C2 CHAPTER 2

Ella was sulking after learning that Damian already has a girlfriend. She assumed he wouldn’t be in a relationship but frankly speaking, he has all the right to be in a relationship. His financial status was stable, and he was old enough to start his own family. The problem was, she assumed that Damian would like her!

“Ella, what’s wrong?” Damian asked.

“I am just shocked that you already got a girlfriend, Damian. I guess, I am not ready to let you go to another woman,” she admitted the truth but wisely hid the real reason why she couldn’t let him go to another woman.

“I’m sorry if the news came as shocking to you, Ella. Anyway, we should discuss about it later. I am exhausted and I want to rest a little bit before attending church service,” he explained.

Ella raised an eyebrow in defiance. She was annoyed at Damian’s tone of speech. Her question was simple! She just wanted to know when he got engaged to her! “I just wanted to know when did you meet her,” she mumbled.

“A few months ago,” he replied.

“Just a few months ago, and yet, you already want to marry her? Why?” She asked in disbelief but later on, she realized she had no right to question his choices. When she glanced at Damian again, she could sense he was disappointed at her behavior. “I’m sorry for going overboard,” she apologized to him.

“It’s fine, Ella. I’ll see you later, then.”

Ella wanted to apologize properly but he didn’t give her a chance. Was he really tired? Then, she took a deep breath. Even though her world slightly collapsed after his announcement, Ella remained complacent that whoever his fiancée was, the woman end up as his temporary lover. She believed that they were soulmates and meant for each other! She waited for several years to muster the courage of owning up to her feelings for him and then he announced his engagement to the other woman! Ella snorted before heading upstairs.

Later in the evening, about nine o’clock, Ella took a shower and got ready to attend the evening mass. She just took a quick showed to have an ample time in choosing her dress. She didn’t want to look shabby when Damian’s girlfriend was coming. She has a lot of formal dresses for the event but she choose to wear a knee-length, long-sleeve dress. It was a bodycon that hugged her figure, and she thought she looked perfect!

She paired it with a black high-heeled shoes, and then she just let her long hair loose. Before leaving her bedroom, she put on a light make-up. She applied a vibrant red lipstick on her lips, and then she put a little blush on to her cheeks. When she checked her eyes, Ella decided to curl her eyelashes to make it even prettier. She recalled that Damian admired her long and curly eyelashes when she was in middle school. Hopefully, his preference didn’t change. As soon as she went downstairs, all eyes were on her as expected.

“Gorgeous as always,” Jack muttered.

“Thank you,” Ella replied humbly but when she glanced at Damian, she couldn’t read his expression.

“Isn’t she pretty, Damian? I bet you will be busy in blocking her suitors very soon,” Jack stated, and then he chuckled.

Damian nodded but he has been speechless since she has descended from the stairs. He was amazed at her charm. He wasn’t a hypocrite type of a man, so he wouldn’t deny that he was fascinated by her beauty. However, he reminded himself that Ella was off-limits! She was his foster sister, and his father wouldn’t like the idea of him having some designs for Ella Sullivan. Initially, he didn’t want to leave his father’s estate but Ella’s presence tempted his self-control every day.

“Damian, do you think she has grown prettier?” Jack inquired again.

“Yes, Daddy,” he replied.

“Promise me, son. Please don’t abandon her when I’m gone. Always keep an eye on her and don’t let anyone hurt her, okay?” Jack whispered to his son.

Damian furrowed his brows as he listened to his father but it wasn’t the right time to argue. It was almost ten and the service would start at exact ten. Besides, he still have to meet with Monique, his fiancée who also visited her family. Ella and his father didn’t know yet that the woman he was about to marry was the only daughter of Martin Dixon, the mayor of Victorias City.

When they arrived at the church, the mass was about to start. They were seated at the back because it was the only vacant area when they arrived. Suddenly, Damian checked his phone, and excused himself after reading Monique’s message.

“The mass is about to start,” Ella tried to stop Damian from leaving but he was unstoppable.

“I will be back as soon as possible,” he assured her.

True to his words, Damian returned in less than five minutes but he was no longer alone. Ella snapped her brows together as soon as she recognized the woman he was with! She glanced at Jack for confirmation but Damian’s father just shrugged his shoulders. As they were coming, Ella just wanted to disappear!

“Merry Christmas, sir,” Monique Martin greeted Jack as soon as she was able.

Jack smiled and replied, “Merry Christmas, dear.”

Monique smiled too, and the glanced at the woman beside Jack. “You must be, Ella Sullivan. I heard a lot about you from Damian,” she chatted. “Merry Christmas, Ella.”

“Merry Christmas, too,” Ella said but she didn’t mention the woman’s name. Actually, she had no idea how to address her. If her guess was correct, the woman and Damian were of the same age. To them, she was just a kid!

Ella had no right to be jealous but she couldn’t control her heart from feeling that way. It took so much of her willpower not to kick the other woman away from Damian. When her eyes noticed how he held his fiancée’s hand tightly, she felt like she was about to throw up. Her stomach was upset, but it was probably her heart who couldn’t take in the sight of Damian being sweet to another woman.

During the mass, Ella couldn’t focus. She just kept on checking Damian and his fiancée! Then, Jack sweetly invite the woman to join them on Christmas Eve. The woman gladly accepted the invitation, so it was settled. Earlier, she was sitting beside Damian on their way to the church, but on their way back home, she was at the back.

“Are you okay, Ella? You barely said a word since we left the church,” Damian asked.

“Don’t worry about me, Damian. I am good,” she replied. “However, my feet hurts. I just want to reach home as soon as possible.”

“Next time, avoid wearing high-heeled shoes if your feet can’t handle them,” Damian said and Monique chuckled.

The woman’s enjoyment over her displeasure has offended Ella. At that moment, she wanted to give the woman an earful but she had to restrain herself. When his car entered the gated estate that belonged to Jack McBride, she sighed in relief.

As expected, Rebecca already set the table before their arrival. Monique’s eyes widened at the feast prepared by Rebecca. Then, Ella caught a glimpse of the woman’s sadness, and she thought that the woman was probably on a strict diet and couldn’t eat anything on the table.

However, it wasn’t the case. When it was time to start eating, the woman enjoyed her food, and Damian seemed so proud of his woman. Ella almost rolled her eyes before them because she got tired in watching their lovey-dovey eyes. Damian and his fiancée acted like a newlywed couple and Jack seemed to not mind at all! To her, they were disgusting!

“I hope you don’t mind, Damian, but I had no idea you can be so sweet to a woman,” she tried to insult him, but Damian took it differently. He just smiled before looking at the woman beside him.

“But of course! I will do everything to make my woman happy,” Damian stated proudly, then he winked at his fiancée.

Ella bit her bottom lip as she tried her best not to cry in front of them. She would look silly, and they would make fun of her. She waited for his homecoming! She was so excited about it, but it turned out to be a nightmare, when he introduced Monique, as the woman he would marry.

“Just don’t mind them, Ella. Lovebirds are usually like that,” Jack said.

“You are mistaken, Pop. I didn’t mind their public display of affection,” she lied to save her pride, and then she poured all of her resentment to the food that Rebecca has served. She kept on eating until she could hardly breathe due to excessive satiety. Later on, every on except her has left the dining table to have some wine at the balcony.

“Ella, what's wrong with you? Are you depressed?”

Ella was surprised when Damian came back to the table and he was all alone. Ella sighed and stared at the man. "Depressed? Of course not!”

“Then, why do you look so gloomy?”

“I am just heartbroken, Damian. Go now, and focus on Monique. She might get lonely being alone at the balcony,” she replied.

“Tell me who broke your heart, Ella. Who is he?”

“It’s not of your business, Damian,” she replied, and he glared at her when she stood up to leave.

“Ella, we are not done talking yet! Who is the man who broke your heart!?”