When Love Is a Lie

Chapter 3 Who's Most Important to Him

As the call connected, whimney said, “Sophie, there's an important document that Mr. Howard needs to sign.

Can you sendthe addre

She called Damian's primary secretary, Sophie Tucker She knew all of Damian’s work schedules.

“Work engagement? He doesn’t have any engagements tonight. He left the office early.” Sophie replied.

“Really? No last minute arrangements?”

“Even if there were, he would've calledto make restaurant reservations

work engagement tonight?”

Right, Whitney had forgotten about that. If anyone wanted to date with Damian, they had to make arrangements

in advance. There would be no last-minute arrangements

So, when Billy mentioned that Damian had something to do, it definitely wasn’t work-related

After hanging up, Whitney sat in silence for a moment, then ate her meal akine.

A work message from a colleague popped up. After she read it, she accidentally tapped into Instagram while

esiting the screen

The first post caught her eye. It was a photo Rachel had just posted.

Rachel, dressed in a hospital gown, was leaning against a man’s chest with ablissful smile. The photo was

captioned, “Love is knowing that you'll be right here by my side with Just one call”

Although the man’s lace wasn’t visible, Whitney immediately recognized the moan as Damian.

The dark blue tie with a subtle pattern was the sone she had picked out for him two weeks ago, and it was

the one he wore tod

Het hratt serted to be placed by sharp needles. She barely managed to steady herself with her hands on the

cable.

A voice inside her whispered, “Are you still going to lie to yourself?

Whitney didn’t fall asleep until the early hours. When she Linally woke up and went commuta she heard sounds

coming frohthekitchen.

“Morning,” Demian appound with a cup of warm milk and placed it on the dining table, where a full spread had

already been prepared.

He smiled gently as he approached her and leaned in to give her a morning kiss. Put as his lips neared her

check, Whitney rited her heat.

Damian paused for a moment, then seemed to understand. “Are you upset because | didn’t have dinner with you

last night?.

Whitney didn’t respond and refused to meet his gaze.

“A friend suddenly cback from overseas. We had dinner and played poker. By the tt got back, it was

already midnight. Ill introduce him to you sometime, I'll tell han that if he wants to meet within the fire, he'll

need to ask Mrs. Howard first” Damiam sald in a joking forse

Whitney swiped at her phone for a moment before turning it to face him. “Is your friend Rachel?

As Damian glanced down at her phone, his lowered eyelids concealed his motions.

A long silence folowed

Whitney gave a disappointed smile. “So, you were with her last night.”

Damian looked up, seemingly apologetic: “Rachel got into a car accident. She didn’t want to worry her family,

but she couldn’t handle things on her own, so she called me.”

That was such a reasonable explanation.

Whitney scoffed. “I'm not blind, Dwalan.”

in the photo, Rachel was hugging him it was anything bar innocent

Damian glanced at the photo again and sighed. “She's been Grandpa's great-granddaughter former le years.

She callsUncle Danian. How could | possibly disregard ethical boundaries?chel is the only surviving child of

the Yanes famile. Grandpa told us to take good case other.”

Rachel's great-grandfather was a wartcomrade of rijah’s with the yanes family passing away everly, Rachel

was the only one lett. Out of respect for his friend, Elijah adopted her when she was just eight years old

“We're getting married, Whimey. If | didn’t love you, why would | marry you?’ Damian asked sincerely

Whitney wanted an answer for that as well. “Yeah, I've been wondering that too.”

“Don’t you trust me?” Damian’s tone grew colder as she persisted with her questioning.

“I'm not

“Whitney's eyes tumed red-rimmed she took a deep breath “Let’s and this, Da

with those words, she turned away, but Damuan suddenly grabbed her arm.

“You said you're 25, so stop acting like a child. You can be mad, but only for hall a day?” Damian pished the cup

of milk into her hands. “Even if you're not hungry, at least drink this We'll poto the Howard residence for lunch.

Grandpa called.”

He brushed it off with no further explanations. In his eyes, her emotions were nothing more than a childish

tantrum.

In truth, he probably didn’t care whether she bebeved him or not.

“I'm not feeling well I'm not going Whitney turned her back to him

“Best well I'll pick you up at noon “With that, Damian walked out the door without giving her a chance to argue

This was her first tseeing his domineering side.

In the end,

1, Whitney went with Damian to the Howard residence.

Elijah meated her like his own granddaughter Since it had been over two weeks since she last visited, she figned

she could join him for me

As they arrived, Damian reached for her hand to gukle her down the car, but she pulled away, only for him to

grab it again

In the living room, Damian’s parents and Elijah’s third son, Derek Howard, along with this family, were all

gathered Whitney greeted each of them in hum

Chapter 3 Who's Most important to Him.

At the stime, Elijah was helped downstairs by Rachel

“Grandpa,“Whimey greeted him with a smile.

“Whimney, you haven't visited in so long. Did you and Damian have a fight? TellI'll pin that rascal in his

place,” ja trased. His gray hair contrasted with the spark in his repes at he gaver Whitney a playful, serious look.

Before she could answer, Dan quickly defended himself, “Why would fightwith Whimney? Don’t accuse me,

Grandpa

Whitney scoffed inwardly, then responded with a smile, “I'm sorry for not coming to visit you sooner, Grandpa

But thankfully, Rachel has been keeping you company.”

Her gaze shifted toward Rachel.

She wore awhile Chanel dress, her

delicate face framed by a ponytafh

Her gaze howeyer, Yo§erett or

oo NO Bl

re Damian's interlocked

hands. A momentary daze crossed

her The content is on

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chapter there!

Elijah tied his head and sell. “Over you marry Damian, I'll have two happy faces around me. Rachel, why didn’t

you greet your uncle and ami?i

At Elijah’s comment, Rachel finally cto her umoves. “Uncle Damian, Whitney.”

“Wheney Elijah corrected her,” should be Aunt Whitney.”

Rachel opened her mouch but struggled to speak, as if it were hand for her to change the way she addressed

Whitney.

Damian wrapped his arm around

0 , o o

whimey’s shoulders, a seule in his

“ ,

eyes. “They're abou ti@same’age,

; WARES ;

sp ogling ker'Aunt might feel a bit

: FO)

strange. Whitney probably isn't used

to it and might even think it makes

q » q

whitney sound older” The content is

on novelenglish.net! Read the latest

chapter there!

Whitney looked at Damian. His features remained calm as usual, with a hint of teasing in his expression.

The family lunch was still a while from starting, so Elijah asked Damian to join him in the study to discuss

company matters.

Whitey book a walk in the backyard and was nearing the pool when she saw Rachel walking toward her.

“I didn’t expect you to be so unbothered that you even chere with Damian.”

Rachel, who had been soft and timidearlier, now stood before Whitney without hiding her true colors. She called

Damian's ndirectly while lifting her chin in a mocking

mineer

“what should be bothered about? Whitney smiled, seemingly clueless about what Rachel was implying

Rachel sneered, “I know you saw my post. Imade it visible only to you, and there's no way you can’t recognize

who's in the photo”

“Oh, that post” Whitney seemed unfixed. “It’s just a photo Damian is popular with women What matters is that

he knows who’s most important to him.

Even if Whimey and Damian bad their disagreements, she wasn’t going to let fchel get the upper hand in front of

her

0 i.

Rachel's expression darkened, but

withought seemed to cross hey ind.

She sudderiystepple forward and

q : . ) « )

Whi ered in Whitney's ear, “Let's see

) q

who's truly the most important The

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the latest chapter there!

to him.”

Before Whitey could react, Rachid pulled her, and both women fell into the pool