Chapter 7

I poked uncomfortably at the fish dinner on my plate, not even hungry anymore as I sat down at dinner.

I didn’t realize that when Damon meant dinner, he meant with the Steyns. I wished his grandparents were here. They’d always been kind to me.

But instead, we were joined by the three most boring old, balding political men I’ve ever met, Damon’s father, and of course, Ashton and Corinna.

Even the normally cool-headed Damon was irritated. I tried my best to keep a stoic expression on my face. They didn’t deserve to see my emotions.

“Absolutely ridiculous, this new tax reform needs to be halted in its tracks,” one of the men with a patchy beard said firmly.

“I

agree. The tax exemptions have always kept good companies like ours out of the hot water but they want to steal our money? Raise taxes on the middle class for goodness sake! They don’t need money, anyway,” another who was clearly wearing a wig said.

“I completely agree, sirs,” Corinna giggled to the men’s delight. They preened under her gaze. “Good men like you definitely deserve more recognition for your contributions.” She smiled at them all, making them feel important.

I tried not to roll my eyes and looked at Damon instead. He wore the same displeased expression as he had when he arrived.

“Oh-ho!” the man with the patchy beard grinned, “You’ve got such a delightful daughter-in-law on your hands, Dalton. I wish I could steal her away from your son.”

“I’m afraid she belongs all to me, sirs,” Ashton said charmingly, wrapping an arm around Corinna. Dalton, however, sipped his wine without saying a word.

I sent the men fawning over Corinna a nasty look which went ignored, but Damon’s smile was harder to ignore.

“Tax exemptions are meant for good, hardworking people who keep the economy stable, not hoarders with a government permit,” Damon smiled, though his eyes didn’t. I was shocked to hear him speak up; normally, he was so withdrawn from conflict.

“I beg your pardon?” the man with a curly mustache said with a frown.

“Then beg.” Damon chuckled.

Damon raised his glass to his father’s political friends gracefully, and I almost wanted to applaud him if I didn’t remember that he belonged to a family of ‘hoarders with a government permit

“Damon!” Dalton scolded sharply. He turned to them with an apologetic look. “I apologize for the rudeness of my son.”

“My brother is simply not as… educated on these matters.” Ashton smiled at the men, sending a mocking look to Damon. Damon’s smile of disdain in response knocked the preening from Ashton’s

face.

Damon’s intelligence, who only won against every battle of wits

learned to dress without the maid’s assistance, I wanted to shout. Instead, I gritted

looking at a

Chapter 7

under the table, wanting to smack her upside the head, but Damon didn’t seem to

placed more of the vegetables onto my plate. I glared

knew I hated bell

peppers.

he didn’t glance at anyone else, simply ignoring them coldly like he couldn’t be bothered. I playfully nudged his arm with my elbow and

the desired response from Damon, Corinna sent me an ugly glare. I met it cooly and smiled. She would never have his

bald man asked Corinna and Ashton, face pink from

face morphed so quickly that it gave me whiplash. She gripped Ashton’s arm. looking up at him

for a

I choked as

back, looking just as shell-shocked as I

see the delight in her eyes as she pretended

wrong, like someone trying to gurgle shards of glass. I got

laughed awkwardly. “You’re not even

A child, how could it be? Let alone Grandma despised surrogacy deep

our own.” Corinna

was able to

standing and raising his glass of

The men raised their glasses, happily enjoying

side glance to Damon who

What were we to do

going to take

car ride home was silent, awkwardly so. The only sound was the tires crawling across the pavement and wind flying by us as we drove.

stared out the car window, wondering what on earth we were going to do. If they had a baby before we did,

Chapter 7

in hell she’d make a good mother. Not only would it ruin

return.

cousins came to visit, he puked all over her dress,

massive fit.

as a mother?

to mention Ashton.

believe they were going this far just to get the inheritance. I needed the bringing a child into this world because

money, but

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