76 A Stolen Kiss, A Painful Truth
76 A Stolen Kiss, A Painful Truth
Stepping into the hallway, she answered. “Good morning, Gran<b>.</b><b>” </b>
She sshed her face repeatedly, willing the chill to numb the ache in her chest. Afterposing herself, ra showered and dressed with methodical precision, armor against the day ahead.
The table fell silent. ra felt heat rush to her face.
Eleanor frowned. “Damien, please put that away. We’re having family breakfast.”
“I’m fine,” ra replied automatically. “Is everything alright?”
ra swallowed the hurt those words caused. “It’s fine,” she replied, her tone equally. neutral as she sat up. “I understand.”
Damien looked up, his expression softening as it always did for his daughter. “What did you see, princess?”
Her aunt Amelia. Despite theirplicated history, ra had always respected the woman’s independence and strength. Perhaps seeing her was exactly what she needed today.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice t and controlled. “I was dreaming.”
Cora nodded enthusiastically. “The best! Daddy, did you see what I saw this morning?”
Damien stirred, his arms tightening around her waist. “Where are you going?” he
mumbled, his voice clearer now.
Eleanor brightened. “Lovely! It’s been too long since you’ve seen your family.” She turned to Damien. “Why don’t you apany ra? You haven’t been back to the Bellweather estate in ages.”
“Stupid,” she whispered to herself, turning on the cold water. “So stupid.”
“Morning, Grandma. Morning, Coco,” ra replied, forcing a smile.
The single syble shattered the fragile fantasy. Of course. He thought she was Vivienne. The realization felt like a knife twisting in her heart.
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76 <b>A </b>Stolen Kiss<b>, </b>A Painful Truth
<b>“</b>Excuse me<b>,</b><b>” </b>she said, rising from the table. “It’s my grandmother.”
<b>“</b><b>I </b>went to your room to say good morning, but you were still sleeping,” Cora said between bites. “You were hugging Mommy e this.” She demonstrated by wrapping her arms around herself tightly.
ra wasn’t surprised. She’d expected nothing less. Still, the quick dismissal felt like another small wound on an already battered heart.
ra froze. He was awake.
“Good morning, dear,” Eleanor greeted warmly as ra took her seat.
She tried to edge away discreetly, keeping her movements slow to avoid waking him fully. Each inch of separation felt like tearing off a bandage, revealing the raw wound beneath.
Before ra could respond, her phone chimed with an iing call. She nced down, grateful for the distraction.
“Wonderful! One o’clock at the usual ce.”
The challenge in her mother–inw’s voice made ra look up in surprise. Damien’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing slightly at being questioned.
ra’s appetite vanished. She set down her fork, the soft clink against fine china unnaturally loud in the strained silence.
She remained silent, unsure what to say. The room filled with awkward tension as Damien’s body suddenly stiffened. His eyes snapped open, confusion clouding his features as he stared at her.
Breakfast at the Thorne manor was always an borate affair when Eleanor was in residence. The dining room gleamed with polished silver and fresh flowers, a stark contrast to ra’s subdued mood.
ra ended the call and returned to the dining room, where Eleanor was interrogating
Damien about some business matter.
Damien’s expression closed immediately. “I can’t. I have meetings all afternoon.”
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76 A Stolen Kiss, A Painful Truth
“What’s <b>so </b>urgent?” Eleanor frowned, her tone sharpening. “You haven’t gone back with ra for ages!”
Cora continued, oblivious to the tension. “Yo hug Vi–Vi.”
ooked happy, Daddy. Like when you
Eleanor sat at the head of the table, elegant as always in her cashmere sweater. Cora was beside her, happily devouring pancakes shaped like animals.
Eleanor shot Cora a warning look before changing the subject. “ra, dear, how is work going? That project you mentioned sounds fascinating.”
“Mommy, look! Grandma made me a bunny pancake!” Cora eximed, holding up her
fork.
“Coffee, sir?” The maid appeared at his elbow.
He nodded without looking up from his phone. “ck.”
“Vi,” he murmured against her hair, his voice rough with sleep.
ra remained motionless in Damien’s arms, her mind racing. The gentle kiss he’d ced on her forehead burned against her skin, a sensation both achingly familiar and painfully foreign. For years, she had craved his touch, dreamed of moments like this.
When she emerged from the bathroom, Damien was gone. The rumpled sheets on his side of the bed were the only evidence he’d been there at all.
The air between them crackled with tension as Eleanor stared down her son, waiting for an answer that would exin years of neglect toward his wife’s family.
Eleanor’s eyes widened with delight, darting between them. “Is that so?”
His dismissive tone stung ra more than it should have. What had she expected? An admission that he’d enjoyed holding her? That was never going to happen.
She didn’t look back as she slipped into the bathroom, closing the door with a soft click. Only when she was alone did she allow her mask to fall, her hands gripping the edge of the sink as she stared at her reflection.
Recognition dawned in his gaze, followed quickly by something else–difort, perhaps embarrassment. He released her immediately, rolling away to his side of the bed.
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76 A Stolen Kiss<b>. </b>A Painful Truth
ra smiled genuinely this time. “That’s wonderful, sweetheart. Is it delicious<b>?” </b>
ra held her breath, caught between wanting to hear his excuse and dreading whatever painful truth might emerge.
“That was my grandmother,” ra announced, retaking her seat. “She’s invited me to lunch. Aunt Amelia is back in town.”
“I’d love to,” ra said sincerely.
Damien cleared his throat, his face expressionless. “I was asleep, Coco. I didn’t realize.”
“Perfectly fine. I wanted to invite you for lunch today. Amelia is back from her trip to
Paris.”
Damien entered a momentter, freshly showered and impably dressed in a tailored suit. His expression revealed nothing of their earlier encounter as he took the seat opposite ra.
Her eyes were too bright, her cheeks flushed. She looked like a woman who had been embraced by her lover, not mistaken for someone else by her husband.
“ra, darling,” ra Bellweather’s warm voice filled the line. “How are you?”
With visible reluctance, he set his phone aside. His eyes briefly met ra’s before
sliding away.
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