I couldn’t believe it when Jones finally backed off, but then Damon suddenly began to hit back. His counterattack was fierce, which even stunned Luna and our group chat.
Luna: Is Damon out of his mind?
Clara: Not just him. Jones too. They’re both bats in the belfry.
Sofia: Is it really about Eliana?
She tagged in the chat, asking to weigh in.
I avoided the question, pretending not to see it and let them continue their heated discussion.
My phone rang, interrupting my reading of the group chat. It was Lisa Coleman.
We hadn’t been in touch lately. Damon had said she was returning to abroad because Leo was still
there, but did they not know that Catherine was already here? So, it was likely that Leo was here too.
"Eliana, could we et?" Lisa asked anxiously as soon as I picked up.
"Sure, where are you now?" I replied.
"I’m at Starlight Estates. Do you have the kids with you? I can co to you if that’s easier." Lisa, ever considerate, offered. gave her the Sofia family’s address.
About half an hour later, Lisa was at our doorstep. The children were already asleep, so I left them in Hannah’s care and hurried outside.
Lisa was waiting under a tree, looking worried. As soon as she saw , she moved forward to et , "Eliana, I wouldn’t have disturbed you if it wasn’t urgent."
I had a hunch why Lisa had co. It was likely about Damon and Jones.
As expected, she wanted to diate between Damon and Jones. Although this put in a tight spot,
I was probably the only one whose words they’d heed.
"I’ve talked to Jones. He should cool down a bit, but Damon..." I frowned. I knew Damon too well. He was the sort to hold a grudge. With Jones stabbing him in the back, Damon would undoubtedly want to retaliate.
"You’ve spoken to him? Did he ask for anything unreasonable?" Lisa asked, worried.
"No, don’t worry. Damon ntioned you were going back to abroad. Is that true?" I changed the subject.
But Lisa clung to another point, "Did you also et with Damon?"
I hesitated for a mont, then nodded.
Lisa gave a resigned smile, "Damon sought you out, didn’t he? Eliana, my husband and I chose you because we know Damon still has feelings for you. He made a wrong choice back then, and it was too late to fix it."
I had no response, I just stood there in silence.
Lisa added, "With this huge ss, my husband had to go back to sort out so matters. But because of Leo, I have to stay abroad. I’m worried Catherine might stir up trouble."
"Catherine..." I hesitated, should I tell Lisa that Catherine was already in the city?
"What’s the matter?" Lisa asked, perplexed when I stopped mid-sentence.
Just as was about to continue, Lisa’s phone rang. It was Leo.
I could faintly hear Leo asking Lisa to stay here longer and help his dad. It seed that he was aware of his dad’s situation.
Lisa was surprised at Leo’s maturity, "Alright, as long as you behave and eat properly, grandma won’t worry. Where’s your mom?"
I didn’t hear Leo’s response, but Lisa looked a bit displeased. She didn’t say much, just reminded him to ask Catherine for help with his howork when she got ho from work.
The call ended soon after.
It beca clear to that Leo must have been trying to delay Lisa’s return to abroad to keep her from finding out that Catherine was no longer there. He was just a pawn in Catherine’s ga.
"Leo asked to stay and help his father, so I guess I’ll be here a while longer." Lisa smiled at .
"Damon was caught off guard at first, but he’s had ti to recover. I’m sure he can handle this." I smiled back, then cautiously asked, "Where’s Catherine? Isn’t she with Leo?"
"She’s at work!" Lisa said, clearly still annoyed. "Every ti I think about how she pacified Leo with coke last ti, I get angry. It’s terrible for his health!"
I fell silent, deciding not to tell Lisa about Catherine’s whereabouts until I figured out why Dylan was looking for her. As Lisa was about to leave, she pleaded with , "Eliana, please talk to Damon. His father
can’t get through to him, so it’s up to you!"
"Alright." I nodded.
Before I reached out to Damon, he sought out.
Hannah and I had taken Serena and Brandon out for a walk and returned ho after dark. We were both taken aback to see Damon waiting at the entrance of our apartnt building.
"Ms. Brooks, I’ll take the kids upstairs. You two can talk." Hannah, who had always been sowhat intimidated by Damon, hurried the kids into the elevator and left us alone.
Damon watched as Hannah strode away, a frown creasing his forehead. "What’s her problem? Doesn’t she recognize ?"
"Of course, she does," I explained patiently, "It’s just that she finds you... challenging to be around. She probably didn’t want to exchange pleasantries."
"What do you an ’challenging’?" Damon seed taken aback by this, turning to . "Do you find challenging too?"
Was he kidding? Among those who knew Damon, how many found him pleasant company?
He was like a sword forged from ice, cold and sharp, inflicting wounds upon those who dared to approach. Apart from , who had been unrequitedly in love with him for a decade, and a few like-
minded friends like Mitch, most people chose to maintain a strictly professional relationship with Damon, afraid to cross any boundaries.
I didn’t feel like answering such a pointless question. Rembering the task Lisa had entrusted with, I asked, "Now that Jones has backed off, what’s your next move? Planning to continue this fight
to the death?"
At the ntion of serious business, Damon’s expression hardened. He snorted disdainfully,
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