Bait

"Mr. Damien, has anyone ever told you that you have a rather distinctive scent?" Vespera asked in a sultry, mesmerizing tone.

Damien's frown deepened. He swiftly withdrew his hand and turned his head away, refusing to look at her. "Vespera, what exactly is your purpose for coming to my house?"

Vespera remained silent, circling around him before settling onto the sofa. "Mr. Damien, you truly are no fun." She sighed, then casually added, "Fine. Since you're so keen on preserving Mrs. Elena's reputation, then agree to one condition for me. I promise that no outsider will ever hear a word about Mrs. Elena's… outburst toward the tutor."

This woman… She was far from simple. There had to be another motive behind this. Damien exhaled a slow breath, suppressing his irritation. "What condition?"

"I want access to the villa's 'study.'"

Damien's gaze snapped to her in shock. He turned sharply, scrutinizing her expression as if trying to decipher her true intentions through her eyes.

"Don't misunderstand me," Vespera said smoothly. "Felix was quite shaken today. I doubt he'll be able to focus on his painting practice for the next few days. I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce him to some foreign art history and help build his aesthetic foundation."

She tossed in another tempting suggestion, her voice laced with casual persuasion. "If I recall correctly, Mrs. Elena studied fine arts in the past. I imagine there must be quite a collection of relevant materials in the study."

Damien leaned down slightly, still unconvinced. He was certain she was hiding something. Other than occasionally using the study for work, he only kept an assortment of ordinary books there. He couldn't think of anything in that room worth her insistence on gaining access. Could she be a corporate spy from a rival company?

"You're sure? This is really just for Felix?"

Vespera remained calm, her response already well-prepared. "I am a dedicated art teacher. Besides, the villa hired me specifically to teach Felix how to paint."

She added with a touch of amusement, "And let's be honest—I could use Felix as a walking résumé myself. For the sake of my own future career, I wouldn't jeopardize this job."

"If you're still uneasy, you're welcome to remove any important documents from the study beforehand."

Remove important documents? So she's not a corporate spy? Could it really just be about teaching Felix?

Damien fell silent for a moment, observing her carefully. He decided to wait and see what tricks this woman was trying to pull. After a moment of contemplation, his deep-set eyes darkened slightly. "Fine."

With long strides, he headed toward the door, prepared to leave the room. But just before stepping out, he halted momentarily.

This woman had repeatedly attempted to stir trouble between him and Elena. His expression grew cold as he turned his head slightly and warned, "Vespera, Elena and I are deeply in love. So do yourself a favor—stop whatever little schemes you're playing. I'm not interested."

With that, he walked away without looking back.

Vespera merely shrugged, leaning lazily into the sofa. She watched his departing figure with a thoughtful expression before closing her eyes.

The bait has been set. Now, let's see who takes the hook.

She had been feeling exhausted lately. Marcus's words had left her uneasy, and she knew she had to find a way to personally visit 8 Queen Street.

Since waking up, she hadn't seen her mother even once. Her father had passed away years ago, and her mother had cherished her like a precious gem. Given how much her mother doted on her, there was no way she would disappear without reason…

As she mulled over these thoughts, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, until eventually, Vespera drifted into a deep sleep.