Lahat ng Kabanata ng Broken Vows, Rising Flames : Kabanata 21 - Kabanata 30

Clara’s POV I took a deep breath, forcing my shoulders to relax. The was no need of continuing to make Damon important— he was nothing but a mistake from the past.“Everything is fine,” I said aloud, making my voice convincing as possible. “I’ll be expecting you.”I was pretty sure I could feel him smile on the other side of the phone.Seconds dragged.Then his voice came through again. “It’s fine, Clara.”A pause.“Please, take care of yourself,” he added, stressing the words.I couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you, Leonard. Of course I will.” “Okay.” The moment the call ended, the weight of everything settled again on my chest. I leaned back on my seat, trying to catch my breath. The phone rang again and only one name came to my mind. Leonard.Maybe he forgot to tell me something. My face flushed with disappointment as it wasn’t him, rather Elaine. I let out a soft sigh as I picked the call. “Good morning Ma’am,” Elaine whispered, her voice not just tense, but barely audible.

Clara’s POV I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry.Damon watched me closely as the silence lingered. I didn’t want to shoot myself on the leg, so I carefully thought about my response. I finally met his gaze and forced a calm smile. “That’s because Maurice isn’t my biological son,” I said softly, careful so Maurice couldn’t hear me from inside. “I adopted him when he was young. I wanted to give him a proper home.” Damon’s eyebrows lifted slightly, curiosity flickering across his face. “I’ll take my leave,” I said, realising he would ask more questions if I waited any longer. He forced a smile, one that didn’t meet his eyes. “That’s noble of you, Clara.” There was nothing noble about telling a lie, but still I didn’t regret it one bit. Damon didn’t deserve to know anything about Maurice. I was going to make sure I kept my son away from him. I slid into the car and watched him walk back to his car from the side mirror. The drive back home was a blur of emotions. It was just

Clara’s POV I scrambled to my feet, gathering my personal items and rushing out of the door. Elaine was startled by the sudden burst. “I’m going to pick up Maurice from school,” I rushed out. “It’s way past his closing time,” she said, glancing at her wristwatch. “It’s insane, I know,” I said hurriedly. “Wrap up everything here and go home,” I called out as I ran down the hallway, my heels clattering against the floor. A few minutes later, I exited the elevator and ran straight to the parking lot. I received curious stares from the workers, but I couldn’t care about that at the moment. Driving out of the parking lot, I pressed the accelerator, exceeding the speed limit, fuelled by just the thought of Maurice being alone for two long hours. “Sorry!” I shouted to other drivers I overtook recklessly on the highway. Please let him be safe, I muttered to myself over and over. Within minutes, I pulled over at the entrance to the school. I looked frantically around the grounds, us

Clara’s POV I sat on one of the steps of the veranda, refusing to leave till I saw Maurice. Occasionally, I would ring the doorbell and knock on the door. Nothing happened— Camilla completely ignored me. I didn’t stop. I continued for the next ten minutes, taking breaks to catch my breath and repeated it all over again. Just then, I spotted Damon’s car from a distance, driving down with speed. The tires screeched to a halt just in front of the house. The driver’s side door flung open, and Damon stepped out from the car, hurriedly going over to the other side and opening the passenger door. He picked Maurice out of his seat and brought him around the car. On sighting me, Maurice wriggled in Damon’s arms, wanting to be dropped. “Mummy!” he screamed in delight. His little legs picked up speed as he ran so fast that he collided into me. I scooped him up in my arms, planting kisses on his face. “Oh my baby,” I whispered. “Are you okay?” He nodded innocently. “

Damon’s POV My fingers tightened around the phone as his words echoed in my head. The secret your wife has been keeping from you? For a moment, I said nothing, my mind struggling to catch up with what I had just heard. “Secret? What the hell are you talking about?” I finally demanded, my voice sharper than intended. A low chuckle drifted through the line, cold and mocking. Something about it made unease crawl along my skin. My eyes wandered around the whole circumference of the office, looking for the camera — it definitely had to be a prank. Silence lingered. “Camilla has done a beautiful job keeping you blind,” his voice cut through the silence. “So pathetic.” My heart dropped to my stomach. “What did you just say?” I asked, my voice shaking with disbelief and frustration. He laughed again, softer this time, like he was enjoying every second of my dilemma. “You heard me, Damon Adams. You better fix your—” “Wait! Who the hell are you?” I cut in swiftly, my vo