Chapter 6: The Unwelcome Guest
1175 Words
The tension from the conference room lingered well into the evening.
Liora sat alone at the long dining table inside Damien's penthouse, staring blankly at the lavish dinner prepared by his private chef. Every dish looked exquisite, yet she had no appetite.
Damien still hadn't returned.
Perhaps he was deliberately keeping his distance after what had happened earlier.
Or perhaps...
He was with Vivian.
The thought tightened painfully around Liora's heart.
She knew exactly how fragile her position was.
She was nothing more than a tool—a woman Damien had bought to satisfy his vengeance.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Haris was downstairs dealing with the laundry, so Liora stood and walked toward the entrance herself.
She assumed Damien had forgotten his access card.
She couldn't have been more wrong.
The moment she opened the door...
The faint smile on her face disappeared.
A woman stood elegantly in the hallway, dressed in a striking crimson haute couture gown. Her ash-blonde hair was styled to perfection, and the newest designer handbag rested effortlessly on her arm.
She was flawless.
Beautiful.
Confident.
Vivian Cross.
"So..."
Vivian slowly looked Liora up and down, her expression dripping with contempt.
"The rumors were true after all."
Without waiting for an invitation, she brushed past Liora's shoulder and stepped inside the penthouse as though she owned it.
"I heard Laurent Holdings rescued your father's bankrupt company."
She glanced around the luxurious apartment before smirking.
"And look at that."
"The little rat has crawled back into its nest."
Liora quietly closed the door behind her.
She forced herself to remain calm before turning to face Vivian.
"This is Damien's private residence, Miss Cross."
She held Vivian's gaze.
"And unless I'm mistaken..."
"You have no right to enter without his permission."
Vivian laughed.
The sharp sound echoed through the spacious living room.
She casually tossed her handbag onto the marble table.
"Rights?"
"Oh, Liora..."
"You really have no sense of shame."
"You disappeared three years ago like a cheating wife caught in the act."
"And now you've crawled back because you need money."
She took another slow step forward.
"You actually think Damien took you back because he still loves you?"
Her smile widened.
"No."
"He brought you back..."
"...so he could destroy you."
Liora's breathing faltered.
Vivian's voice became colder.
"He knows."
"He knows you can't give him an heir."
Liora felt the blood drain from her face.
Vivian continued mercilessly.
"Mrs. Laurent has already approved my engagement to Damien."
"The announcement will be made after the Bali project is complete."
Her eyes glittered with triumph.
"You're nothing more than a temporary distraction."
"A toy."
"Once he's finished making you pay for the past..."
"...he'll build a real family with me."
"A woman who can actually give him children."
The words struck Liora harder than any slap ever could.
Can't give him children.
The secret she had guarded for years...
The diagnosis she had cried over countless nights...
The reason she had sacrificed her marriage...
Vivian had thrown it back into her face like a weapon.
Pain spread through Liora's body.
Not only the familiar ache in her lower abdomen...
But an agony that reached straight into her heart.
She gripped the edge of the sofa to steady herself.
"Leave."
Her voice trembled.
"Get out, Vivian."
Vivian merely smiled.
"I'm not leaving until I warn you."
She moved even closer.
"Don't fool yourself into thinking you'll keep Damien."
"That one-year contract?"
"It won't even last six months."
"I'll make sure he throws you out himself."
A deep voice suddenly cut through the room.
"Who's being thrown out?"
Both women turned.
Damien stood in the doorway.
His suit jacket was gone, leaving only a fitted black shirt stretched across his broad shoulders.
His eyes swept over Vivian...
Then landed on Liora.
Her face had turned deathly pale.
"Damien!"
Vivian's entire expression transformed in an instant.
The hostility vanished.
A sweet, practiced smile replaced it.
She hurried toward him, reaching for his arm.
"You're finally home."
"I came because your mother said you missed family dinner and—"
"Don't."
Damien's voice was quiet.
Ice-cold.
Vivian froze.
He pulled his arm away before she could touch him.
The look in his eyes made it painfully clear how unwelcome she was.
"Damien, I was only trying to—"
"Haris."
His voice echoed through the penthouse.
Within seconds, the butler rushed upstairs.
"Escort Miss Cross out."
Damien never looked away from Vivian.
"And from this moment on..."
"If anyone enters this penthouse without my written permission..."
"You'll answer to me."
Vivian's face flushed crimson.
Humiliation burned in her eyes.
She looked from Damien to Liora with undisguised hatred.
"You'll regret this."
Her voice shook with fury.
"You're defending her?"
Damien didn't blink.
"Leave."
His tone was even colder.
"Before I have security remove you."
Vivian clenched her fists.
She snatched up her handbag and stormed toward the door, her heels striking the marble floor with furious force.
A moment later...
The front door slammed shut.
Silence returned.
Immediately, Damien's attention shifted to Liora.
He crossed the room in long strides.
She remained standing beside the sofa, one hand pressed against her lower abdomen.
Her breathing had become shallow.
Cold sweat covered her forehead.
"Liora."
His voice softened almost imperceptibly.
"What did she say to you?"
He reached toward her shoulder.
She slapped his hand away.
"Don't touch me!"
The tears she'd been holding back finally spilled over.
"Go to Vivian!"
Her voice broke.
"She was right, wasn't she?"
"I'm just your temporary amusement."
"You're only punishing me because I couldn't give your family what they wanted."
She turned to leave.
One step.
Then another.
Suddenly—
A sharp pain exploded through her lower abdomen.
The room spun violently.
Her vision blurred into darkness.
Her knees gave way.
Before she could hit the marble floor...
Strong arms caught her.
Damien gathered her effortlessly against his chest.
"Liora!"
His voice cracked with panic.
"Look at me."
"Liora!"
She didn't respond.
Without hesitation, he carried her bridal-style into the master bedroom.
Carefully, he laid her on the black silk bed.
Then, for the first time in years...
Damien Laurent knelt beside her.
His trembling fingers brushed the damp strands of hair from her forehead.
The hatred that had filled his eyes since her return was gone.
Only fear remained.
Fear...
And unbearable guilt.
He lowered his head until his forehead rested gently against her cold hand.
His gaze fell to her empty ring finger.
The place where their wedding band used to be.
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly.
"I'm sorry..."
His voice was barely more than a whisper.
"So sorry, Liora."
"I'm sorry for letting you suffer like this."
Outside, the rain continued to fall over Jakarta.
Inside the silent bedroom, the fragile walls around their hearts had begun to crack.
Neither of them realized...
The past they had buried so desperately was already beginning to surface.
And when the truth finally emerged...
It would change both of their lives forever.
- Writer
