e stepped forward.
Claudine was forced to take a step back, her body pressing against the cold mirror behind her.
In front of her were the man’s burning eyes.
He lifted his hand, using the phone to gently tilt up her chin, making her look at him.
“Are you jealous?”
Claudine said, “As if you deserve it!”
She slapped his hand away and returned to her computer.
Damian watched her back, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
“Don’t worry. I said I would keep my distance from her. It’s so late, I won’t go to her place.”
Claudine said nothing.
Only the sound of the keyboard remained in the bedroom.
Damian handled work on his phone.
The night grew deep, and suddenly the ringtone sounded again.
Claudine unconsciously stopped what she was doing.
The phone kept ringing. Claudine didn’t turn around, but she could already guess who was calling.
When Damian saw the caller ID, he instinctively glanced at Claudine.
He still answered the call.
In the silent room, Audrey’s voice came through the receiver, so clear that even Claudine could hear every word.
“Ms. Hogan, could you please tell Dami for me? I know you both are back. I want to see Darla.”
Damian’s voice was cold.
“Darla is still in Reedport. She didn’t come back with us.”
The sound of sobbing came from the other end.
“Dami, why did you leave Darla in Reedport? Is it because of me? Did Ms. Hogan get angry and leave Darla in Reed- port?
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“If it’s because of that text message, I’m willing to apologize to Ms. Hogan.
“It was my fault. I shouldn’t have used your child to hurt Ms. Hogan,
“But Darla is flesh and blood, with feelings. How could she use Darla to get back at me!”
Audrey’s crying, in the stillness of the night, was especially grating.
Claudine heard every word she said.
She said Darla was flesh and blood, with feelings.
But didn’t the child who left have those too!
Didn’t she, who lost her child, have them too!
Audrey claimed to apologize, but once again, she stabbed a knife into Claudine’s heart.
But Damian didn’t pick up on this meaning.
He frowned and explained.
“Darla wanted to stay in Reedport herself, to learn opera from Mrs. Hogan. It has nothing to do with Claudine!
“She’s my daughter too. How could I just leave her behind!”
By now, Audrey couldn’t listen to anything.
“Claudine, I’ve already apologized to you. Dami sent me back to Bronzevale. What more do you want!”
Audrey screamed hysterically into the phone.
Claudine only found it laughable!
It was Damian who answered the call, Damian who left Audrey in Reedport, yet Audrey kept blaming her!
Claudine got up, walked over to Damian, and took the phone from him.
“Audrey, if you really care about Darla, there are no flights at this hour, but there are still high–speed trains.
“Instead of going crazy in the middle of the night, why not go to Reedport now and bring Darla back.
“Or is it that you simply want Damian to go keep you company.
“If you’re too embarrassed to say it, I’ll tell him for you.”
Damian never expected Claudine to say something so harsh.
In the dead of night, what wife would let her own husband go keep another woman company!
He knew Claudine was angry with him.
But how could she say such things to Audrey!
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What did this woman take him for!
Some object to be handed over at will?
He grabbed Claudine’s wrist, staring hard at the woman before him.
He almost forced the words out from between his clenched teeth.
“Say that again!”
Claudine curled her lips, tilting her head to the side, the mockery in her expression obvious.
At that moment, Audrey’s voice came through the phone again.
“Claudine! Don’t be so sarcastic!
“Dami and I are Darla’s parents. Even if you can’t accept it, we can’t just cut off contact!
“Don’t use your filthy thoughts to judge my relationship with Dami.
“Of course I’ll go back for Darla!
“I would never abandon her!”
With that, Audrey hung up.
Damian was still gripping Claudine’s wrist, something flickering in his dark eyes.
Claudine’s words just now felt like the last straw pressing down on him.
These days, she had been demanding a divorce, focusing on work and her PhD, living apart from him, showing indif- ference and disgust in everything she did.
His dissatisfaction and frustration had reached their limit.
At this moment, he felt as if the tangled mess of emotions in his chest had been ignited, almost burning away his rea-
son.
He even thought, maybe he should just lock this woman up in the villa.
No, lock her to this bed, so she could never have those thoughts again.
