CHAPTER 83

Lisa POV

After forcing my Grandma to share a bed with her maid and friend, Safina, and locking myself in her bedroom for weeks, I am now enjoying the time of my life.

Sabrina radiates joy. She is adventurous, and I am certain that she is the kind of friend I need.

Eunice comes up behind me, grabs my waist, and grinds it on her front as she dances to the loud music while I swing my hips and chuckle to myself.

I start to fall in love with Sabrina as soon as her laughter fills my ears. She is awesome for doing this. She is awesome for having me here. I appreciate her coming to see how I'm doing.

When she arrived yesterday night, she saw how terrible I seemed. It seems that either Damien or Gabriel didn't promptly inform her of what transpired between Damien and me.

One day, his ego will drive him to destruction.

I've been looking forward to tonight's adventure ever since Sabrina left last night since she said she would pick me up so we could go out.

I felt happy as though by magic. For the first time in two weeks, I was able to divert my attention from Damien's ideas, and I started to consider how much fun it would be with the females.

Due to Sabrina's pregnancy, I resolved to abstain from alcohol as well. Despite being tempted, I resist the urge and end up becoming wasted and temporarily forgetting my problems.

What good would that do, though? If I get wasted tonight, the guilt of being wasted will weigh heavily on me when I wake up the next day. I'll return to considering him.

But I'm content not to be intoxicated. It's a decision to think about him right now.

Eunice spanks my butt and says, "You bad bitch, I never knew you could be wild," as I punch her shoulder while laughing and twirling about like a drunken lady.

Should I join you, girls? From where she is seated, Sabrina yells. I nod quickly and motion for her to approach.

We start dancing as she comes over with a grin on her face.

This is the same party I went to with them the previous day when I went to see Sabrina at home and saw they were leaving. The previous day, other girls were asking Eunice and Sabrina about who I was, so I wasn't as free. The people didn't swarm around me when I was presented as Damien's wife, contrary to what I had imagined they would do if they realized I was the wife of the youngest millionaire.

It wasn't anything exceptional, I suppose, and Sabrina is also married to a multibillionaire. A millionaire and some of the females were also dating Eunice.

For them, it was nothing unusual. They didn't have anything to extol. Nothing special about being married to Damien, but I was respected.

Sabrina, Eunice, and I are the only people here tonight, and I feel at ease with them. I feel a lot more at ease about Sabrina, possibly because Eunice may have been in my position if she had agreed to enter into a marriage without conditions as I did.

I've kept what occurred between Damien and me a secret from the girls, and I'm relieved they haven't asked me about it.

Sabrina may be aware. She could have been informed by Gabriel, but she doesn't seem to know.

They don't seem interested in meeting me at my Grandma's house instead of Damien's, which puzzles me.

The fact that Damien and I do not get along is so clear to anybody with eyes, yet they are saying or doing nothing to let us know what truly happened.

Sabrina mentioned a baby shower when we arrived at the party, and I have no doubt that she will plan one shortly for the newborn.

As we dance, we make fun of one another. Eunice is the most bizarre. She makes a funny butts-shaking motion, which makes Sabrina and I both laugh out loud.

Sabrina stops dancing and stands with her arms up when we are sober. I'm exhausted.

Is it the infant? As I stop dancing and ask her with concern.

She grins and rolls her eyes at me. "No, stupid. These days, I feel weary quickly. I should return to my seat. You two ought to have fun.

I give her a nod as I watch her go. Eunice tries to take my hand so we may dance together just before she sits down, but all of a sudden, another hand takes my other hand.

I feel a strong tug, and as a result, I find myself yanking away from Eunice's hand and slamming my head on a hard surface.

as a wall.

Have I just collided with a wall?

My nose notices something familiar as soon as I open my eyes, feeling the blow to the forehead that suddenly gives me a headache all over my head.

a perfume.

His perfume.

With his right hand on my waist and his other hand still holding onto the hand, he used to pull me away from Eunice, I quickly lifted my head up to meet his blue, crystal-clear eyes.

We stand there looking at each other as the music slows down. I want to pinch myself to make sure this is actually happening and not just a figment of my imagination where Damien is holding or touching me.

I am unable to self-pinch. Caged are my hands. My right hand is intertwined with his, and my other hand has grabbed hold of his clothing as a result of my fear at the sudden pull.

He might vanish and this dream might end if I let go of my hands in an attempt to pinch myself. I therefore made the decision to keep observing him. Continue to daydream.

I'm not intoxicated, am I? Why then do I feel inebriated?

In the middle of a club, I shouldn't be having this kind of dream. Perhaps Damien just looks like this guy.

Not Damien, though.

He suddenly moves his hand away from me, and I quickly blink in an attempt to block off the vision of him standing in front of me.

He is still in front of me, looking both dangerous and stunningly attractive. His white t-shirt is see-through enough to show off his biceps, which I ran my hands over during our sex in Verona.

I blink again.

He is still here.

I am going to say anything when he takes my hand again but this time, he starts to walk away toward the exit.

Then it clicks.

Eunice. Where is Eunice?

This is genuine. Damien is truly here and he is the one bringing me with him out of the club and not some person who looks like him.

This is Damien.

Where is Eunice? Where is Sabrina? Has he gotten rid of them?

The nighttime air strikes my face. Thankfully, my hair is bundled in a ponytail. All the leaping I had been doing would have had my hair disheveled and this wind too.

He turns to face me as I hastily tear my hand away from his grip.

"How indiscreet of you to come and tear me away from the enjoyment I was having with my friends. What do you think of yourself?

We must stop being foolish. I'm not stupid if he is, then.

I won't allow him to go here from any place only to spoil my enjoyment. He shouldn't assume that being around him and seeing him for the first time in two weeks would have me pouring over him like bees since I have been doing so well without him.

He merely says "Let's go" and I giggle uncontrollably.

Now I can say with absolute certainty that I drank a little of the booze Eunice had ordered for herself.

"Shall we leave now? To what? Home?" A pleat of his hair falls off his face as he breathes deeply and turns his head away.

I sigh and turn my head away, my assurance vanishing into thin air. I want to assist him with tucking his hair.

I say, "I'm going back inside," and turn around, but he quickly blocks my path.

"No!" Suddenly, he seems helpless.

"No? Why are you here at all? Are you coming to show me what a sleazy girl I was for opening my legs so widely for you too? I stutter and scream in silence as adrenaline rushes through my body.

"Lisa, no. He says quietly, "I'm here so we can chat. The urgency is gone, and in its stead are sorrowful eyes.

He doesn't seem well. He seemed to have been awake for days.

Well, neither have I.

"Damien, I'm not interested in talking to you. Remember that we are finished?

We are not, no. We still have a few months left on our contract, so we are legally linked together.

That apparently came out before he realized it.

So, that's it.

It's not apologies. It serves as a reminder of what I must do to avoid being sued for breaching our contract.

He violated the terms of the agreement by having sex with me, therefore I won't allow him to frighten me with his insults.

"Bullshit!" I spit in his face and turn quickly around, determined to get out regardless of what he says or how long he continues to stand in my path.

I've had it with him. Damien would never want us to be genuine, and I should have known that. He has a serious history of problems. He is fixated on the agreement.

To even hope for anything more from him would be silly. I'm stupid for continuing to love the moron despite everything.

He blocks my path, nearly running into me again.

"Lisa…."

I don't wait for him to finish what he wants to say before slapping him across the face with my raised palm.

I can't believe I really hit him, and the slap made my hand hurt.

His eyes widen in surprise as his hand leaps to his face.

"Don't ever dare to show your face to me again!" I pointed a forewarning finger at him in an effort to shoo him away.

Seeing him makes me completely baffled. Today, though, I am certain that it is useless to wait for him.

He has just shown me by his actions tonight that he is not the one for me. We are unable to coexist.

I'm done now.

I've had enough of wanting, desiring, and begging for a miracle. I'm through being the helpless one.

When I move away from him to return to the club and locate Sabrina and Eunice because he is silent, I feel a rush of sickness come over me.

I fall backward.

When I open my eyes, Damien is standing over me. It strikes me again as I turn away from him and begin to move when everything goes completely black.

I make a backward misstep and land on the ground.

All I can make out is Damien's hand reaching out to grab me, but until I'm on the ground and darkness has descended, he is unable to do so.