85 An Unexpected Agreement
Damien studied her face for a long moment. “And what do I get in return?”
Damien leaned against the dresser, crossing his arms. “That was before either of us was born, Elara.”
“For three generations, they’ve taken what they wanted from my family and then treated us like dirt,” Elara’s voice cracked slightly. “And now Oliver Dubois is deliberately moving across from my uncle’s home, where my mother stays. It’s a calculated move to torment her.”
Elara sank down onto the edge of the bed, her mind racing. In all their years of marriage, Damien had never agreed to anything involving the Dubois family without a fight. Yet today, he had simply said “okay” as if her request were nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
Elara took a deep breath. “It’s about Vivienne’s uncle.”
“Okay,” Damien interrupted calmly.
And somehow, that was more unsettling than any argument they could have had.
“Why?” she finally managed to ask.
The mention of Vivienne’s nickname made Elara’s smile falter, but she quickly recovered. “That’s wonderful, darling.”
The question hung in the air between them. Elara hesitated, then squared her shoulders. “Anything.”
Damien uncrossed his arms and stepped closer. “What exactly are you asking me to
do?”
Relief washed over Elara, so powerful she felt slightly light–headed. “My mother will be grateful.”
Once Cora was out of earshot, Damien turned to Vivienne. “Would you give us a
moment?”
Vivienne’s perfectly shaped eyebrows rose slightly. “Of course,” she said, her tone pleasant but her eyes cold as they swept over Elara. “I’ll be in the living room if you
14:53
1/5
85 An Unexpected Agreement
need me.”
A flash of something–perhaps understanding–crossed Damien’s face, but it vanished- quickly.
“I’ve been calling,” Elara replied evenly. “We need to discuss an urgent matter.”
“You offered ‘anything,“” Damien reminded her with a slight shrug. “I’ll let know
you
what that means when I decide.”
After Vivienne’s departure, Damien gestured toward the doorway. “Let’s talk in our–in
the bedroom.”
Damien’s eyes flickered briefly to Cora, who was still chattering about her day at the aquarium, oblivious to the tension between the adults.
“Elara,” Damien acknowledged with a slight nod. “I didn’t expect you today.”
Why had he agreed so readily? What did he mean by saying he wasn’t doing it for her mother? And most puzzling of all, why did his eyes hold that brief flash of… something… when he looked at her?
“And this concerns me how exactly?” Damien asked, his tone maddeningly calm.
Damien closed the door behind them and turned to face her. “What’s this urgent matter you’ve been calling about?”
“Mrs. Gable,” Damien called out to the housekeeper who was passing by the study. “Could you please take Cora for her bath? It’s getting late.”
Elara stopped mid–sentence, certain she had misheard. “What?”
“But Dad!” Cora protested. “Mom just got here!”
“Thank you,” she said softly.
“Just like that.”
“Hello, sweetheart,” Elara said, bending down to kiss the top of Cora’s head. The familiar scent of her daughter’s strawberry shampoo brought an unexpected lump to
her throat.
Elara turned just in time to catch her daughter as she launched herself forward, small arms wrapping tightly around her waist. The force of Cora’s enthusiasm nearly
14:63
85 An Unexpected Agreement
knocked her backward.
“Oliver Dubois?” Damien’s expression remained impassive.
“But…” Elara stammered, thrown completely off balance by his easy capitulation. “Don’t you want something in return?”
Damien remained silent, watching her with those calculating eyes.
A ghost of a smile touched Damien’s lips at her assessment of his power. “And what if I don’t want to interfere?”
Cora’s lower lip jutted out in a familiar pout, but she nodded reluctantly. “Promise?”
“We went to the aquarium! They had this huge octopus that changed colors right in front of us!” Cora’s words tumbled out in a breathless rush. “And we saw sharks being fed and touched starfish and-”
“Yes. He’s purchased the villa directly opposite my uncle Victor’s home–where my mother stays when she’s in town.”
“I said okay,” Damien repeated, his expression neutral. “I’ll handle it.”
“I’m not doing this for your mother,” Damien said, his eyes meeting hers with an intensity that made her breath catch. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the moment passed. “You should stay the night. Cora would be disappointed if you left.”
“My grandmother Clara helped Dorothy Shaw when her family lost everything,” Elara continued, her voice growing more passionate. “She gave them money, connections, opportunities. And how did they repay her? By stabbing her in the back at every turn.”
Something had changed, but Elara couldn’t determine what. All she knew was that for the first time in years, Damien Thorne had given her exactly what she wanted without making her beg for it.
It wasn’t enough. Not by a long shot. But Elara knew better than to press for answers Damien wasn’t willing to give.
Footsteps approached the study. Elara looked up to see Damien standing in the doorway, his expression unreadable as always. Behind him, Vivienne hovered with a carefully composed smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
Elara felt her frustration rising. “You know perfectly well what this means. The Dubois
14:53
3/5
85 An Unexpected Agreement
and Shaw families have been tormenting mine for decades. This isn’t a coincidence.”
“Within reason,” Elara amended quickly. “I just need you to make them choose another- property. There are plenty of other villas in this city. They don’t need to be right across from my family unless they’re deliberately trying to-”
“It didn’t stop there,” Elara insisted. “Lilian Shaw–Vivienne’s mother–did the same to my mother. Miranda helped her get established in business, introduced her to influential people. And Lilian repaid her with mockery and condescension.”
Damien paused with his hand on the doorknob. “I’ll make the necessary calls tomorrow morning. Oliver Dubois will receive an offer for the property that he won’t be able to refuse. By this time next week, he’ll be looking elsewhere.”
“Promise,” Elara confirmed, giving her daughter one more quick hug before Mrs. Gable led her away.
Before Elara could respond, Damien opened the door and walked out, leaving her alone with questions she couldn’t begin to articulate.
Elara stared at him, trying to decipher his motives. This wasn’t the negotiation she had expected. She had prepared arguments, counterarguments, even potential compromises. But Damien’s immediate agreement left her speechless.
“It’s alright, sweetie,” Elara said gently, disengaging from Cora’s embrace. “Your father and I need to talk about some grown–up things. I’ll come say goodnight before you go to sleep.”
“It was the best day ever! And yesterday we went to the park and had ice cream and Vivi taught me how to skip rocks on the pond!”
The slip didn’t escape Elara’s notice, but she said nothing as she followed him up the stairs to the master suite. The room felt different now–a neutral territory rather than their shared space.
“Does it matter?” Damien countered, moving toward the door. “You asked for help. I agreed to help. Isn’t that enough?”
“Anything?” Damien repeated, his eyebrow lifting slightly.
“Mom! Mom!” Cora’s excited voice echoed through the study doorway seconds before she burst into the room.
14:53
4/5
85 An Unexpected Agreement
“Make them sell the property,” Elara said firmly. “I know you have the influence. You’re Damien Thorne. Nobody in this city refuses you anything.”
Elara blinked in confusion. “Just like that?”
“Sounds like you had quite an adventure,” Elara smiled, absorbing her daughter’s excitement while her eyes darted to the doorway, anticipating Damien’s arrival.
“Please,” Elara said, hating the note of desperation in her voice but unable to suppress it. “I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important. My mother has been through enough. This will destroy her peace of mind.”
Comment 0
0
Leave the first comment for this chapter.
Send Gift
Swipe left to continue >
