CHAPTER 43

Damien's POV

I wonder when Lisa will wake up as I exit the bathroom and notice her still dozing on the bed.

I want to ask her some questions. Last night, I was scheduled to ask her these questions, so I was astonished to find her deep asleep when I emerged from the restroom.

I find it amusing how quickly she can nod out within minutes.

I move away from her inert body, which is curled up in bed like a baby, and grab a dress from the wardrobe.

Lisa stirs in her sleep and yawns loudly without covering her lips, so I grab a black jacket from the wardrobe and a pair of black slacks with a white long-sleeve shirt before turning back to lay them on the bed.

I stop and watch her as she flutters her eyes open and opens her lips widely. She scrambles out of bed in shame as soon as our eyes meet.

I lightheartedly giggle as I go to lay my clothing on the couch. My waist is still covered by a towel.

I'm not sure whether she was embarrassed by it or the fact that she yawned without covering her lips.

"How was your night?" I asked. I query her. Throughout the whole night, she did not move at all. I think it was the booze last night, but I was watching her from where I was lying.

She stammers, "It...it was fine," which causes me to laugh once again.

I hurriedly put on my clothes without turning around to check whether she was watching to remind myself I had questions to ask her. I'm certain she is not looking. She won't be able to stand seeing me in only towels.

I turn around to face her after putting on my white shirt and slacks. She has turned to face me from behind the bed.

I dial her number while I pull at my shirt's sleeves. "Lis?"

"Yes?" She promptly stands up while keeping her gaze on the floor.

"How did you meet and become friends with that girl?" I turn to face the mirror and comb my hair before putting lotion in it.

I detect the aftershave.

I go for my body lotion and apply it to my skin.

"Juliet?" She inquires as if she is unsure if she is the person I am referring to.

Who else would it be, of course?

She merely adds, "We met a long time ago," without saying anything further.

She is still gazing down as I turn around to see her. I furrow my brow in confusion as to why she won't discuss her. Juliet is not a reliable friend.

Gabriel is a nice guy despite the fact that he is the most serious person I have ever encountered. He's simply too carefree.

She doesn't seem to want to discuss it. Then, I should ask the following query.

I remark, without sounding like a question, "You talked about Fashion the other day; I never knew you had a thing for fashion." Making her fantasy come true won't harm, as Alejandro said. I simply won't go along with his own advice to fulfill her ambition.

Italy is completely out of the question. I have a ton of work to do and can't simply travel to Italy to make her happy.

I can provide her with further privileges, like starting a fashion company for her, if she stays true to me until the very end.

Despite the fact that my mother gave her a million dollars, I have my reasons for not giving her any more money. I hope she passes my exam since she is progressively passing it.

She smiles and says, "Yes, I love fashion," her eyes gleaming with delight.

"Really?" I turn around. "Why didn't you care too much about your appearance in the office? You usually wore basic skirts or dresses, if I recall correctly.

She stops talking, and I furrow my brow.

Did I say anything incorrectly?

She responds in a hushed voice, "Well, that is because I was there to work, and I couldn't afford more fashionable dresses," and I later regret asking her that.

I rephrase my question as my curiosity grows. Were you unable to afford it? The pay was insufficient?

She raised her head and grinned dejectedly. It wasn't, though. In addition to helping Juliet, I had a lot of bills and debts to pay.

"Juliet?" As my rage grows, I frown in bewilderment. Juliet? Did she give her a portion of her pay?

To undo what she had already spilled, she shakes her head.

She answers, "No," and gets out of bed. She tries to walk past me while hugging her feeble body to herself in my line of sight.

I want to let go, but I am tempted to pull her back. In any case, I have no right to inquire about her personal life. It would be none of my damn business if she was giving Juliet her entire income or only half of it.

Why should I bother? As a mature adult, she is aware of what is best for her.

Until someone pointed it out, I hardly even noticed her dress. She was my assistant, and she wore the same plain skirts and blouses twice a week in either straight black or plain white.

I let her proceed to the restroom before letting out a long sigh. Before I can move to grab my jacket, the door to the bathroom opens again, and she comes out.

"Damien?" She calls, and I turn back lazily. She bites on her lower lip, making my gaze rest on it for a moment before she releases the lip from the torture. "Can I ask you a question?"

My brows crease.

A question? Does she want something?

Ever since I gave her the first payment, she hasn't asked anything from me, even though I let her go shopping with my credit cards.

Maybe she needs something. Gabriel recently told me about how Sabrina was always polite to him anytime she wanted to go shopping or acquire anything using his credit cards.

Lisa may not actually want to go shopping, and she might not be kind since we aren't real, but I am convinced she wants something from me.

It's probably an escalation in the contract price.

"Go ahead." I offer her a nod and wait with my hands on my waist.

Silence creeps in for a moment, and she chews her lips many times before staring me directly in the eyes and blurting out. "Who is Helena?"

I blink once in astonishment.

Helena? My Helena?

Did Lisa just ask me about Helena?

My face goes aghast with wrath, and I shout with my fist balled in, remembering my darling spouse.

"What the hell"