Chapter 207 207
Mathieu had finally been discharged from the hospital, though the doctors insisted he still needed to remain under careful observation. Damien refused to take even the slightest risk when it came to the boy’s health, so he arranged for a nurse to stay with Mathieu around the clock. The child was brought back to the apartment, where he would continue recovering.
Her friends had stopped by earlier that day. They spent some time with Mathieu, joking with him, distracting him, and lifting his spirits before eventually leaving. Jacqueline felt deeply grateful for their presence. Their support meant more to her than they probably realized.
Now she stood in the kitchen, quietly stirring a pot of porridge for her brother.
Her thoughts, however, were far from calm.
She couldn’t stop replaying the doctor’s words in her mind words spoken just before Mathieu had been discharged.
Despite everything the doctors had done, there was still no guarantee of a complete recovery. There remained a possibility that the treatment might not work as hoped. The doctor had looked at her kindly and suggested that, for now, all she could do was pray.
Damien had been standing beside her when the doctor said it.
And he had looked just as tense as she felt.
“Hi, beautiful.”
Jacqueline shrieked in surprise, nearly dropping the spoon in her hand as she jumped in place. Her back collided with a solid chest, and strong arms wrapped around her waist. That familiar, intoxicating scent reached her senses instantly.
She inhaled deeply and pressed a hand against her chest, trying to calm the frantic pounding of her heart.
Resting her head against his shoulder, she took another slow breath.
“Y-you scared me,” she whispered.
Instead of apologizing, Damien tightened his arms around her.
His face lowered into the curve of her neck, and he inhaled her scent slowly.
Jacqueline froze.
She stood perfectly still in his embrace, hardly daring to breathe as the tip of his nose brushed gently against the sensitive skin of her neck.
Damien had gotten a duplicate key to the apartment not long ago, and now he came and went whenever he pleased.
“I want you to go out with me tomorrow,” he murmured, his voice rough and low, his breath warm against her skin.
“I… I can’t,” she replied softly. “Who will stay with Mathieu?”
She turned off the stove and placed her hands over the arm he had wrapped around her waist.
“Charlotte, Alexandre, and Cécile will be here tomorrow,” he said. “They’ll stay with him.”
Jacqueline lowered her gaze.
Her fingers fidgeted nervously.
“Is it… a date?” she asked quietly.
Damien’s voice dropped even lower.
“It’ll be more than just a date.”
Her heart instantly began racing at the implication.
Slowly, she tried to step out of his embrace. He allowed her to move away, but before she could create any real distance, his fingers caught her chin.
He tilted her face up and stole a brief, tender kiss from her lips.
Jacqueline stood there, stunned, as he walked out of the kitchen.
A moment later he returned, holding a box.
He placed it in her hands.
“Wear this tomorrow,” he said simply.
She blinked up at him in confusion.
What on earth had gotten into him?
He was making her incredibly nervous.
Jacqueline nodded obediently, and Damien gave a short, satisfied nod in return. She noticed the way his eyes briefly traveled over her form before he turned away and headed toward Mathieu’s room.
She carried the box into her bedroom and set it aside before bringing the bowl of porridge to her brother.
Mathieu chatted happily while she fed him, talking about the video games Gilles and Laurent had given him. All the while, Jacqueline could feel Damien’s steady gaze resting on her.
He stayed for dinner but left shortly afterward.
Once Mathieu had fallen asleep, Jacqueline finally returned to her room.
Curiosity bubbling inside her, she opened the box.
Her eyes immediately sparkled.
Carefully, she lifted the dress from the packaging and her jaw nearly dropped.
It was a stunning black gown.
The fabric flowed beautifully, with a daring slit running up the left leg. It was sleeveless, and the back dipped low, leaving most of it bare.
The dress was undeniably bold. Revealing. Sensual.
And absolutely breathtaking.
Inside the box she also found a pair of heels, elegant jewelry, and a matching clutch.
Jacqueline stared at everything in amazement.
She would bet anything that Damien had asked someone for help choosing all of this.
Excitement buzzed through her veins so intensely that sleep refused to come easily. Eventually, sometime late in the night, she drifted off.
By morning she was awake early.
Jacqueline prepared breakfast for herself and Mathieu. She had taken a few days off from the university to stay close to him.
After feeding her brother, Thérèse came by to visit. At Jacqueline’s request, she had also brought makeup.
Thérèse spent half the visit mercilessly teasing her about going on a date before finally leaving, giving Jacqueline a moment to breathe again.
Later that afternoon, Damien called the apartment’s landline.
He simply ordered her to be ready by seven.
After making lunch and giving Mathieu his medication, Jacqueline hurried to shower.
Then she carefully slipped into the black gown.
At first she intended to keep her makeup simple, but the temptation proved too strong. She ended up doing smoky eyes paired with nude lipstick.
She added thick mascara, a light blush, and a touch of highlighter.
After blow-drying her hair, her thick locks fell around her shoulders in glossy waves.
As she studied her reflection, a mischievous thought crossed her mind.
She remembered how Damien would grab a fistful of her hair while kissing her senseless.
The thought made her cheeks warm.
She fastened the elegant earrings clearly expensive onto her ears, slipped into the heels, grabbed the clutch, and finally declared herself ready.
Jacqueline stepped into Mathieu’s room.
Her brother’s eyes widened the moment he saw her.
“Are you going to a fashion show?” he asked with wide curiosity.
She laughed softly.
“No. I’m going out with a friend.”
The nurse smiled at her before politely stepping out of the room to give them privacy.
Mathieu frowned slightly.
“You don’t dress like that just to hang out with a friend.”
Jacqueline flushed.
“Alright… I’m going on a date,” she admitted in a small voice.
Mathieu scoffed.
“Took you long enough.”
She stared at him in shock.
“What?” she asked.
“You two kept staring at each other all the time,” he said matter-of-factly, waving a dismissive hand. “I’m not stupid, Jacq. He likes you. And you… well, you’re completely crazy about him.”
Jacqueline could only gape at her brother.
“Mathieu!”
He rolled his eyes.
“You were both moving so slowly. It’s a miracle you’re finally going out.”
She blinked in disbelief.
She hadn’t realized they were that obvious.
“And if you didn’t know,” Mathieu added casually, “he asked for my permission before taking you out.”
Shock washed over her again.
Before she could respond, there was a knock at the door.
It opened a second later.
Damien stepped inside.
He gave Mathieu a brief nod of greeting.
Then his gaze shifted and landed on Jacqueline.
Dressed in black.