[ESTELLE]
I arched a brow at them, lifting my chin. They hastily turned back to their plates, feigning intense interest in their waffles as though they held the secrets of the universe.
"They're probably just jealous," I muttered under my breath, straightening my shoulders. "Not everyone can pull off elegance at this hour."
Damien let out a low chuckle, the kind that sent a ripple of warmth through me, though his eyes betrayed mild disbelief. "Jealous, huh?"
I gave a nonchalant shrug, letting a playful smirk tug at my lips. "Well, I don't see anyone else rocking an outfit like this at breakfast. And I bet no one else has captured the attention of the most handsome man in the room."
I winked for good measure, feeling victorious when his shoulders shook with silent laughter.
"Ah," Damien murmured, lifting his coffee cup to his lips, "modesty—truly your most endearing trait."
I gasped, clutching my chest in mock offense. "Flattery will get you everywhere, Damien. Everywhere."
His eyes sparkled with amusement, but he only sipped his coffee again.
Damien shook his head, clearly bemused. "You're very . . . direct, aren't you?"
"And you're ridiculously good-looking," I shot back.
Before he could respond, a melodic voice interrupted.
"Damien?"
I turned to see a woman—a tall, statuesque woman with platinum blonde hair cascading in perfect curls. She wore a simple white shirt dress, but somehow she looked like she'd stepped out of a fashion magazine. She was stunning.
"Kelsey," Damien greeted, rising from his seat to join her side. His hand casually found its place on her waist, and my stomach dropped.
"Kelsey, this is Estelle Fay Johnson," Damien said, introducing me with a polite smile. "The daughter of Estella Fay and Zhander Johnson."
Kelsey's eyes widened before she bent down to kiss me lightly on both cheeks. "It's such a pleasure to meet you," she said with a dazzling smile.
The height difference was laughable. I felt like a dwarf between two giants.
"Oh, am I interrupting something?" Kelsey asked, her blue eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Damien shook his head. "Not at all. In fact, we were just finishing up." He turned back to me. "It was lovely to meet you, Miss Johnson. Let's go, Kelsey."
I stared at them, my jaw tightening as they walked away, hand in hand.
Kelsey glanced back with a friendly smile. "Hope to see you again, Estelle!" she called.
I waved, but the moment they were out of sight, my smile dropped. This was not how I imagined our meeting would go.
Who was this Kelsey? My sources had said nothing about Damien having a girlfriend. Was this a new fling? Or worse—something serious?
Grabbing my phone, I immediately messaged my team of informants. "Find out everything about a woman named Kelsey. Height, hair color, blood type—everything."
One setback wasn't enough to make me quit. Damien wasn't married, I knew that much, which meant I still had a chance.
Within minutes, the first wave of information about this Kelsey woman hit my inbox, and the pieces started to fall into place. She wasn't just anyone. Kelsey was Damien's childhood sweetheart.
The story practically wrote itself: two young hearts entwined, separated by ambition and the passage of time.
While Damien had his fair share of relationships over the years—flings with women who were beautiful but fleeting—it was clear now that they had all been placeholders. Every single one of them bore a resemblance to Kelsey, as if he were chasing after shadows of the one he truly wanted.
Kelsey, meanwhile, had pursued her modeling career with relentless focus, prioritizing her ambitions over love. And yet, here she was, effortlessly re-entering Damien's life like some perfect vision of what could've been.
I couldn't deny it—she was breathtaking. The kind of beauty that could launch ships and conquer empires, with her platinum hair, striking blue eyes, and an aura that screamed sophistication and grace.
Next to her, I felt like a flame beside a star. My beauty was cute, pretty, and foxy—a far cry from her model, goddess-like allure.
Jealousy curled in my stomach, sharp and unrelenting. But it wasn't just envy of her beauty—it was the history she shared with Damien. That unspoken bond, the way his eyes softened when he looked at her. It was something I couldn't compete with, no matter how dazzling my dress or how perfectly I tilted my head, or how full my cleavage were.
And yet, despite the odds, I felt a fierce determination rise within me. Kelsey might be the woman Damien loved, but that didn't mean she was the woman he needed. Ships may sail to distant horizons, but sometimes, it's the fire that keeps you warm when the world turns cold.
I wasn't going to back down. Let her be perfect. Let her have the history. I was here now, and I wasn't about to let Damien slip through my fingers. He was a challenge, and I thrived on challenges.
This wasn't the end. It was only the beginning.
Giving up just wasn't in my vocabulary.
I smirked to myself, determination flaring in my chest. The holiday was long, and this was just the beginning.
=== 🤍 ===
[DANIEL]
Daniel stepped into the private restaurant, his expression already taut with anger. The dim lighting and serene ambiance did little to soften the storm brewing in his chest as his eyes landed on Lily, seated calmly at the corner table.
She greeted him with a sweet smile that didn't reach her eyes, her fingers tracing the edge of a porcelain teacup.
He wasted no time. Pulling out an envelope, he threw it onto the table. Its contents spilled out—a collection of damning documents, old photographs, and other proof of his lineage.
"What is this?" he demanded, his voice low but brimming with barely restrained anger. "What's the meaning of all this, Lily?"
Lily didn't flinch, merely took a slow sip of her tea before setting the cup down with deliberate elegance.
"Sit down, Daniel," she said, gesturing to the chair opposite her. "Let's talk."