Chapter 95
Autumn would have to be an idiot to keep getting involved with a scumbag like Damien. If that was the case, Della would no longer bother mentoring her.
Della was more than happy to support outstanding women and to help them rise and thrive in the workplace. She had made it that way herself and was willing to pave the way for those who
came after.
But opportunities were scarce, and they were meant for women who were clear–minded, independent, resilient, and fiercely ambitious.
The moment Rico spoke, Autumn also stopped moving. She turned and saw Damien.
No longer was she afraid of running into him. She was here today to play tennis with Rico, just as they had planned. She wasn’t about to retreat just because Damien happened to be here, and that was why she stayed perfectly calm.
“Shall we continue?” Dawson suddenly asked.
For a moment, Autumn didn’t know what to say. That question was provocative, almost confrontational. It was probably intentional on his part.
Dawson didn’t necessarily want to be her coach. He just knew Damien’s sore spots and liked to stomp on them. Their relationship was terrible and fundamentally irreconcilable.
Before Autumn could respond, Damien was already striding over coldly. “Come with me,” he ordered.
He couldn’t stand watching Autumn play tennis with the man he hated the most.
Rico hit a tennis ball right to Damien’s feet. “I was the one who invited Autumn here. We’re set for two hours, and it’s barely been half an hour. If you’ve got something to say, wait until after 5:00 pm.”
Robin knew Rico all too well. The latter just thought the drama wasn’t big enough yet and wanted to keep chipping away at Damien’s pride.
Robin wasn’t the least bit surprised. In fact, he even adjusted his silver–rimmed glasses and kept watching the drama unfold with great interest. After all, a scene like this wouldn’t be as entertaining without Rico involved.
Jamie looked like he wanted to say something, but he had no standing here–unless Dawson made a move. He couldn’t help but glance over–sure enough, Dawson remained indifferent as he watched coldly from the sidelines, completely dismissive of everyone.
Well, that made sense. After all, Dawson had never shown much interest in Autumn to begin with.
Damien knew that Rico was Barry’s older cousin. As expected, he and Dawson were cut from the same cloth–both the kind of people who were downright irritating.
“I’m taking my wife away. What’s it got to do with you?”
Damien’s gaze was dark and cold, showing not the slightest regard for Rico. Then, he took one step after another until he stood right in front of Autumn.
Autumn couldn’t ignore the man dominating her entire field of vision. She met his gaze head–on, unflinching and unyielding.
Damien’s face had some resemblance to Dawson’s in outline, but their features were different. Damien’s eyes were narrower, and when his gaze turned cold, there was always a streak of fierce hostility deep inside, making him seem ever colder.
Compared to Dawson’s classic, refined handsomeness, there was always a trace of gloom lingering in his own features. Maybe it had something to do with how, ever since childhood, he had been forced into constant comparisons with Dawson, and had always come up short.
Damien clamped down on Autumn’s wrist. “Come with me.”
Before Autumn could pull away, he tightened his grip, causing pain to shoot up her arm. She didn’t want to
Sensing her resistance, Damien warned, “Autumn, don’t push me.”
His eyes were filled with obsession and madness. Autumn had never seen this side of him before.
go
in the slightest.
In that moment, his sexpression overlapped startlingly with Britney’s when she went crazy. The two siblings really did have quite a few things in common.
“Did you hear what I just said?” Damien asked as casually as if he were commenting on the weather, though it seemed he was hanging on to his very shred of patience.
Autumn looked down at her tightly gripped wrist, then back up into his dark, narrow eyes.
One word at a time, she said, “Sorry, I am busy.”
“Did
you hear that, Damien? Autumn doesn’t have time for you right now. So, stop pulling Damien didn’t hear a word of what Rico said. He just stared at Autumn without blinking.
on her and go back.”
Suddenly, he laughed out of exasperation and said deliberately, “You sure seem to have plenty of time.”
His tone was neither cold nor warm. In fact, he spoke in an almost indifferent manner. But the violent undercurrent beneath those words set against that calm tone made Autumn’s skin prickde with goosebumps.
