Chapter 23

Nicole I glanced at the ornate antique box on Damien's desk, feeling my heart race with unease. The other day when Beta Jayden had asked me to retrieve documents from the office, I'd briefly picked up the box out of curiosity before placing it back exactly where I found it. But Damien had noticed anyway. I instantly regretted my actions. When we first moved in together, he had explicitly warned me not to enter his study or touch his belongings without permission. I set the bowl down on his desk and spoke softly, "I'm sorry. That was my fault. When I came to get the documents for Beta Jayden, I noticed the box and picked it up out of curiosity." My cheeks burned with embarrassment, like a child caught stealing cookies. "But I promise," I added, taking a deep breath, "I just looked at it and put it back. I didn't try to open it." "You didn't open it? Or you couldn't open it?" Damien scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. I froze, stunned by the flash of disgust I caught in his eyes. I