ve stopped loving me, I can’t blame you for that.

“Look at me now. I’m a mess—I’m not worthy of you anymore. You deserve someone like Ms. Anderson. She’s beautiful and accomplished, everything I’m not.

“Just go. From now on, let’s pretend we never knew each other. Let’s cut all ties.”

Steven’s chest twisted with guilt and pain. “Bria, please, don’t say that. You know I could never betray you. I can’t love anyone else. You’re the only woman for me. I swear, even if it kills me, I’ll never let you down.”

Bria shook her head, sobbing harder into the sheets. “Just stop... please don’t say any more...”

She knew, deep down, that his love for her had changed.

Eight years. How many people could truly survive that kind of test? She was older now, her beauty faded. He was in his prime, at the height of his charm.

If she’d never woken up, maybe she would’ve always been his untouchable first love. But fate didn’t let her slip away quietly.

“Bria, I’m so sorry. Please, don’t cry. Seeing you like this hurts me even more.”

“I’ll divorce Lucie as soon as I can. The moment it’s over, I’ll marry you. I promise. But she’s innocent in all this. We’ll just pretend she doesn’t exist. There’s no need to hurt her.”

Bria just kept crying, silent and stubborn.

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