Chapter 5

The entire family was gathered around the dining table.

A soft breeze drifted through the open windows as Victoria moved around the table, serving breakfast. The smell of freshly prepared food filled the room—fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, warm buttered toast, and fresh fruit arranged neatly on the plates.

But despite the inviting meal, the atmosphere around the table was anything but warm.

Silence filled the room.

The only sounds were the clinking of plates and the occasional scrape of spoons against the dishes.

Damien and Caleb sat across from each other, neither willing to look at the other for too long.

The tension between the brothers was obvious.

Victoria noticed it almost immediately.

She glanced between them before deciding that the silence had gone on long enough.

“So,” she said casually, “I heard someone in this house has been banned from the kitchen.”

Everyone looked at her.

Victoria smiled innocently.

“Apparently, the last time he tried to cook, the smoke alarm became more useful than the actual food.”

Clair couldn’t help herself.

She laughed.

Alex quickly joined in, shaking his head.

“That wasn’t cooking,” he said. “That was attempted murder.”

The table erupted in laughter.

Even Victoria laughed at her own joke.

For a brief moment, the tension disappeared.

Everyone returned to their breakfast, and the atmosphere became slightly lighter.

But Damien and Caleb remained quiet.

Neither had forgotten what had happened between them.

Later that morning, Caleb approached Clair.

He found her standing alone and hesitated before walking toward her.

“Clair.”

She turned around but didn’t answer.

Caleb sighed.

“About what happened the other day…”

Clair folded her arms.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I know you’re angry.”

“I’m not angry.”

Caleb raised an eyebrow.

“You’re giving me that look.”

“What look?”

“The one that says you don’t want me anywhere near you.”

Clair looked away.

Caleb took a breath.

“I’m sorry.”

She remained silent.

“I shouldn’t have pushed you away like that,” he continued. “I know I hurt you.”

Clair finally looked at him.

“Do you?”

Caleb frowned.

“Do I what?”

“Do you really understand how I feel?”

He didn’t answer.

Clair’s voice became softer.

“Even before we got married, you refused to touch me. You told me we should wait until we were married.”

Caleb lowered his gaze.

“And now we’re married,” she continued, “and you still won’t touch me.”

She swallowed.

“Am I not attractive enough for you, Caleb?”

His expression immediately changed.

“Clair, it’s not like that.”

“Then what is it?”

Caleb struggled to find the right words.

“I’m just stressed. There’s a lot going on right now.”

“Stress?”

Clair gave a small, bitter laugh.

“You’ve been stressed for six months?”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Then what do you mean?”

Caleb fell silent.

He couldn’t tell her the truth.

Not now.

Maybe not ever.

Clair stared at him for a few seconds before shaking her head.

“Forget it.”

“Clair—”

She walked away before he could finish.

Caleb watched her leave, guilt weighing heavily on him.

Later that afternoon, Clair stepped out of the bathroom after taking a long, hot bath.

For the first time that day, her thoughts weren’t completely consumed by Caleb.

Instead, she found herself thinking about lunch.

Lunch with Damien.

She didn’t know why she was looking forward to it so much.

Maybe she simply needed a distraction.

Maybe she just needed someone to talk to.

Whatever the reason, she wanted to look nice.

Clair walked into her closet, wrapped a towel around herself, and sat in front of the mirror.

She blow-dried her hair and styled it neatly before beginning her skincare routine.

After applying her moisturizer and sunscreen, she opened her closet.

She tried one outfit.

Then another.

And another.

She stood in front of the mirror, examining each one before shaking her head.

“No.”

Finally, she found a dress she liked.

It was a sunny yellow layered dress that complemented her complexion beautifully and fell naturally over her curves.

She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled.

For the first time in days, she felt a little lighter.

She grabbed her purse and made her way downstairs.

Fortunately, Caleb wasn’t around.

Clair wasn’t sure how he would react if he knew she was going out with Damien, and she wasn’t ready to deal with another argument.

She walked outside.

Damien was already waiting.

He stood beside a red Lamborghini, dressed casually but effortlessly. He looked relaxed, and the faint scent of his cologne reached her as she approached.

When he saw her, he smiled.

“Hi, pretty.”

Clair smiled back.

“Hi.”

Damien walked around and opened the passenger door for her.

“Ready?”

She nodded.

“Ready.”

She got into the car, and Damien closed the door behind her before walking around to the driver’s side.

A few moments later, the Lamborghini pulled away from the house.

The drive to the restaurant was quiet but comfortable.

When they finally arrived, Damien pulled into the parking lot of one of the city’s most elegant restaurants. The building itself was impressive, with tall glass windows, beautiful outdoor seating, and neatly dressed staff waiting at the entrance.

As Damien and Clair stepped out of the car, a few heads immediately turned.

People glanced in their direction as they walked inside, and some even paused their conversations to watch them.

Clair noticed the attention and smiled awkwardly.

“Why is everyone staring?”

Damien chuckled.

“Maybe because you look good.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Or maybe because you’re driving around in a Lamborghini.”

“Could be both.”

She laughed softly.

They were shown to a table near the window.

A waiter approached and handed the menus to Damien.

Damien took his menu, then passed the other one to Clair.

“Go ahead. Pick whatever you want.”

Clair opened the menu and scanned through it.

“I already know what I’m getting.”

“So confident.”

She smiled.

“My favorite meal.”

“What is it?”

“Grilled chicken pasta.”

Damien nodded.

“Then grilled chicken pasta it is.”

The waiter returned, and Clair placed her order before handing the menu back.

Once he left, Damien leaned back in his chair.

“So…”

Clair looked at him.

“So?”

“How are you feeling now?”

She knew exactly what he meant.

“About the other day?” she asked.

Damien nodded.

“Yeah. But you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

Clair was quiet for a moment.

Then she gave him a small smile.

“I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

She sighed.

“Caleb and I just had a small fight. That’s all.”

Damien didn’t push her.

Instead, he nodded.

“Okay. I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

Something about his response surprised her.

He hadn’t interrogated her.

He hadn’t told her what she should or shouldn’t feel.

He had simply listened.

And somehow, that made it easier for her to talk.

Soon, the conversation moved away from Caleb.

Clair began telling Damien little things about herself—things she rarely got the chance to talk about. Her favorite foods, the things she enjoyed doing, stories from when she was younger, and some of the silly things she had done growing up.

Damien listened attentively.

He shared stories about himself too, telling her things she had never known about him.

The conversation became so easy that Clair eventually forgot they were sitting in a restaurant.

Then Damien said something ridiculous about an embarrassing experience he had once had at the company.

Clair burst out laughing.

“You’re lying!”

“I’m serious!”

“No way!”

“I swear.”

She laughed harder, covering her mouth with her hand.

Damien laughed along with her.

For a few seconds, Clair simply looked at him.

She couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed this freely.

There was something strangely comforting about being around Damien.

He listened.

He noticed things.

He didn’t make her feel like she was asking for too much.

And somehow, he seemed to understand her without her having to explain herself.

A thought suddenly crossed her mind.

Why do I feel so comfortable around him?

She quickly pushed it away.

He was her husband’s brother.

There was nothing strange about feeling comfortable around someone who had been kind to her.

At least, that’s what she told herself.

Across the table, Damien watched her quietly.

The smile on his face remained warm.

But behind it, his thoughts were anything but innocent.

Every question he had asked.

Every story he had shared.

Every time he had listened when she spoke.

None of it was accidental.

Damien knew exactly what he was doing.

Clair was vulnerable.

She felt rejected by her husband, lonely in her marriage, and desperate to feel understood.

And Damien intended to become the person she turned to whenever she needed comfort.

He wasn’t trying to win her heart.

Not yet.

He was trying to make her depend on him emotionally.

Because the more Clair trusted him, the easier it would be to use that trust against Caleb.

Damien lifted his glass and smiled as Clair continued talking.

Everything was going exactly as he had planned.