My Forbidden Translator

STAY

Clara slept well, but she couldn't afford to sleep in; this wasn't her home. She came for business, she said to herself as she headed downstairs. The atmosphere inside the house was quiet and cold, but Clara still felt really comfortable and calm inside.

She sat near the massive kitchen island early that morning, sipping coffee quietly with her legs crossed elegantly and scrolling through her phone while soft sunlight poured through the glass walls.

The older chef smiled at her while preparing breakfast. “You’re awake early today, Miss Bennett.”

Clara smiled softly back. “Yes, and added jokingly, can't afford to sleep in”

The chef chuckled lightly. “You and Mr. DeLuca both.”

At the mention of Damien, I lifted my eyes, and our gaze locked, and heat rushed to my cheeks. I looked away immediately, pretending to scroll through my phone.

He immediately sat at the long black dining table while scrolling through something on his phone with a slight frown on his face that still looked attractive.

From his outfit, he looked like he would be home today, and he looked less cold than the first day she met him.

When she went to the kitchen to drop her cup, the chef leaned closer toward Clara with a teasing smile.

“You know,” he whispered, “Mr. DeLuca barely came down here; he rarely sat at the dining table.” Clara blinked.

Before she could respond, Damien suddenly lifted his eyes from his phone.

Their gazes instantly met again.

“Coffee,” Damien said calmly. The chef immediately moved.

But Clara grabbed the coffee pot first without thinking. I’ll do it.” With a smile on her face, she said. The chef nodded with a smile on his face.

Slowly, Clara walked toward the table before pouring coffee carefully into his cup.

She handed him the coffee and took a seat across from him.

“No office today”, she asked.

No he replied, I cleared my schedule to prepare for the business trip; it's important to me.

His gaze fixed on her like he was expecting more questions.

Damien took a slow sip of coffee. “Breakfast. “I can eat upstairs.”

“You can eat here,” he added. His tone remained calm.

“You became a translator because of your mother.” he dropped his face like he never said anything.

Clara froze slightly. How do you know about my mother?”

His expression remained unreadable.

“I know a lot about the people who work for me.”

Something about that answer unsettled her slightly.

But before she could respond, Vanessa suddenly entered the dining room and whispered something in his ear, and Damien’s expression darkened instantly.

The warmth in the room disappeared almost immediately

“Tell them,” Damien said calmly, “that if they waste my time again, I’ll take their company instead.”

“Okay, sir”, she added and left immediately.

Clara stood up “ I will be in my room if you need me for anything, especially for business preparation. Let me know. She barely took two steps, and he added” You should look around the house “. She gave him a look that said, “Why?

I will show you around so you can easily find your way around here if you need anything. Clara knows if she ever needs anything, she will ask the staff, yet she follows him as he leads the way.

His house seems like a whole different world from hers. The library, garden, pool, hallway, and rooftop were all so massively built and beautiful. Clara kept talking out of excitement, and she noticed that Damien rarely seemed like a good listener; he noticed that she talked more than the people around him. As they stood by the pool, Clara said” I haven't tried swimming before” he looked at her and gave out a faint smile “ I'm actually good at swimming” maybe one day I will show you how good i am, she looked up and “are you showing off “ with a full bright smile and Damien gave out a loud laugh, “maybe” he replied in between the laugh,

Damien couldn't believe his laughing; he just couldn't remember the last time he felt at peace and happy inside, but strangely he's feeling all that now.

The gardener was even more shocked than him when he laughed because nobody had seen him laugh or smile, it was rare.

Damien always seemed so cold; he rarely spoke more than necessary or even smiled.

After the quiet conversation beside the pool, Clara turned to continue the tour. She failed to notice the gardener coming quickly with the sprayer at his back.

Startled, she stepped back.

Before she could lose her balance, Damien shot out his hands and wrapped them around her waist.

For a second, everything seemed to stop. She felt the steady heartbeat beneath his shirt while his faint sweet cologne surrounded her. It was clean and strangely comforting.

Neither of them spoke or moved. She lifted her face only to find him already looking at her.

The noise from the background brought them back to reality. He then slowly released her and took a step back “You should be careful…careful “ he stammered for the very first time. Then he stepped away to answer his phone that had been buzzing for some seconds.

While Clara kept walking forward alone, she noticed a door slightly open, so curiously she stepped in, and beyond she was amazed; it was a room full of beautiful paintings. Her eyes caught the large, beautiful paintings on the wall, and she stepped closer.

It was a woman. Elegant, beautiful, but with sad eyes. She stepped closer, trying to get a closer look because for some reason she couldn't look away.

Then she heard Damien's voice behind her.

Cold, sharp, and angry.

Nothing like the man who had been standing beside her moments ago.

Her heart sank; a feeling of hurt settled in her chest, because a few minutes ago, she could have sworn there had been something different in his eyes.

“What are you doing here?”