Chapter Thirty Five

The church fell into a stunned silence as Colonel Frederick made his abrupt departure, leaving Samara, Damien, and the bewildered guests grappling with the sudden turn of events. Samara's heart raced with a whirlwind of emotions - relief at seeing Frederick alive, guilt for moving on, and confusion about what to do next. Damien, his face a mask of shock and hurt, watched as Samara followed Frederick out of the church, his own heart heavy with disappointment and disbelief.

“Samara..?" He calls her, stopping her in her strides.

She turns to look at him. “That's my husband, Damien..."

“Just like that?" he questioned, obviously hurt by the turn around of event.

Samara's eyes softened at the sight of the pain in Damien's face, but her resolve did not waver. She placed a gentle hand on his arm, her voice quivering with emotion.

"Damien, you have been nothing but kind and loving to me, and I will always cherish the time we had together," she said. "But Frederick... he's my husband. He's a pa