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Chapter 53

Damon

Damon handled problems before they blew up in his face, but he wasn't the kind to freak out.

And Alex was the issue at the moment.

Diego had verified that it was Alex who had left the message on Felicia's phone. And everything altered as a result.

If Alex was texting Felicia, it implied he knew something since he had been hovering too near for comfort. Not all of it, perhaps, but enough to be hazardous. Enough to upset the fragile equilibrium Damon had been clinging to.

If Alex shares Lisa with Felicia...

With a short sigh, Damon gripped his phone tighter. He had already started the process. Quiet inquiries, discreet probes. He had to know the extent of Alex and Felicia's bond.

Was this a friendly exchange? A commercial partnership? Or something more calculating?

Felicia learning of Lisa from Alex was the last thing he needed. Damon could take Felicia's anger; he didn't care about the consequences for himself. However, Lisa? She didn't realize how much he was attempting to protect her, and she was already upset with him for keeping her out.

I ought to have mentioned the call to her.

However, he was unable to. Not until he knew exactly what he was up against.

He could only remain ahead of the storm for the time being. Because Damon wanted to win if Alex was playing games.

Damon had never lost before. In business, no. In life, no. And certainly not in Lisa's case.

He so expected at least something when he entered the house that evening with a carefully chosen assortment of peace offerings, including her favorite pastries, an absurdly costly purse that he had heard her ogling, and a bouquet so big it could hardly fit through the door. A grin. a softer tone.

Instead, Lisa was snuggled up on the couch, leafing through a magazine as if he weren't even there, and she hardly gave him a glance.

He let out a sigh and placed the bag next her. "I have something for you."

She didn't even raise her head. "You always do."

Damon's jaw tightened. This was not going to be made simple by her. That was rightfully his. Still, though.

She was forced to recognize him as he sat next to her, a bit too near.

He grabbed her magazine and pulled it from her grasp when she didn't.

At last, Lisa turned to face him. "Are you serious?"

"Very." He looked at her. "Speak to me."

She crossed her arms and leaned back. "How about?"

Damon let out a sigh. He ought to have realized that presents wouldn't cure things. "I understand that you're angry—" Lisa laughed without amusement. "Whoa, what revealed it?"

"Lisa." His tone grew softer. "I apologize."

Her face remained unchanged. No response. No glimmer of feeling. It was the same unreadable, blank gaze that made him crazy.

She resisted his attempt to take her hand.

He acknowledged, "I left you in Paris without an explanation." "That was incorrect. But I had my justifications.

She laughed. "You always have reasons, of course."

Damon let out a breath, attempting to control his annoyance. "All I need is your trust."

After giving him a long look, Lisa got to her feet. "Belief?" She laughed harshly and shook her head. "You won't even allow me in, Damn you. You go away, you make choices without consulting me, and then you return with presents like that, which makes everything better.

"I—"

"You never communicate with me." Her tone had softened, but it was still piercing. "You're secretive. And you think I'll just put up with it?

Damon's throat became constricted. He wanted to share everything with her. concerning Alex. Regarding what he was attempting to prevent. However, he was unable to. Not quite yet.

He just stated, "I'm trying," instead.

Lisa's face remained unchanged. "Make a greater effort."

He was left alone with his unpaid bribes and the knowledge that, for the first time in his life, he might be losing when she left.

Pretending had never been Lisa's forte. However, she had recently become an expert.

She and Damon walked around each other like strangers in their own house every morning. Be cautious. measured. treading carefully.

Damon persisted. minor details. delivering her coffee in her preferred form. Making notes. Talking during breakfast. But at every opportunity, Lisa cut him off. It was survival, not retaliation.

Only when he departed early for work did she feel relief. Since it implied that she could as well.

She was moving as soon as the door clicked behind him, putting on her best business attire, packing her belongings, and sneaking out of the house like a burglar.

This was her favorite part. the excitement of slipping into a life that had nothing to do with Damon. A life in which she didn't wait for him to tell the truth. where she held authority.

The fact that the job paid well also helped.

The sole drawback?

Her supervisor.

In her designer silk, Felicia Montgomery was a nightmare. A perfectionist. demanding. unable to be pleased. Felicia had been out of town on business since Lisa's first day, so they hadn't even met in person yet, but she was present in every email, every last-minute request, and every unreasonable standard.

Within a few weeks, half of the staff leave. Lisa was aware that no one else could stay, which is how she initially acquired the job.

She was adamant, though.

It was more than just proving herself something.

Additionally, it was about demonstrating something to Damon. Even if he didn't know.

Lisa has previously survived challenging bosses. Those who expect you to read their minds are nitpickers and micromanagers. However, nothing from her past had equipped her to work under Felicia Montgomery.

Felicia wanted things done correctly, but she also wanted them done before you ever realized they needed to be done. She ordered rather than inquired. And I pray you didn't make a mistake.

After only a few weeks on the job, Lisa felt as though she was going to fail every day