PTE

E'S

e room was beautiful, but it felt empty. The weight of everything was pressing down on me-Lily, th

o talk

tall frame outlined by the warm glow of the desk lamp. He was flipping through

ng the documents aside. "

urther into the room. My voice wa

r, his sharp eyes watching

and I saw something flicker in his exp

he chair across

ds fidgeting in my lap. "You said you'd

st private investigators to look into her disappearance

rtled. "You al

g forward slightly. "I gave you my

't erase my growing curiosity. "Thank

e. I had to know. "How d

lightly, the movement

wer. His gaze shifted to th

, he said, "She w

underclap. I stared at h

ed with something I couldn't quite decip

ce sharp. "I would have known. I lived wit

mile. "Knowing your parents," he said smooth

rn faces of my parents flashed in my mind, their rigid expectations suff

but firm. "She didn't tell you because

It made sense, but it still felt like a betrayal. Lik

g through the tension in the room. "Let me handle this,

ut

ted, his eyes softe

rd, my throat

to his desk. I lingered for a moment, w

lled just as

ned.

," he said firm

him, and with a small nod, I left the

the window in my room, my min

i

mi

eal, almost like the plot of a bad soap opera. I crossed m

whispered to myself, bitte

calm, unbothered fac

tered, rolling my e

er, and like an unwelcome

the doorway, hesitant, watching as he poured over docu

are wicked," he had s

me. I straightened in my chai

a coincidence, surely. Damien was

to myself, but the u

door startled me,

in," I

er expression polite. "Miss Sinclair, lunch is

ng a smile. "No, thank

ped back, closing t

he dining room. The table was laid out beautifully, the kind o

s here and there. It was delicious, but

on the table made me paus

ess

st few words, my breath caught. My chest tightened,

. I grabbed the glass of water, but as I tried to take a si

d back at me as m