Queen Of Revenge And Glory (Victoria and Jackson) novel Chapter 88

Moonlight, like liquid silver, cascaded onto the balcony.

A hushed silence filled the living room.

Aubrey hugged a throw pillow, perched on the sofa. Beneath her seemingly calm exterior, her heart churned with a restless anxiety, every thought focused on Damon as she anxiously waited for him to return.

The deadlock between her and her mother had been set in stone for years, and only money could appease it.

If not with money, what else could Damon possibly use to deal with her mother?

Time bled away in an anxious blur, until the click of the front door unlocking pierced the silence.

Aubrey abruptly dropped the cushion she was clutching and sprang to her feet.

Damon stepped inside, closing the door behind him. As he changed his shoes by the console table in the entryway, his gaze flickered to Aubrey in the living room, and he looked up.

Their gazes locked.

His serene, composed gaze was a stark contrast to her anxious, troubled eyes.

Damon slipped into his house shoes, then approached her, a small bag clutched in one hand.“Still awake? Why aren’t you resting?”

Aubrey shook her head, her breath catching slightly. “Waiting for you,” she managed.

Damon stopped before her, lifting the small bag in his hand.“Your mom bought these for you.”

The words were so unprecedented, so utterly out of character, they stunned Aubrey into disbelief. She took the bag, pulling it open to glance at

the contents.

Inside were pastries from the coffee shop just outside their complex.

A surge of anger flared through Aubrey, her chest tightening.“You gave her money?” she demanded, bristling.

Damon unhurriedly shed his jacket, tossing it onto the armrest of the sofa.“Caleb is willing to spend money on you because he wants to marry you. We’re just friends. I make you split the rent, and we always go Dutch on meals. Do you honestly think I’d be stupid enough to give your mom twenty thousand dollars?”

He had a point.

Was she overthinking it?

Damon sat on the couch, leaning back and looking up at her.“Your mom won’t be hounding you for money anymore. You won’t need to hide from her.”

“No way.” Aubrey set the small bag down and sat beside him, her mind racing with questions.“My brother’s getting married; she won’t give up until she gets the money. And this pastry, did she actually buy it for me?”

“If you don’t believe me, call and ask her.”

“I’ve blocked all her contacts.”

Damon released a slow sigh, his dark eyes, usually so guarded and unreadable, narrowed slightly as he continued to gaze at her.

His gaze made Aubrey tense, her stomach tightening with growing unease.“What exactly did you… say to my mom?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“Did my mom say anything to you?”

Her mother was fiercely protective of her reputation, never one to easily let the humiliating truth about her husband’s imprisonment slip to outsiders. But a chilling dread still twisted in her gut, a fear that Damon would somehow find out.

Damon said casually, “Your mom told me that if I have time during Thanksgiving Break, I could go with you to your brother’s wedding.” Aubrey’s eyes widened in surprise, a bewildered gaze fixed on him.

It felt like an utterly absurd play was unfolding before her.

Now, she was dying of curiosity, desperate to know what on earth Damon had said or done to her mother.

“And your mom mentioned that if you don’t want to marry Caleb, then you don’t have to. She respects your decision and won’t pressure you any longer. She’d like you to come home for dinner more often, whenever you have a chance.”

Aubrey took a deep breath, her brow furrowing as she stared at him. Every single word out of his mouth sounded utterly preposterous.

From childhood to now, she had never once felt her mother’s genuine affection or concern.

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And yet, here she was, hearing her mother’s supposedly caring words from Damon.

True or not, she couldn’t help the sting in her eyes, forcing a stiff smile. “Damon, please,” she whispered,“can you just tell me the truth?” “Every word I’ve said is the absolute truth.”

“The things you’re claiming, my mom would never say. She wouldn’t even specifically buy me pastries.”

“People change.” he simply stated.

“But she couldn’t have suddenly changed just from an hour–long conversation with you,” Aubrey argued, her voice rising. “What exactly did you do to her? What did you say?”

Damon leaned forward, elbows on his thighs, his deep, knowing, and utterly unreadable gaze showing a flicker of irritation.“Aubrey, you don’t need to know the process. All you need to know is that the result is good.”

Chapter 89