Chapter 13
DAMIEN
4.34%色盘
It was just one of those quiet afternoons when the ticking of the clock sounded louder than the noise outside. I had been juggling files and signing documents for hours, my eyes already stinging from the glare of the computer screen. I needed a moment to breathe. Rising from my desk, I stepped out onto the balcony, hoping the cool breeze would work some magic.
The air outside was crisp, the faint scent of rain lingering from the morning shower. I leaned against the railing, letting the tension melt from my shoulders as I watched the city stretch out before me, but then my mind kept replaying to the party. No matter how much I tried to distract myself, the memory of that night at the party lingered like a thorn under my skin. The way Rosalie smiled at that man. They fucking danced. He had the audacity to put his hands on my wife–my wife–and she let him. Worse, she defended him.
Just as I picked up another file, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” I said, not looking up.
The door creaked open, and a familiar voice filled the space. “You look like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
I forced my eyes upward, taking her in–her too–perfect smile, her calculated steps as she sauntered toward my desk. Her presence annoyed me instantly.
“Charlotte, what do you want?” I asked sharply, setting the file down with a loud thud.
She blinked at my tone but quickly recovered, her expression softening into something sickeningly sweet. “I came to check on you. You seemed… tense lately.”
I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms. “I’m fine. And I don’t need a lecture on my mood from you.”
“Always so defensive,” she said with a pout, walking closer. She perched herself on the corner of my desk like she belonged there, her hand lightly brushing against the edge.
I stayed silent, glaring at her. If she wanted to play games, I wasn’t in the mood.
“You know,” she began, tilting her head as her voice took on that falsely caring tone, “it’s okay to admit when you’re overwhelmed. I just hate seeing you like this. You deserve someone who makes your life easier, not… harder.”
My patience snapped. “Get to the point, Charlotte.”
She laughed softly, brushing her hair back in a practiced move. “Fine, I’ll cut to it. Damien, I care about you. More than you realize. And I hate watching you waste your time and loyalty on someone who doesn’t appreciate you.”
Her words hit like needles, but I refused to give her the satisfaction of a reaction.
“She doesn’t love you, Damien. Rosalie never has. I am sure you saw her at the party.” she pressed, leaning forward now, her voice dripping with false sympathy. “Flirting with another man, dancing with him right in front of you. She didn’t care how it made you look. Everyone noticed. Everyone saw it.”
My fists curled against the armrests, and I glared at her with pure disdain. “Was that why you sent me those pictures last night, to prove a point that Rosalie doesn’t love me? What the fuck do you even think you’re doing, Charlotte? You’ve got some goddamn nerve walking in here with this bullshit.”
1/2
19:31 Mon, 17 Feb
Chapter 13
“Are you pretending to be oblivious of the situation?” she asked, her voice soft and persuasive. “Rosalie didn’t care about your image, your reputation. She made a fool of you, Damien.”
“Shut your mouth,” I growled, my voice cold and laced with fury. “I won’t warn you again”
But she wasn’t done. “You’re ignoring the truth,” she said, her voice dipping into something almost sympathetic. “She’s not loyal to you, and deep down, you khow it. I mean, think back to high school. She hated you, Damien. She never even pretended otherwise. You loved her but she never loved you. She hated you so much. And now you think she’s changed? That she’s magically fallen in love with you because you forced her to get married to you?”
I stood up abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor. “Charlotte, get out! Else I’ll have security throw you out. And I don’t give a damn if you are my sister in–law!”
She closed the gap between us, walking towards my side. Her hand brushed against my arm, and her gaze softened. “I’m only saying this because I care about you. You deserve better. Someone who will actually love you, who will be loyal to you. Someone like me.”
My eyes narrowed. “Is this what you came here for? To undermine your sister and throw yourself at me?”
Her expression faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered, her tone turning coy. “I’m just being honest. You need to hear the truth. Rosalie will never love you the way I would.”
“Charlotte,” I said firmly, my voice cold. “I don’t know what delusion you’re operating under, but let me make this very clear. I am in no way interested in you. Never will be. Whatever you think you’re trying to do here, it’s not going to work.”
She laughed bitterly, shaking her head. “You’re wrong, Damien. You’re wasting your loyalty on someone who doesn’t deserve it.”
I stepped closer, my tone sharp and unwavering. “No, Charlotte, the audacity of you.. Thinking you could walk in here and twist my mind against the woman I want. The woman I married. Rosalie is my wife, and there is nothing you or anyone else can say to change that.”
Her face twisted in frustration, and she opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off.
“And one more thing,” I said, my voice low but cutting. “Don’t ever come into my office again with this nonsense. You’re nothing but a desperate, scheming whore. Now get out.”
Her eyes widened, shock flashing across her face before it was replaced with indignation. She turned on her heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
I let out a slow breath, running a hand through my hair. The room was quiet again, but the tension lingered. Shaking my head, I sat back down and returned to my work, silently preparing to keep my focus where it belonged.
་
Third Person POV
Charlotte stormed out of Damien’s office, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floors. Her chest heaved with anger, and her hands clenched at her sides as she made her way to the parking lot. She didn’t stop until she reached her car, throwing the door open and falling down into the driver’s seat.
“Ugh!” she screamed, slamming her palms against the steering wheel. Her breath came in slow gasps as she glared out the windshield, her vision blurred with anger.
“What the hell does he see in her?” she hissed, gripping the wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white. “Rosalie. Little miss perfect. Plain Jane with her boring little smiles and pathetic attempts at charm.”
19:31 Mon, 17 Feb
Chapter 13
n
34%
+13
She leaned back, letting out a bitter laugh that echoed in the confined space of the car. “She’s not fit to be his wife. Damien deserves someone… someone who knows his worth. Someone who knows how to stand beside him, not fade into the damn wallpaper.”
Her words tumbled out faster now, her voice a mix of frustration and disbelief. “She’s not even beautiful. Not in the way that matters. Just… average. That’s what she is. Average. How can he look at her and not see that?”
Charlotte sat in silence for a moment, her chest rising and falling as she tried to calm herself. Slowly, a smile crept across her lips–small at first, then widening into something almost unhinged.
“No,” she whispered, her voice steadying. “No, I’m not giving up that easily.” She leaned forward, resting her hands on the steering wheel as if grounding herself. “Damien just needs to see the truth. He’s blinded right now, but that won’t last. I’ll make sure of it.”
She chuckled softly, the sound cold and calculating. “He thinks Rosalie is the one for him? Fine. Let him think that for now. But I’ll show him who really deserves to be by his side. I’ll make him see that I’m the one who can give him everything he needs. Everything he deserves.”
Charlotte started the car, the engine roaring to life. With one last glance in the rearview mirror, she smirked to herself. “Enjoy your little fairytale while it lasts, sister. Because I’m about to rewrite the ending.”
