She Was Never Just a Pretty Face novel Chapter 255

Stepping into the entryway.

Joyce's legs felt entirely like jelly.

The tension between her and Luther had crossed a dangerous line.

They were strictly employer and employee! Not to mention, her brother worked at his corporate headquarters. Why would he treat her like that? Was he simply a chronic playboy, accustomed to blurring the lines with any woman who happened to be somewhat attractive?

She suddenly remembered what Annie had casually mentioned—

*“My dad might be single.”*

*“But he dates a lot of different women.”*

Was she merely destined to be another notch on his bedpost?

He was probably just casually testing the waters for his own amusement.

And here she was, actually getting worked up over it.

Just the thought of it made her despise herself.

The lights inside the villa were glowing warmly. The nanny spotted her and walked over with a bright smile. "Ms. Croix, why didn't you drive yourself home?"

Joyce glanced toward the living room sofa, where Damien was busy playing with little Jocelyn. She bit her lip and murmured, "My car broke down at my student's house."

The nanny nodded knowingly and headed to the kitchen to prep a late-night snack.

Moving into this massive house meant Damien had hired extra help: one person to cook and clean, and another solely dedicated to watching Jocelyn.

Joyce genuinely felt it was far too lavish.

She was perfectly capable of cooking.

But Damien flat-out refused to let her ruin her hands with housework.

As soon as Joyce sat down, she scooped Jocelyn into her arms.

—The toddler really did bear a striking resemblance to Annie.

Damien studied her face, noticing the faint, lingering flush on her cheeks. He asked, aiming for absolute nonchalance, "Did Mr. Sanford drive you home?"

Having incredibly thin skin, Joyce gave a quiet, evasive hum, clearly trying to downplay the entire situation.

But Damien knew exactly what kind of man Luther was.

He knew him far too well.

That shameless bastard was definitely trying to seduce her.

He knew there were plenty of people rooting for him to aggressively step up and take charge of his life.

But unfortunately, he had long since lost the ability to do so.

Years ago, he had been a young man brimming with raw talent and potential.

Now, he was nothing more than an aging former gigolo.

His only remaining leverage was being Joyce's flesh and blood.

Joyce cared about him deeply; she loved him, and she loved their little family.

Damien had just received some rather enlightening intel from Lori—

Staring at Joyce's flushed face, he cleared his throat. "I've got to work overtime tomorrow. New job, you know? Have to show some initiative, especially with the salary they're paying me! Tomorrow night, take Jocelyn out for a really nice dinner. Here's a voucher for The Verdant Court. It's good for sixty percent off. Scored it from one of the women at the office. I hear their grilled langoustines are unbelievable. Don't worry about saving me money. Get dressed up, go have an amazing meal, and don't forget to post some gorgeous photos on Instagram... I'll make sure to like them."

The Verdant Court?

That place was notoriously expensive.

She had heard a single entrée could easily run around two thousand dollars.

Damien pulled out his wallet and slid a sleek black card across the table.

"There's a twenty-thousand-dollar limit on this. Buy yourself something nice."

"Damien, I have my own money."

"Take it."

He shoved the card into her hand, his heart heavy with a complicated mix of emotions.

He genuinely hated the fact that he wasn't a billionaire.

If he were, he would have grabbed Joyce and Jocelyn and fled the country ages ago.

The only reason he was staying in Alpha City was that this was the only place he had the necessary connections to secure her a legitimate, bulletproof identity.

If they ran to another city, she and Jocelyn would be undocumented ghosts.

Damien deliberately chose not to address her dynamic with Luther.

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