Not 23

Chapter 23 

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Damian frowned. “She didn’t sleep?” 

“No, sir. Every time Miss Barrette has an allergic reaction, she stays by her side. Last night, Miss Barrette was crying and wouldn’t take her medicine. We couldn’t calm her down, so we called Mrs. Barrette. 

“She got her to take it, then held her for hours until she finally fell asleep. 

“She even stayed up to make sure she didn’t scratch the rash and leave scars. 

“Around dawn, Miss Barrette threw up all over her. 

“If I may… she really cares about Miss Barrette. Maybe it’s time to let it go and ask her to come back.” 

Damian’s frown deepened. 

“Darla threw up on her? That’s why she dressed like that?” 

The servant nodded. 

“Yes. Miss Barrette only wants her when she’s sick. She clings to her and won’t let go. And she woke up a lot last night. Mrs. Barrette held her almost all night. 

“I thought Mrs. Barrette would rest once you got home!” 

Only then did Damian realize how badly he’d misread everything. And he said those hurtful things. No wonder Clau- dine lost it. 

Then he waved the servant off. 

Darlene had stopped crying. 

She knew Claudine had done a lot for her, but her words from earlier still hurt. 

Darlene didn’t understand that sometimes grown–ups said things they didn’t mean. 

She clenched her hands, not sure what to do. 

Damian looked down at her. “Is your rash still itchy?” 

Darlene shook her head. 

She stayed curled up in his arms, thinking about how she’d pushed Claudine away. 

She hadn’t even let her come in to get changed. 

“Daddy, I did something bad.” 

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03:52 

Chapter 23 

“You wanna tell me?” Damian said softly. 

She fidgeted with her fingers, voice barely a whisper. “I made Claudine leave.” 

Thinking about how she’d treated Claudine just now, she felt like a bad kid. 

She didn’t want to be one or to lose Claudine. 

The truth was that she had missed Claudine over the past few days. 

Damian kissed her gently on the cheek. 

“Hey, this wasn’t all on you, you know? I said some dumb stuff, too. 

“When she comes back, we’ll both apologize, okay?” 

Darlene sniffled and nodded. Not long after, she fell asleep. 

Meanwhile, Claudine drove back to Willow Creek Villas. 

Thankfully, no one else was in the parking garage. If anyone saw her like this, it’d be mortifying. 

She hurried toward the elevator, hoping it was empty. 

But when the doors opened, Audrey was already inside. 

“Ms. Hogan? You’re barely dressed. Come on, get in.” 

Audrey took off her jacket and draped it over Claudine’s shoulders. 

“Thanks,” Claudine murmured. 

She glanced at Audrey’s outfit. “Out for a jog, Ms. Lavigne?” 

Audrey smiled. “Yeah.” 

She gave Claudine one more look but didn’t say anything else. 

Claudine knew she looked miserable. 

If Audrey asked, she wouldn’t even know where to start. 

She couldn’t tell her how Damian and his daughter had treated her. 

Thankfully, Audrey stayed quiet until the elevator reached the first floor. 

Claudine started to hand back the jacket, but Audrey stopped her. 

“Keep it. You look cold. Get some rest when you get home, okay? 

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“And if you’re free tonight, swing by my place. I’ve got a few pieces I’d love to show you. My husband’s been collect- ing them for years. You’ve got such a good eye for sculpture. I think you’ll like them. 

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03:52 

Chapter 23 

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep Axel in the cage so he doesn’t freak you out.” 

She was so kind that Claudine couldn’t say no. 

Besides, someone else might step into the elevator any second, and the jacket felt necessary. 

“Thank you, Ms. Lavigne.” 

“You’re welcome,” Audrey said, stepping out. 

As the doors closed again, Claudine caught her reflection in the mirror and felt drained. 

Back home, she took her medicine, went to the bathroom, took off her dress, and tossed it in the trash. 

Damian left for work early. 

Lindsay was reviewing his schedule in the office. 

Ever since she’d seen Claudine at the auction, she’d stopped fantasizing about Damian. 

Claudine was remarkable, but even she couldn’t win his heart. Lindsay knew she didn’t stand a chance. 

So she focused on doing her job well. 

“Mr. Barrette, Mr. Sandoval can’t make tonight’s dinner. He’ll pick another day.” 

Damian nodded. “Alright.” 

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll head out.” 

She turned to go. 

“Hold on,” Damian said. “Can you find out where Claudine’s been staying the past few days?” 

Lindsay nodded and walked out. 

She was surprised Claudine hadn’t been home in so long. 

Thinking back to how Claudine had lit up the auction floor that day, Lindsay glanced toward his office. 

“Is Mr. Barrette trying to make peace with his wife?” she murmured to herself. 

But Claudine was back in the auction world. Would she want to go back to being a housewife? 

Lindsay couldn’t figure it out. If Damian didn’t love Claudine, why did he care where she was? 

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Anyone who went to Camberwell University had probably heard the stories about the trio and the woman Damian couldn’t forget. 

If he was still hung up on her, why end the marriage in the first place? 

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03:52 

Chapter 23 

Claudine woke to find it was already evening. 

Audrey had sent a message inviting her over. 

Claudine grabbed a good bottle of red wine and the jacket and headed out. 

She was curious about the sculpture collection Audrey had mentioned. 

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