Chapter 99: Avoiding questioning

As I returned to the wing, the sight of Damon waiting outside my door sent a chill down my spine.He stood there, one shoulder propped against the wall, an infuriatingly smug expression on his face.

Damon's smirk only broadened as he sized me up, his eyes glinting with mischief.

I halted in my tracks, standing just a few feet away from Damon as I feigned a look of confusion.

Why are you standing in front of my door? And why are you looking at me like that? I asked.

Damon's gaze remained focused on me, his eyes dancing with a playful, yet undeniably sinister light.

The corners of his mouth curved upward, hinting at the amusement he found in my predicament.

His posture remained relaxed, his body language conveying a sense of effortless control as he toyed with me like a cat with a mouse.

I could feel my pulse quickening, my heart racing as I waited for the inevitable drop of the other shoe.

Damon's smirk broadened into a knowing grin, the corners of his mouth curving upwards as he savored the power of his position.

"Because I want to," he repeated, his voice carrying the same devilish amusement as before. "And as you well know, I do what I want."

He paused, his gaze seeming to pierce my very soul as he continued.

"And so do you, apparently," he added, his voice lowering to a hushed tone as he let the implication hang in the air between us.

As his words sunk in, I felt a wave of confusion wash over me. What was he implying?

Was he aware of my secret tryst with Bella, or was he merely playing a game of cat-and-mouse with me?

I furrowed my brow, my face betraying my inner turmoil as I struggled to make sense of Damon's words

Had he seen Bella and I together? It seemed unlikely, given how careful we had been to avoid detection.

But perhaps the sounds of our passion had carried through the thin walls, or maybe one of the staff had overheard us and reported back to Damon.

The uncertainty gnawed at me, each possibility more distressing than the last. And yet, Damon's expression remained impassive, his smirk unwavering.

Hindsight can be a merciless judge, and in that moment, I found myself ruefully reflecting on the recklessness of my actions.

After all, who was I to think that I could smuggle a woman into Damon's wing without him finding out?

Knowing that denial was my only option, I schooled my expression into one of confidence, meeting Damon's smirk with a look of cool indifference.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I repeated, my tone even and controlled as I stepped up to my door, feigning disinterest in Damon's questions.

My fingers deftly manipulated the lock, the tumblers clicking into place with a satisfying click.

It was a small distraction, a way to ground myself and buy time as I searched for the right words to diffuse the situation.

With a sly chuckle, Damon shook his head, a hint of triumph in his eyes. "Oh, I'm sure you do," he replied, his voice dripping with amusement.

"Who was she?" he continued, his curiosity piqued by my apparent infidelity. "She didn't look like the one I saw you with that morning."

As I ground my teeth together, I silently fumed at Damon's provocation.

The urge to retort was almost overwhelming, but I knew that any response would only serve to fuel his fire.

With a sharp inhale, I pushed open the door and stepped inside.

With an insolent grin, Damon followed me into the room, his presence like a cloud of smugness that hovered over the space.

"Oh come on," he said, his voice full of mock-innocence. "I'm just curious. Why so secretive?"

He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest as he studied me

With a resigned sigh, I admitted to Damon, "Yes, I was with someone."

Settling himself onto the edge of my bed, Damon arched an eyebrow in my direction. "I know," he said, his voice smooth and confident as he continued to play cat-and-mouse with me.

"I was asking who she is," he clarified, his gaze fixed on mine as he waited for my answer. Your next read is at мѵʟ

With a sigh, I took a seat in the armchair, facing Damon as I sought to deflect his questions.

"She's a friend," I replied.

With a wicked grin, Damon leaned forward, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he continued his verbal assault.

"A 'friend,' huh?" he repeated, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he mimicked my earlier response. "I wonder what your girlfriend thinks of her. Are they 'friends' too?"

My temper flared at Damon's insinuation, my words coming out sharp and biting as I fought back against his provocation.

"She's not my girlfriend," I snapped, my voice brimming with irritation. "And besides, they're not friends. They don't even know each other."

Damon's slow smile grew wider, his expression suggestive of some hidden agenda.

"Discreet, then," he mused, his words carrying a hint of menace as he let the implication of his statement hang in the air between us.

I watched Damon with a mixture of apprehension and amusement, a small smirk playing at the corner of my mouth as I realized the futility of his efforts.

If he thought that he could drive a wedge between Zoe and me by revealing my secret trysts with Bella, he was sorely mistaken.

In fact, the news would likely only serve to drive Zoe closer to me, her competitive nature kicking in as she fought to prove her worth to me.

As I observed Damon's features, I searched for any hint of his true intentions, my gaze flitting between his eyes, his mouth, and the subtle shifts in his posture.

But he remained inscrutable, his expression mysterious as he continued to watch me with a hint of amusement.

I gave up with an angry sigh.

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