shuhaige
Chapter 24
Chapter 24
POV: *Damon*
It had all started with an SOS.
I had been surprised to see the text from Corinna but I had responded nonetheless. I stared up at the apartment building her parents paid for, the security guards out front pressing back against the wave of reporters.
I couldn’t help but think about our past relationship as I stood in front of the same apartment building now that I had two years earlier.
The morning sun was bright as I made my way into the building, my feet following the familiar path to Corinna’s apartment. My dress shoes clicked loudly on the tile floor as I walked purposefully forward.
Finally, I stood in front of her door and knocked. It opened up immediately, the smell of Corinna wafting out into the hall.
“Hey, baby,” Corinna purred, a smirk on her face. She was only wearing a pink, fluffy bathrobe as she opened up the door for me.
“Corinna,” I said, coolly, stepping past her and into the apartment.
As usual, her apartment was a mess. A cluster of broken objects lay all around the floor- smashed vases and phones and items I couldn’t even recognize. This was a new level of messy even for her.
Clearly, she’d had another tantrum before I’d come. She was famous for her tantrums.
I took a seat on the leather couch, crossing my arms impatiently. She took the seat beside me, too close for comfort as she sent me a sly look. The robe dipped over the corner of her shoulders and I narrowed my eyes at the blatant flirting.
“To what do I owe the pleasure, Damon?” She smirked at me through lidded eyes, flirtatiously.
I silently apologized to Adelaide before I smirked, turning to Corinna. I didn’t have a choice, I had to find out what she knew, and this was the best way to achieve that.
“Just thought I’d drop by for old time’s sake,” I said cooly, looking at her longingly.
Chaper 24
“Old time’s sake?” Corinna scoffed, as she crossed one of her legs over the over. “You don’t honestly expect me to believe that?”
I shrugged, gazing around the room. Getting information out of Corinna was going to be difficult.
Luckily, I knew exactly how to play it.
“Adelaide would have.” I said with a small chuckle.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Corinna clenching her teeth, her flirty facade falling. The resentment in her eyes was not hard to miss. She’d never been able to hide her dislike for her half-sister, even when she tried.
Immediately, she went into action, shrugging off her robe and revealing the thin nightgown underneath- nearly lingerie but with just enough modesty to cover her assets.
She giggled-too high-pitched to be real.
Corinna was not a good actress.
Not to me. I’d played her long enough to know exactly what her behavior.
meant.
She turned to me, swinging her leg over to straddle my lap, her hands. wrapping around my shoulders.
“Can Adelaide do this?” Corinna smirked, leaning her lips close to mine.
It felt wrong to have her hands on me, and I wanted desperately for them. to be Adelaide’s hands instead. But I had no choice.
“You’re engaged to Ashton. Should you really be doing this?” I said, casually like I didn’t care. Even when I wanted to rip her hands off of me.
“Who cares?” she scoffed. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. Plus, I’m sure he’s doing the same with someone else too.”
At least I know one thing now. Ashton was already cheating on her.
“Besides,” she said as she smirked, leaning in closer, “it’s for old time’s sake, right?”
There was a victorious glint in her eye- like there was whenever she felt like she had one-upped Addie.
Exactly like that night of her engagement.
She leaned in to kiss me, the scent of her perfume washing over me. It was overpowering-floral in a way that stung my nose.
Quickly, I grabbed her shoulders, holding her back from me.
“Old time’s sake? We never slept together, Corinna,” I said, firmly. “Our entire relationship was fake.”
Her anger was instant.
“So what?” she snapped, crossing her arms and looking at me with at haughty expression. “I know you want me. Besides, we both know Adelaide will never love you the way you want her to. Your engagement with her is just as fake as ours.”
Two years ago, she would’ve been right.
I’d spent so long trying to keep close to Addie, just wanting to be on the outstretches of the light she gave off to allow myself even the tiniest hints of her warmth, that I’d agreed to Corinna’s proposal.
“I got rid of your stalker, and you got rid of the woman my father wanted me to marry,” I said, coldly. “Our deal is over.”
Corinna stiffened at the mention of her stalker-as she always did when I brought it up. There was still a hint of fear in her eyes even after I’d made him disappear.
“That doesn’t matter,” Corinna growled.
I glanced at the full wine bottle on the coffee table along with a dozen. letters and magazines piled underneath it, an idea forming in my mind.
“Maybe not,” I said, simply.
I slid her off of me and onto the couch as I got up, making my way to the wine bottle. I grabbed it. The cork was gone, replaced by one of the artificial stoppers you could buy anywhere. It had been opened recently.
I glanced at the empty wine glasses on the table and narrowed my eyes. Any pregnant woman knew not to drink alcohol.
I opened it up, grabbing one of the empty glasses as I poured it out. I glanced at her, offering the glass of wine.
“Here,” I said with a smile. “Have a drink.
She raised an eyebrow, suspiciously but still accepted the glass.
Right before she took a sip, I said, “Quite odd for a pregnant woman to be drinking alcohol, don’t you think?”
“Pregnant? I’m not-” Corinna frowned, looking confused until she shut. her mouth with a snap, paling. She dropped the wine glass on the floor. It shattered and spread into a puddle of wine and glass shards.
“Oh, you’re right,” she laughed, nervously, quickly getting to her feet. “Oh, I totally forgot.”
“Right,” I said, disbelievingly.
“How’d you even find out anyway?” Corinna said, narrowing her eyes. accusingly at me.
I didn’t answer her. Instead, I marched across the room, stepping over the broken wine glass on the floor until we were nose to nose.
“Goodbye,” I said, simply before brushing past her.
“Wait a minute!” Corinna grabbed my wrist trying to get me to stop. “What did you even come here for?”
I glanced at her, and despite how much I wanted to brush her away, I held back. I still needed to keep her on my good side.
“Maybe I just wanted to see you,” I said, quietly not meeting her eyes.
A slow smirk spread across her face, that victorious look in her eye again like she had won something. It was too bad for her I wasn’t a trophy. And she was no competition to the woman I truly wanted.
She stepped closer, but right as she did, my phone began to ring.
“Damon here,” I answered, ignoring the sour look on Corinna’s face as she stepped back, crossing her arms impatiently.
“Where are you?” Addie yawned through the phone. “You left.”
“Work, sorry,” I lied, feeling lower than low. I hated lying to her.
“Okay. Come home soon,” she sounded tired, her voice muffled.
Home.
That warmth I had wanted so badly to be a part of filled my chest with that single word. She felt like our house together was home. It was all I’d
ever wanted.
“I will.” I promised.
“Mmkay,” she said, sleepily, her eyes probably closing as she snuggled
into bed once more It was difficult to keep the smile from curling up my lips at the thought
I bet she looked so cute. Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!
But when the call ended, I was left in reality.
“She’ll never love you,” Corinna said, cruelly. “You’ll always be nothing to her. But me
She crossed the room, trailing her hands up my chest with a coy expression. You could be everything to me
“Goodbye, Corinna, I removed her hand, turning to leave.
I had what I wanted. And she had no idea what I’d been there for in the first place. She really was cawy to manipulate
“When you get tired of Addie, you can always catch up with me. For old time’s sake. Corinna marked as she called after me
I shut her apartment door, pulling the door hard to make sure it shut. Once it did, I pulled out the letter I’d stolen from her table.
As I opened it up. I smirked.
“Dear Corinna Summers,
We are happy to report that your donor for In-Vitro Fertilization has been selected! We hope to see you and your fiance soon.
Thank you for choosing us.
The Fertility Center of Las Vegas.
Corinna wasn’t pregnant. I knew she’d never allow that. She saw her body as her career, and pregnancy would ruin that. They were using a
surrogate.
Checkmate.