Jillian POV
Damian stood frozen, his brow furrowed, a flicker of something close to distress in his eyes. He started to take a step after me, but Aida, still clutching her bleeding wrist, threw herself against his arm. "Damian, darling, my head is spinning! I feel so faint!" she wailed, her voice a theatrical tremor.
His footsteps faltered. He glanced from my retreating figure to the dramatically swooning Aida at his side. A conflict, subtle yet palpable, played out in his expression. But the ingrained habit of protecting her won. He scooped her up, his face etched with concern, and carried her back towards the house, towards a quiet resting place.
I didn't look back. I didn't care.
I walked out of Hildegarde's estate, the cool night air a balm on my burning skin. A car I had pre-booked was waiting. I slipped into the back seat, clutching the broken pieces of my mother's bracelet, Cristopher's ashes a silent weight in my bag.
"Airport," I told the driver, my voice steady. "And then, the world."
My plan was simple. I had enough money from the sale of Damian's 'gifts' and Hildegarde's generous settlement to disappear. To grieve. To heal. To live for Cristopher. I would scatter his ashes in every beautiful place he had ever dreamed of seeing.
As the plane ascended into the night sky, leaving the city lights twinkling below, a burst of fireworks erupted, painting the darkness with vibrant colors. It was Hildegarde's birthday, my final gift to the only person in that family who had ever truly loved me.
I looked down at the glittering tableau, a wry smile on my lips. This city. This life. This family. From now on, Hildegarde was my only connection. Damian Ramsey and I were strangers. And when, if ever, our paths crossed again, it would be for a reckoning. A cold, hard, merciless reckoning.
Damian POV:
I carried Aida to a private lounge, her head lolling dramatically against my shoulder. She whimpered, clinging to me. "Damian, darling, my chest hurts so much! Rub it, please?" Her wet, pleading eyes looked up at me.
My movements stiffened. My heart gave a strange, unexpected lurch. In my mind's eye, Jillian's face flashed, her eyes calm, devoid of all emotion, even beneath her tears. The image was a stark contrast to Aida's histrionics. A sudden, unsettling wave of unfamiliar emotions washed over me-a strange dissatisfaction, an irritation I couldn't quite place.
I gently, but firmly, pulled Aida's arm from around my neck. "Aida," I said, my voice detached, "you need to rest. I have things to see to."
Her face fell, a flicker of something dark crossing her features before she quickly composed herself. She grabbed my hand, her grip surprisingly tight. "Damian, what's wrong? Did I do something wrong?" Her voice was a soft, trembling plea.
My brow furrowed. The irritation intensified. I felt a growing sense of annoyance. "Just rest, Aida," I said, pulling my hand free. "I'll arrange for a doctor to see you. You just need to lie down."
"But... but you'll take me to the hospital, won't you? Like we always do?" she asked, her voice tinged with desperation.
"Later," I said, my voice flat. "First, I need to deal with some matters."
She stared at me, her eyes wide, a dawning horror in their depths. I simply turned and walked away, leaving her alone in the opulent lounge.
I walked back into the main ballroom, my eyes scanning the crowd, searching for Jillian. I didn't know why. A strange compulsion, a nagging unease, propelled me. When I couldn't find her, I headed towards Hildegarde.
"Grandmother," I said, my voice strained. "Where is Jillian?"
Hildegarde's face, already pale and drawn, stiffened. "She's... she's gone, Damian."
Before she could say anything more, a high-pitched shriek ripped through the elegant murmur of the crowd. My head snapped towards the sound. My attention, instantly diverted, missed whatever else Hildegarde was trying to tell me.
I pushed through the alarmed guests. In the center of the commotion, Aida's personal maids were loudly accusing a woman of bumping into Aida, pushing her. The woman, elegantly dressed, looked furious.
My eyes narrowed. I recognized her. Kyle Snyder. The formidable CEO of Snyder Industries, a rival corporation, and a crucial partner in our multi-billion dollar merger.
I quickly stepped in, pushing Aida's aggressive maids back. Aida, seeing me, immediately rushed towards me, throwing herself into my arms, sobbing hysterically. "Damian, darling! She just... she just pushed me for no reason! Her maids were so mean!"
My brow furrowed. A strange doubt pricked at me. Aida always claimed to be the victim, always pushed the blame onto others. Before I could process the thought, Kyle Snyder's security detail, a team of burly men, stormed in, quickly subduing Aida's maids.
Kyle Snyder, her face flushed with fury, stepped forward, her eyes blazing. "How dare you, Ramsey? Your little protégé's thugs assaulted my people! And you stand there, protecting that manipulative little parasite?" She pointed a furious finger at Aida. "We had a handshake deal, Ramsey. A multi-billion dollar merger. But I refuse to do business with anyone who tolerates such blatant disrespect and outright thuggery. Consider our deal terminated."
A collective gasp rippled through the guests. The implications were catastrophic. This merger was vital to the Ramsey Group's expansion.
"No!" I said, my voice sharp, a cold dread seizing me. I stepped forward, trying to reason with her. "Kyle, please! This is a misunderstanding. Aida didn't mean any harm. I'm sure we can compensate you for any... inconvenience."
She looked at me with utter contempt. "Compensate? You think money can fix everything, Ramsey? No. My company values integrity. Something your family, and particularly your... companion, clearly lack." She turned, her gaze sweeping over Aida with undisguised disgust. "And as for that woman, she's a blight. You deserve better, Ramsey. You're just too blind to see it." She then walked away, her bodyguards following, leaving a stunned silence in her wake.
Hildegarde, who had followed me, her face pale, let out a cry of distress. She marched towards Aida, her hand raised. A sharp crack echoed through the room as she slapped Aida across the face, a resounding blow.
"You fool!" Hildegarde shrieked, her voice trembling with rage. "You little viper! You have ruined everything! Get out of my sight! Get her out of here! To the family chapel! She will face the family elders! And she will be disinherited! Disowned!"
Aida shrieked, clutching her stinging cheek, and lunged towards me, her eyes wide with terror. "Damian! Help me! Please! Don't let them!"
I stood there, frozen. My arms, which had always instinctively reached out for her, remained at my sides. Aida stumbled, falling to her knees, looking up at me, her face a mask of pleading. A strange, unfamiliar wave of hesitation washed over me. I felt... nothing. No frantic urge to protect her. No overwhelming concern. Just a dull, aching emptiness.
My heart gave a sharp, painful lurch. Why did I hesitate? Why didn't I catch her? Why did I feel this... relief?
The image of Jillian's calm, wounded face, her eyes filled with cold indifference, flashed in my mind. A surge of irrational annoyance, then a deeper, unsettling sense of guilt, washed over me.
