Chapter 8 - He Took Me to His House

Evelyn

“Where is this?” I asked, my voice low but strained, my eyes widening as I stared at the massive mansion in front of me.

“My house,” Damon said, completely unbothered, like this wasn’t strange at all, like bringing his brother’s wife here in the middle of the night was normal.

I turned to him, my brows tightening. “Why am I here?”

His gaze dropped slowly, deliberately, and I felt it, the way his eyes moved over me, taking in the soaked dress clinging to my body, the fabric now almost transparent, water dripping from my hair down my neck and further, and for a second I hated the way my body reacted, stiffening under that attention.

“Do you want to go home looking like this?” he asked.

I opened my mouth but nothing came out because the truth was obvious and that annoyed me more than anything.

He stepped out of the car and walked around, and I already knew what he was thinking, what he was about to do.

“Do you need my help getting out?” he called, a hint of teasing slipping into his voice.

I pushed the door open immediately and stepped out before he could even try. “I can walk.”

A quiet chuckle left him, but he didn’t push further.

The moment we stepped inside, warmth wrapped around me instantly, but it didn’t touch the heaviness sitting deep in my chest.

“Good evening, sir,” the maids greeted, bowing their heads.

He didn’t respond, didn’t even look at them, but I heard the whispers anyway.

“Who is she?” “Sir has never brought any woman home…” “She must be special…”

Special. The word twisted painfully inside me because I didn’t feel special, I felt exposed, displaced, like I had been dragged into something I didn’t belong in.

Before I could even process it, something soft dropped onto my head, and I flinched slightly, my fingers moving up instantly.

A towel.

“Dry yourself,” Damon said casually, already turning away like it meant nothing, then he gestured lightly to the maids. “Take her upstairs.”

I let them lead me, my steps slow as we moved through the house and into a room that looked untouched, like no one actually lived there.

They handed me clothes, almost identical to what I had been wearing, and I changed quietly, my fingers slower now as everything replayed in my head all at once, Sebastian, Kate, the hospital, the baby, and my chest tightened so sharply I had to pause, my hand pressing lightly against it as I stared at my reflection.

I looked normal. That was the worst part. I didn’t look like someone whose life had just been torn apart.

When I stepped out, Damon was there, leaning against the wall like he had been waiting, and the moment his eyes landed on me, they stayed.

“You look amazing,” he said, and this time there was no teasing in his voice.

I didn’t let it get to me. “Let’s leave, please,” I said quickly, brushing past him before he could say anything else because staying there felt wrong, I didn't wanna have anything to do with another Moretti.

The ride back was quiet, heavy, the kind of silence that made your thoughts louder, and I leaned against the window, watching the city blur past while my reflection stared back at me, my eyes slightly red but dry because I refused to break down again, not here, not in front of him.

Suddenly he leaned in close, so close that my breath caught mid-air, my back pressing instinctively into the seat as his presence filled the space between us, his cologne wrapping around me in a way that made it hard to think straight.

“What are you trying to do?” I snapped, my eyes widening, my voice coming out sharper than I intended, even though my pulse had already betrayed me.

His lips tilted slightly, his gaze flicking to mine before dropping briefly. “Relax,” he murmured, his voice low, smooth, like he was enjoying this far more than he should. “Your seatbelt.”

His hand brushed past me, slow enough to feel deliberate, the click sounding louder than it should have in the quiet car.

“I won’t do anything,” he added softly, his eyes lifting back to mine, that same unreadable look settling in them, “unless you ask me to.”

My chest tightened, and I hated how easily he said it, like he already knew the effect it had.

“Try to remember what happened that night,” he continued, leaning back just slightly, “I’ll keep reminding you… over and over… until you finally admit what you did.”

He pulled away then, settling back into his seat like nothing had happened, like he hadn’t just left the air between us thick and impossible to ignore, while I sat there, stiff, my fingers curling slightly against my lap, trying to steady something that refused to calm down.

When the car stopped in front of my house, I moved immediately, opening the door before the engine had even fully settled. “I’ll pay for the clothes and… thanks,” I muttered, stepping out before he could respond.

The moment I stepped inside, the air felt different, Sebastian was standing near the window, his posture stiff, his eyes locking onto mine instantly, red, sharp, restless in a way that made my stomach tighten.

“Was that my brother?” he asked, his voice tight.

“Yes,” I said simply.

His hand went straight to his hair, dragging through it as he started pacing like something was eating him alive. “Why did you get into his car?”

For a second, I just stared at him, and then something bitter rose in my chest because out of everything, this was what he cared about.

“Didn’t you see the rain?” I shot back, my voice rising despite myself, my fingers curling tightly into my palm. “Did you call me? Did you ask how I was going to get home? You know you can’t book a ride when it’s raining like that. Or would you have preferred I slept on the road?”

He stopped pacing. “I’m sorry.”

I looked at him for a second longer, before I turned away.

He followed me. “Evelyn—”

“I need you here, Seb.”

Her voice cut through everything, soft and perfectly timed, and I froze for a second before continuing to walk because I refused to look back.

So he had sucessfully brought her into our home. My fingers curled slowly into fists, nails pressing into my palms.

“I need to go to her… please,” Sebastian said behind me, and the way his voice softened for her made something inside me crack deeper.

I walked into the room and shut the door, and the moment it closed, everything broke, a sob tearing out of me as my hand flew to my mouth, my shoulders shaking as the tears came fast and uncontrollable, my chest tightening like I couldn’t breathe properly.

“How could you do this to me…” I whispered, my voice breaking, my fingers gripping the edge of the dresser so tightly my knuckles turned white.

“Just today… I lost my chance to be a mother because of you…” The words hurt more as they left my mouth, sharper, heavier.

“I hate you.”

It came out quieter, but it felt real, solid, final.

I wiped my face roughly and moved quickly, opening my wardrobe and pulling out my clothes, stuffing them into my suitcase without thinking, my hands trembling but not stopping.

My phone beeped, and I froze for a second before picking it up, my eyes narrowing slightly when I saw the message.

[Come to me and I’ll help you get revenge and get your husband at your feet.]

My grip tightened around the phone. “Who the hell are you…” I muttered under my breath, my thoughts racing.

Before I could think further, my phone rang, the sound cutting through the silence, and I glanced at the screen.

Annie.

I answered immediately, my voice still unsteady. “Hello?”

“You can come to the modeling agency tomorrow.”

A breath left me, sharp and shaky. I let out a small laugh, my hand coming up to my forehead as I closed my eyes briefly.

“Oh my God…” I whispered, almost to myself.

Finally, I could leave.

I didn’t need to beg. I didn’t need to stay. I didn’t need to endure any of this anymore.

“Thank you,” I said quickly, my voice steadier now, stronger.

My phone buzzed again.

I glanced down, still caught in that small wave of relief, but the moment I saw the number, my smile faded just a little.

The same Unknown number again.

I opened it.

[Stop crying. It doesn’t suit you.]

My head snapped up instantly, my eyes scanning the room without thinking.

What—?

My grip tightened around the phone, my heartbeat picking up slightly, the earlier relief clashing with something colder now.

Who is this?

My gaze moved slowly, sharply, like I was trying to catch someone watching me.

Can they… see me?