Novels by saeedat ❤️

Chapter Forty EightDamien’s phone rang for the first time that night.He was sitting on the edge of the bed, his injured arm resting carefully against his side. He hadn’t even bothered to lie down. Sleep wasn’t coming. It never did anymore. His thoughts kept running in circles, always ending at the same place.Clara...He had called her so many times earlier that evening that he had lost count. Once. Twice. Ten times. More. Each time the call rang out, his jaw tightened. Each missed call felt like rejection. Like she was choosing not to answer him.Now the screen lit up.Her name filled the phone.Clara.For a second, he just stared at it, his thumb hovering over the screen. His heart picked up speed, the way it always did whenever her name appeared. All the anger he had been holding melted into something softer, something desperate.He answered immediately.“Baby,” he said softly, almost like he was afraid she might disappear if he spoke too loud.“Damien,” Clara replied. Her voice

Chapter Forty Seven Dinner was supposed to be calm.That was what Aria hoped for as she took her seat at the long dining table. The plates were arranged neatly, every glass placed where it should be. The cutlery shined under the chandelier, untouched, waiting. The house was quiet in that careful way it always became whenever Damien was around. Not peaceful. Just careful.Richard sat at the head of the table, his back straight, his hands resting on either side of his plate. He looked like a man prepared for anything, even at dinner. Damien sat a few seats away from him, his chair slightly pulled back, his injured arm resting carefully against his body. His face was tight, unreadable. Aria sat opposite him, not too close, not too far. Just enough distance to breathe. Just enough distance to remind herself why this marriage existed in the first place.Suzan stood near the wall with the other maids, her hands clasped in front of her. Her eyes couldn’t stay still. They moved from the dis

Chapter Forty SixSuzan locked herself inside the store room and pressed her back against the wooden shelf. The wood was rough against her skin, but she didn’t move. Buckets were stacked beside her, cartons of soap and disinfectant piled carelessly, a mop leaning against the wall like it had been abandoned in a hurry. The place smelled of detergent and damp cloth, a smell she had grown used to over the years.Her phone was pressed tightly to her ear.She kept glancing at the door, half-expecting it to open at any moment. Her heart was beating too fast, the kind of beating that made her feel like everyone could hear it. She lowered her voice even more, almost whispering.“Remember, Suzan,” Clara said firmly on the other end of the call. Her voice was smooth and confident, the kind of voice that never doubted itself. “You want to be seen on magazines. You want people to read your name on newspapers. You want to be the best runner up. You have to do this.”Suzan closed her eyes.The word

Chapter Forty FiveLines of convoys filled the long road leading to the Grayson estate. Black SUVs moved in perfect order, engines low and steady. Security was tighter than ever. Richard Grayson had made sure of that. Every gate was guarded, every corner watched. Damien was coming home today, and Richard was not taking chances.Inside the main SUV, Damien sat at the back seat, his jaw clenched, his body was stiff. The cast on his arm felt than it should, and the pain in his bones was nothing compared to what burned inside him. Richard sat in the front seat, beside the driver, calm and controlled as always.Their eyes kept meeting through the mirror.Each time it happened, Damien looked away first, not because he was weak, but because the anger rising inside him scared him.Inside Damien’s head, his thoughts were loud.I hate you, Dad.He repeated it over and over, like it was the only thing keeping him sane.The car slowed as they entered the estate. Guards stood straight,bows perfec

Chapter Forty FourAria had come back from the hospital earlier than expected. Damien was coming home today, and even though nothing special was supposed to happen, she took it upon herself to prepare something decent. Not because she felt anything deep, not because she cared in that way, but because it was part of the role she had accepted. A contract was still a contract.The kitchen was quiet when she stepped in. The maids moved carefully around her, knowing her position in the house even if she rarely acted like someone who enjoyed authority. Aria tied her hair back, washed her hands, and stood by the counter, going through the ingredients slowly. She was focused, calm, and thinking mostly about Damien’s condition and the instructions the doctor had given.Suzan stood a few steps away, pretending to wipe the counter. Her eyes moved often, watching Aria without making it obvious. Her heart was beating faster than normal. She had barely slept the night before. The memory of Clara’s

Chapter Forty ThreeThe head guard’s voice echoed through the staff courtyard, sharp enough to make everyone stiffen where they stood.“Who amongst you snitched and told Clara Johnson the hospital Damien was kept?!”All the staff froze. No one moved. No one breathed. Their eyes shifted from one another, trying to guess who had dared such a thing.Suzan felt like her throat closed up. Her palms went cold. She lowered her gaze, afraid someone would read the guilt on her face even though she had tried to hide every trace of it. She knew what she had done. She knew she warned Clara not to go. But Clara had gone anyway. And now everyone was gathered like criminals.“None of you wants to talk?” the head guard barked. “Is this a joke to you?”The crowd stayed quiet. A few exchanged nervous looks. Someone in the back swallowed hard.Theresa, the head maid, stepped forward slowly. Her arms were folded tightly, but her voice was respectful.“Sir,” she said, “none of us had any reason to inform