Chapter Nine
936 Words
Around 8:00 p.m., I quietly took out my phone and called Jane immediately.
“Jane, I’ve been searching all over this house for my mother’s painting, but I still haven’t found it.”
Jane sighed softly from the other side of the phone.
“You work around rich people all the time,” I continued quietly. “Where do you think they could hide something like my mother’s painting?”
“Have you checked his art gallery, study, or bedroom?” she suggested. “Do you think he has a safe?”
“I don’t know.”
“One of my clients once hid solid gold inside a bathroom wall,” she added.
I sighed softly. “Okay. Thanks, Jane.”
The call ended immediately.
Without wasting another second, I headed straight toward Damien’s room.
The door was slightly open, the moment I stepped inside, I frozed.
Damien was sitting alone on the sofa drinking quietly.
My heart skipped.
Carefully, I started searching around the room silently, trying not to make any noise. But suddenly, my hand accidentally hit the cup resting on the table beside him.
The cup crashed loudly onto the floor.
I lost my balance immediately and fell down beside the table.
“Who’s there?” Damien asked instantly.
I froze completely.
His hearing was unbelievably sharp.
Slowly, I turned toward him without making a sound.
Then cautiously, I stretched my hand toward his face, waving it gently in front of his eyes to check if he was truly blind.
He didn’t react, nott even once.
A strange confusion settled inside me.
I slowly stood up again and continued searching around the room quietly until my eyes landed on a box underneath Damien’s chair.
Immediately, I bent down, trying to pull the box out carefully.
Then suddenly, the door suddenly opened.
“Hey, boss”
John stopped immediately the moment his eyes landed on us.
The silence that followed was deadly.
My eyes widened in horror as realization hit me instantly.
From the angle he entered, it looked completely wrong.
I was bent down directly in front of Damien while one of his legs rested slightly apart from the chair, and with the box hidden beneath him, there was absolutely no way to explain what this looked like.
“Oh my God” I quickly stood up so fast I almost hit my head against the table. “It’s not what you think!”
John looked frozen for a second before awkwardly turning his face away immediately.
The silence that followed was deadly.
My eyes widened in horror.
From the angle he entered, it looked completely wrong.
It looked like I was underneath Damien doing something inappropriate.
“Oh my God—” I quickly stood up in panic. “It’s not what you think!”
“I… uh…”
His ears had already turned red.
“No! Nothing happened!” I said quickly, my voice filled with panic.
Meanwhile, Damien remained completely calm behind me.
That only made things worse.
John cleared his throat awkwardly and took a step backward toward the door.
“I’ll just… come back later.”
“It’s not like that!” I cried out immediately.
But the more I tried explaining, the more suspicious everything sounded.
John coughed lightly, clearly trying not to laugh.
“Keep doing whatever you’re doing, Mr. Damien.”
Then he disappeared out the door before I could stop him.
The room instantly fell silent again.
I stood there completely mortified, my entire face burning with embarrassment.
I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole.
Slowly, I turned around toward Damien.And to my complete disbelief.
He was smiling,not just smiling the man was actually enjoying this.
Damien leaned back against the chair calmly, the faint smile still resting on his lips.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“That’s exactly the problem!” I whispered harshly.
The smile on his face deepened slightly.
For a man who was supposed to be blind, he looked far too entertained right now.
A strange suspicion flickered through my mind again.
Before I could think deeper about it, Damien suddenly spoke.
“Carina.”
Panic rushed through me instantly.
“No,” I blurted out quickly. “It’s not Carina.”
I cleared my throat immediately and lowered my voice.
“It’s Lizzie. Remember? I’m the new employee.”
For a brief second, the room became quiet again.
Then Damien slowly stood up from the chair.
My heartbeat instantly quickened.
He moved toward me carefully until there was barely any space left between us.
Too close.Way too close.
I swallowed nervously.
Then suddenly, his hand wrapped around my waist and pulled me gently against him.
My breath caught instantly.
Is this how he behaves with his staff?
“Excuse me,” I whispered softly, trying not to panic.
But instead of letting go, his grip around me tightened slightly.
“Lizzie,” he murmured calmly near my ear, his voice low and smooth enough to send unexpected shivers down my spine, “do you mind giving me a hand to the dining room?”
“I can get there on my own,” he added quietly, “but it’s easier this way.”
I stared at him speechlessly for a moment.
Something about this man felt dangerous.
Not because he was cruel.
Because he always acted like he knew more than he should.
“Yes, sir,” I answered softly at last.
But as I helped him toward the door, one thought refused to leave my mind.
What exactly are you after, Carina Voss?
- Writer
