Chapter 2
I set my phone aside and went back to work.
An hour passed-no messages.
Two hours-still nothing.
As the third hour drew to a close, the lock clicked.
Damian was back, holding a Postmates bag from Denny’s.
He moved carefully as he changed his shoes at the door, as if afraid of waking me. “Evelyn, are you asleep?”
I lifted my head from the couch.
“No. Working.”
He walked over and set the food on the coffee table. “I got you a late-night snack-your favorite mozzarella sticks and
chicken tenders with honey mustard.”
I didn’t move.
Damian seemed to realize something, his expression turning regretful. “Are you jealous? That necklace-I just asked Serena to try it on. Nothing more. I had no idea Amber would take a photo with her, let alone that you’d see it.”
I cut him off impatiently. “Where’s Amber’s apology?”
Damian sat across from me, looking weary. “Evelyn, Amber was wrong. I already scolded her.”
“Scolded her?” I stared at him. “I want a public apology.”
“She’s still young. A public apology would hurt her reputation too much.” He reached for my hand, but I pulled away.
“Besides, making this a big deal won’t benefit anyone. People online don’t know the truth. If someone with ill intentions
twists it, it’ll only damage your image too.”
Finally, I understood.
He never intended to make Amber apologize.
He came back to convince me to let it go.
“Damian, do you know why I gave you an ultimatum?”
He froze.
“Because I wanted to see who matters more to you-me or your sister. Now I know.” I stood up, ready to retreat to the bedroom.
Damian hurried after me. “Evelyn, Serena’s been going through some difficulties lately. Her company wants her to take on endorsements to pull through.”
I stopped. “And?”
“I was thinking… since you’re already Mrs. Grayson-you’ve got the name, the status, the whole package-maybe this L&W deal doesn’t really matter to you?”
Chapter 2
His voice was soft, tentative. “But for Serena, it could be a turning point in her career.”
L&W was a company I’d founded privately.
Frugal by nature, I hadn’t wanted to collaborate with celebrities.
No one knew I was a shareholder-only that I, an unknown model, was set to endorse a high-end jewelry brand.
I turned to face him. “So you’re saying… I should hand the L&W endorsement to Serena?”
“Not ‘hand over,’ just…” He searched for the right words. “Do me this favor. Consider it a way to make amends to her.”
“Amends?” I laughed. “What exactly do I owe her?”
“Evelyn, you know about my past with Serena. When we broke up, I did owe her a lot.” He reached for my hand again. “Now that I’m in a position to help, it would finally give me closure.”
I withdrew my hand. “give me closure? Damian, was that part of your wedding vows?”
A flicker of discomfort crossed his face. “Evelyn, don’t be like this. We’re married. We should understand each other.”
“Understand each other? Understand what? That ‘understanding’ means handing over what belongs to your wife to your ex-girlfriend?”
