Chapter 34
POV: “Damon”
The tapping of a pencil on a desk was irksome to most people, but to me, it was soothing. I stared
down at my drawing of the floor n, thinking deeply about the design. I nced at the old drawings I
had as references.
Floors made of peppermint and slides made of candy. It was near impossible to turn a child’s dream
house into a real, functional floor n, but I would make it work. She was more than worth it.
Adide’s tastes had changed from when she was seven after all.
A bay window here, a winding staircase there, a tower in the back for stargazing. These I could work
with. I imagined seeing her face taking it all in for the first time.
I smiled as I worked. The ns were almost finished. Years of work culminated in the piece that sat
before me.
My greatest masterpiece. And it was all for her.
Right as I put my pencil to paper once more, my phone buzzed, and the vibrating rattled my set of
tools.
I sighed, annoyed as I picked it up, answering the call.
“Steyn.” I said, coldly.
“Damon
It was a whisper-just barely audible-but I could hear the fear in the voice. A voice I recognized.
“Corinna?”
“Could youe over?” she asked, breathless through the phone. “I think someone is trying to break
in.”
I frowned. “You live in a secure apartmentplex, Corinna. Your father ensures that. Nobody can
break in.”
“I know,” Corinna sighed, “But it’s just… after my stalker… Please, Damon. I tried to call Ashton, but he
isn’t answering. I need your help. Please.”
I caught on immediately. I’d learned everything about Corinna, her voice said it all.
Despite her performance, I knew she was only trying to manipte me. For some reason, she wanted
me over at her ce.
She was too obvious. She always thought she was a better actress than she was.
This was about the pictures, the ones of me and Adide on the front cover of every magazine. We’d
overshadowed her wedding, and she was willing to do anything to get back at us for it.
I smirked, leaning back in my chair.
How predictable. She was always so easy to manipte, and she didn’t even realize it.
“Fine,” I said, coolly. “I’ll be over in a few minutes.”
“Oh, thank you so much, Damon. This means so much to me,” she said, acting like she was relieved.
“I’ll see you soon.”
I hung up, ncing down at my hand. The ring Adide had slid onto my finger was still there-still as
warm and heavy as
ever.
It was proof of our bond-our marriage. All we had left to do was take care of Ashton and Corinna.
wed,
I nced down at the floorns I had almost finished. Written at the top was ‘AD-Dream”
Once this was all over, our happy ending could begin.
“Damon!” Corinna cried as soon as she opened the door, throwing herself into my arms. I rolled my
eyes at her theatrics but put on a sympathetic face.
I had to make sure she thought I was there sincerely. Luckily, she was easy to manipte.
“Thank goodness you’re here,” she said and pulled back, her eyes shining as she smiled up at me. She
was wearing shorts and a baggy T-shirt and as she pressed her chest into mine. I felt her eyshes
fluttering.
“Let’s go inside,” I said, firmly, gently pushing her by the shoulders into the apartment. I didn’t want
anyone to catch sight of either of us but especially not together and embracing.
“I’m sorry for calling you over like this.” Corinna sat down on the couch, stretching out her bare legs.
“But I didn’t know who else to go to.”
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“It’s fine.” I said, sitting on the loveseat. Her mouth twisted a bit that I didn’t take the seat next to her,
but she went right back to smiling innocently,
“Adide won’t be mad at me, will she?” Corinna frowned, eyes wide in worry.
But I knew it was all fake. Everything she was doing was for show.
“She wasn’t home.”
“Really?” Corinna said, raising her eyebrows. “Then where is she?”
“Something came up, apparently,” I said, pretending to be irritated as I crossed my arms. A perfect
picture of a disgruntled husband who didn’t know where his wife had vanished to.
“I heard you two eloped,” Corinna sighed. “It’s such a shame you couldn’t have a proper wedding. I
know our families. would’ve been happier that way.”
“I don’t care,” I snorted, looking away as I leaned back into the seat casually.
“Oh?” She brushed a lock of hair behind her car, her lips curling into a smirk as she got up. She stalked
her way over to me, circling the chair like a shark after its prey. “But you two seemed so happy. Isn’t
your dream with Adide everything you wanted it to be?”
“That’s none of your business,” I snapped, ring at the wall.
“You’re right,” Corinna said easily as she leaned on the back of the chair, her arms going around my
neck as she pressed her lips to my ear. “I just want to help you. Like you helped me.”
It felt disgusting to have her hands on me, but I clenched my jaw tight and held still, pretending like I
was interested in what she offered. It wasn’t nearly as easy as it used to be. She was nothing
compared to Adide.
“I didn’t want to get married,” I lied through my teeth, ring at a spot on the wall. “I just did it to get the
money.”
“You just wanted the inheritance?” Corinna repeated, her fingers trailing down my chest as she circled
back around the chair, finallying to sit on myp. “But I thought you loved Adide?“
“Love?” I snorted. “Addie forced me into it. She wouldn’t sleep with me unless we had a real wedding.
And as you know, I have to get her pregnant to get the inheritance.”
The sharp pangs of guilt in my chest were nothing. I felt like an *sshole even thinking these things, let
alone saying them, but it had to be done. I had to get as much information from Corinna as I could to
undermine her.
For Adide.
“Aw, baby,” Corinna cooed, leaning forward to pull my head into her chest like she wasforting me. I
felt nothing but revulsion. “Adide doesn’t deserve someone like you. So loyal and handsome.”
1 pulled back from her touch, turning away. “So what? You’re marrying Ashton tomorrow, aren’t you?” I
shot at her.
“Jealous, baby?” Corinna smirked, batting her eyshes. “That’s okay. Ashton and I are all business.
You’re the one I’ve always liked. You’re the one I want. You’ve always been there for me. Whenever I
called. You saved me from that bad man. Can I repay the favor?”
“I’m married,” I told her, leaning back with a frown.
She smirked. ncing down at my finger where my ringy. I stiffened, as she reached down to tug it
off my finger, ncing at the gold band with poorly hidden resentment.
She smirked and dropped it onto the coffee table, the ring bouncing and then spinning on the surface
until it settled.
“Now you’re not,” she said with an evil grin. I hoped the disgust wasn’t showing on my face.
She reached for me, entangling her fingers around the back of my neck and into my hair. I stiffened
firmly, pretending to be conflicted as I nced at my ring and then at Corinna.
“I always loved you, Damon,” Corinna batted her eyshes, looking vulnerable as she crept closer.
“You loved me too. At least when we were dating, didn’t you?”
“That was a contract,” I protested.
“Then why did youe running?” Corinna challenged with a firm glint in her eye. “When I called you
here tonight, you didn’t even try to tell Adide, did you? It’s because you’ve loved me all along, not
her. And you still do, don’t you?”
I looked into her expectant eyes, keeping my face neutral.
No.
I have never loved you.
I wanted to spit the words into her lying, backstabbing face. I wanted to wipe that smug look off her
face and return every bit of the pain she had caused Addie over the years.
But I didn’t.
Because now wasn’t the time. I couldn’t jeopardize things now. We hade too far to throw it all
away now.
Soon it’d all be over and Adide, and 1 could leave them all behind.
“Yes,” I lied.
Her face lit up in victory.