The Heiress's Choice のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 41 - チャプター 50

Damien's POV "Blackwell, can you drop these off on twelve?"I looked up from my desk as my supervisor, Marcus zen, dropped a stack of files in front of me."Sure," I said, grabbing them, "What are they?""Quarterly reports for Henderson," he said, already walking away."Meeting room C."I stood up and tucked the files under my arm, glancing at my watch.Five thirty already, most people were already heading out for the day.I made my way to the elevator and pressed the button for the executive floor.Elena's floor.The doors closed, and I leaned back against the wall.The yacht night played in my head again. The way she'd grabbed my shirt, pulled me in, and kissed me just like that.Her fingers in my hair, tugging hard.The sound she'd made when my hands slid under her top.It was all I could think about these last three days.I hadn't heard from her since. A whole weekend of nothing, no texts, no calls, nothing.She was avoiding me.I knew she'd avoid me, I expected it, but still…Th

Elena's povIt took a few minutes before I could move.I lay there on my back, staring at the ceiling, still breathing hard after everything that just happened.The sheets were tangled around my waist and my hair was a mess.I could still feel him everywhere.On my lips, on my skin, between my thighs…Damien didn’t say anything but I could feel his eyes on me.The silence between us stretched for a while then I sat up slowly, reaching for my phone on the nightstand.My hands were shaking slightly as I scrolled through my contacts and pressed call."Ma'am?" my driver answered on the second ring."Can you come back?" I said quietly, turning away from Damien, "I need a ride home.""Of course, I'll be there in ten minutes."I hung up and stood, my legs shaking slightly. I didn't look at him as I picked my dress up from the floor. I stepped into it and pulled it up over my hips.I could still feel him watching me, I could feel his gaze burning into my back.The room was too quiet, the only

Elena’s pov It had been three days since I last saw Damien, and the city was already easing into its final work week before Christmas."Elena, you do realize you're basically the boss now, right? I don't get why you're still going to work.”Adrian's voice crackled through my car speakers as I sat in traffic, watching a group of workers hang giant snowflakes from streetlights."I'm still on probation," I said, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel, "I'm not giving Catherine any excuse to act funny."Maya's laugh came through the line."She's going to act funny regardless, that woman lives for drama."I smiled despite myself, the traffic inching forward slowly.Christmas lights twinkled from every storefront, wreaths hung on doors, and the entire city felt like it was winding down for the holidays.Everyone seemed lighter, happier, ready to be done with work for the year.Everyone except me, apparently."Speaking of the holidays," Adrian said, his tone shifting, "You're spending Chr

Damien's POV The hospital waiting room smelled like antiseptic and medicine."You know, if you hadn't abandoned us, maybe this wouldn't have happened."I looked up from my phone, to see my mother, Margaret, sitting across from me, her arms crossed, her face tight with barely concealed anger."Mom, appendicitis doesn't happen because you both moved to another state.""That's not what I meant," she said, her voice sharp, "If you'd been here, if you'd been checking in like a good son, maybe we would've caught it sooner."I leaned back in the uncomfortable plastic chair and closed my eyes, already exhausted.We'd been sitting here for hours, waiting for the doctor to come out and tell us Jessica's surgery went well.Hours of my mother's passive-aggressive comments, hours of guilt being piled on my shoulders.This wasn't new, it was the same pattern we've had my entire life ever since my dad died.She called me a few days ago, the day after Elena left my apartment."Jessica's in the hospit

Damien's POV She laid on top of me, with her head on my chest and her fingers moved absently, tracing slow, lazy circles on my chest like she wasn’t thinking at all.My heart was still racing, my body still warm from her, from us.In that moment, everything in the world felt right.“Stay,” I whispered into her hair, tightening my arms around her.She didn’t move.“Don’t go on the trip,” I added quietly, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Stay here. Stay with me for the holidays.”Her fingers stilled and her entire body went rigid in my arms.Then she pulled away from me, sitting up so fast the sheets tangled around her waist."Elena," I started, reaching for her."I need to get ready," she said, her voice completely flat, already swinging her legs off the bed.She stood up, her back to me, reaching for her clothes scattered across the floor.My stomach dropped."No, no, no," I said, sitting up, "Don't do that."She froze, her sweater clutched in her hands, her shoulders tense."Don't