Chapter 6
Scarlett continued to slur her drunken complaints, but Damien barely registered a word. The doctor’s anti–hangover medication couldn’t come fast enough–her voice grated on his nerves like nails on chalkboard
“Damien, are you even listening to me?” Scarlett pouted, tugging at his sleeve with petulant fingers.
Damien responded with a distracted hum, his gaze inexplicably drawn to a passing hospital gurney. His heart pounded erratically in his chest–until he caught the nurse’s murmured explanation: “This one’s for a termination procedure.”
Relief washed over him.
There’s no way Julie would ever-
is without
She’d endured five years of bitter herbal concoctions for the chance to carry his child. Had submitted to countless invasive fertility treatments complaint, even when the extraction needles made her whimper in pain.
Damien’s throat tightened with sudden guilt.
The truth was, her infertility had been his doing those carefully hidden contraceptives he’d made her taken religiously. Now, in belated remorse, he’d ordered an entire plane’s worth of roses and commissioned his chief jeweler to work through the night crafting a bespoke set. All for their first proper anniversary–five years too late.
He’d even prepared to sign over 10% of Kingsley Corp to Sebastian. A bribe, really, to ensure his brother never spoke of their twisted charade again. But when his eyes fell on Sebastian, Damien froze.
His brother was adjusting his collar, revealing a distinctive silver cross pendant.
Damien’s world tilted.
That persistent sense of unease suddenly had a name and it was Sebastian.
“Where did you get that?” Damien growled, seizing his brother’s shoulder.
Sebastian blinked, affecting nonchalance even as his eyes softened impossibly. “We binge–watched that vampire series together. She insisted on making this for me said it’d bind us forever.”
Damien saw red
Their scuffle sent a side table crashing. “What the hell, Danien?” Sebastian blocked another grab, voice rising “You’ve got Scarlett! Get her to make you
As if summoned, Scarlett draped herself over Damien’s arm “Darling, remember the matching bracelets we made in Paris?”
Lynch chimed in with grating cheer: “Congrats, man! Finally making an honest woman out of your true love.”
Damien recolled as if burned.
The words should have brought joy. Instead, they curdled in his stomach like spoiled milk.
“Don’t be absurd,” he muttered, striding toward the exit.
Around the corner, his fingers trembled as he dialed Juliette Once. Twice. Ten times–each unanswered call a fresh wound. Fingers flying, he typed:
[Tomorrow’s our 5th anniversary. I have surprises for youl
Then, after an uncharacteristic hesitation, several graveling lines of apology.
The screen darkened. Stayed dark.
Damien’s grip turned the plane molten. For the first time in his life, the great Damien Kingsley didn’t know what to do
When it finally rang, he nearly dropped the device. “Julle?”
But it was only the butler’s timid inquiry: “Sir, it’s time for the fetus inhibitor injection, but we can’t locate Mrs. Kingsley-” “Fucking hell, that’s MY baby!” Danden roared.
Silence. Then a confused stammer. “But you were quite insistent about the injections, sir. To avoid upsetting Mi
Where is she? How long has she been gone?”
Miss Donovan-”
“Since since the night you left with Miss Donovan. I’ve frozen all her cards–she couldn’t have taken much-
Damien’s vision tunneled
“Idiots!” The shout could have shattered glass. Whether directed at the staff or himself, even he didn’t know. “Prepare the anniversary celebration Immediately. Fail me, and you’re all fired.”
The phone clattered to the floor, Damien braced against the wall, gulping air like a drowning man.
