Well, since Damon had put it that way, there was no room for negotiation
We were talking big shots from the city Making a fool of yourself in front of them? Heavy consequences.
Nancy’s face turned ugly, all her usual grace and dignity was gone. She was looking at Ariel, her eyes full of disappointnt.
The host whispered to Ariel, "Ms Ariel, please return to your seat."
"Okay. "Ariel responded with a downcast head, placed her speech on the podium, and quickly exited the stage.
I picked up her discarded speech, gave it a once-over, and tossed it into the nearby trash. Then, I continued where Ariel had left off.
I was pretty pleased with Ariel’s performance. It got my gears turning: my delivery was light but powerful.
About ten minutes later, my talk was over. The room burst into applause.
I knew I did good that day
Ariel, on the other hand, was a ss. From the mont she returned to her seat to the end of the summit, she had kept her head down, staring at the table. Her mind clearly elsewhere.
"Ms. Brooks, hold up." Everyone else had left, but Nancy stopped . She brought Ariel over. "This was Ariel’s fault today. She shouldn’t have taken your speech."
Ariel glanced at , but I didn’t see any regret in her eyes.
I simply gave a cold laugh without saying a word and left.
On the way back, I had soone look into the mysterious phone number to see who called . It might have given the cops a lead.
All I could do then was to wait for the investigation to bear fruit or for the caller to contact again.
When I got back to Starlight Estates, I couldn’t help but think of the ring Damon tossed. It had been a few days: I wondered if anyone found it.
I headed out alone, in the direction Damon tossed the ring. If I was not mistaken, it should have been sowhere in the green space.
But the recent snowfall had made the ground a thin layer of white, making the search difficult. Soon enough, my hands were freezing.
"What are you doing?" Damon’s voice suddenly ca from behind . I was startled and turned quickly
He was still in his suit from the eting, but then he’d gotten a black coat on top, adding a touch of elegance to his cold deanor.
Against the snow and black clothes, Damon’s skin had a soft glow. He didn’t look like he was in his early thirties.
I rubbed my hands together and said, "Nothing. I heard a puppy whining. I was afraid it might freeze to death, so I ca to look."
"A puppy?" Damon rolled his eyes at the snow I’ve disturbed.
"Aren’t you looking for the engagent ring Jones gave you?"
Talking to him was exhausting. He made lying hard.
But I was getting better at acting, so I just brushed off my hands and said, "Am I crazy? Do I need more trouble from you?"
"Hum, good to know!" Damon’s gaze fell on my red, cold hands. He took off his leather gloves, "Put these on and let’s go ho."
I put on his gloves. They were soft inside, still warm from his hands, and suddenly my hands felt warm again.
Damon took my hand and led back towards the mansion.
Winter days were short, and nights were long.
By four or five in the afternoon, the sky had darkened. The wind howled.
Damon led along the damp path, his tall fra and long strides keeping him ahead. I could see his profile and the slope of his shoulders.
It started to snow again. Small flakes lightly dusted our shoulders.
"Mr. Coleman, Ms. Brooks, you’re back!" The mont we entered the mansion, the housekeeper greeted us. "Would you like dinner prepared earlier today?" "Hum"Damon responded. So, the housekeeper got busy with dinner.
The living room was warm. I no longer felt cold, so I took off the gloves and placed them on the table. The housekeeper poured us two cups of hot milk.
Damon didn’t drink, he just sat on the couch checking his phone. He was really busy. The fact that he made ti to argue with was a miracle.
I was not as busy so I quietly drank my milk.
"Your Speech was good today" Damon put down his phone and told . He seed to be genuinely complinting .
"I thought so too" I responded casually, still drinking my milk.
"There’s a gift coming later. Rember to answer the door. I’m going to take a shower" With that, Damon went upstairs.
I was a bit puzzled. A gift?
About half an hour later, sure enough, soone knocked on the door, bringing a big box. The person left the box at the door and left.
I was confused and unsure of what was in the box. Then, I heard a pitiful sound, "Whumper..."
Was that a puppy?
I opened the box in shock. A pure white Tibetan Mastiff puppy was inside. He looked chubby and was looking at with timid, watery eyes!
Before I could react, Damon’s voice ca from behind , "Do you like it?"
"Why would you give a dog?" I was confused.
"Do you want to keep looking for dogs in the snow?" Damon countered.
I thought, "Well, no. I was just looking for an excuse"
I couldn’t deny it, so I just picked up the little white dog. The puppy slled milky and felt like a ball of fur in my hands. "Why a Tibetan Mastiff? Aren’t they extrely ferocious?"
"When he grows up, he can be your bodyguard." Damon reached out to gently touch the puppy’s nose with his fingertip. "Give him a na."
I stroked the puppy’s head, thought it over, then answered, "How about Booser?"
"Hum?" Damon seems confused. He frowns "Isn’t that na a bit odd?"
"How about Door, then?" I casually suggested another na.
Damon contemplated for a few seconds, then his face turned serious. He said sternly. "Eliana, are you making a joke of my na?"
I didn’t respond to Damon; I just sat there on the couch, holding the puppy and playing with it. "Which na do you like better?"
Damon took a deep breath, his eyes filled with patience. He walked over, grabbed the back of the puppy’s neck, and was ready to toss it aside.
The puppy let out a pitiful whine, looking at with its sad eyes.
"Let go of him!" I quickly took the pup from Damon’s grasp, hugging it tightly. "He’s still so small, you’re going to scare the hell out of him."
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