Echoes of Vengeance: The Sweet Wife's Perfect Revenge
Chapter 64: Burning Pride

Chapter 64: Burning Pride

Enraged that somebody held her hand, Vivienne spun around, ready to strike the person who dared to touch her. But she froze at the sight of him.

Damien Ashford.

He stood there with a bouquet of fresh roses in his free hand. He looked at Vivienne first, her raised hand, and her expression twisted in shock.

Then his gaze landed on Aveline, and she stared back at him like she didn’t recognize him at all.

He had been trying to meet Vivienne for four days. As soon as he learned she was at this restaurant, he came hoping to please her ego and fix things.

He didn’t expect Aveline to be there.

Catering to one would enrage the other. He didn’t even have a lie ready. Vivienne wasn’t a brand ambassador anymore, and Aveline was his wife.

And he was losing both in the crossfire.

Aveline was thinking she was caught in the act until her eyes landed on Alaric in the corner. She closed her eyes briefly and made the first move.

"Damien..." She called softly, rising from her seat. She walked toward him and gently pulled his hand to free Vivienne’s wrist. "Don’t be angry. Ms. Sinclair just misunderstood me."

Vivienne gritted her teeth, watching Aveline stand so close to Damien, touching his hand like she belonged there.

"Don’t lie," Vivienne snapped. Still believing Aveline was there to steal the vendors from her.

Aveline moved back like startled and stepped closer to Damien. He instinctively wrapped an arm around her protectively on pure reflex.

It made Vivienne’s rage boil over.

The vendor finally stepped forward. "Ms. Laurent, we apologize if we caused you trouble." His tone was polite, but then it hardened. "Ms. Sinclair, I never said I was going back on my word. But your rudeness will cost you." He turned and walked away.

Vivienne’s blood ran cold. That project was the first her father had trusted her with. And now it was slipping through her fingers. She ran after the man, her pride burning.

Aveline leaned in beside Damien and whispered just loud enough, "I even apologized to her for being rude at Powerlunchers. Does she still hold a grudge against me?"

She let her gaze fall on the roses. "Oh... those are for me?" she asked, eyes lighting up as she took them from his hand. "Thank you... How did you know I was here?" She was sweet like honey.

Damien eased just a bit once Vivienne moved away. This was the reason he wanted Aveline locked away in the Sterling villa.

He came up with a lie to answer her, "I saw you entering the restaurant." He looked around. "Are you here with someone?"

Aveline shook her head. "I was passing by and picked this place at random." Her voice trailed off just as Vivienne returned in front of them..

Vivienne plastered on a fake smile. "I’m sorry. I overreacted." She was trying to save face in front of the vendor, but her eyes were anything but apologetic.

Aveline’s voice stayed soft. "First time, you almost caused my accident. The second time, you almost slapped me. Ms. Sinclair, I’m scared of what will happen the third time."

’Third time, I’ll kill you.’ Vivienne’s thoughts screamed, but she said nothing.

"It’s alright," Aveline murmured, looking away. She caught Alaric’s glare across the room.

’Is he angry?’ She wondered.

Vivienne shot one last cold glance at Damien and walked off.

"Did you have lunch?" He asked, eager to end the conversation..

"I just came," Aveline said, motioning to her empty table.

Damien frowned. "You prefer private rooms." Yet, she was sitting there out in the open. A small seed of suspicion was planted in his mind.

Aveline pouted, "I came alone. Thought the service would be faster here, and I could leave soon."

It made sense. He nodded slowly.

"Did you have lunch?" She asked, her eyes bright, ready to launch another question.

"Yeah." He lied. "I have a meeting. I just stopped by to see you. I’ll leave now."

He turned again, but her voice stopped him. "Did something happen, Damien?"

Irritated, he looked back. Her eyes were moist, her frowns deep.

He nearly snapped. Holding on to the last thread of control, he asked, "Why are you asking this?"

Her voice broke, "You fired a maid once because I slipped on the wet floor. You panicked when you found out I was in the hospital. That was Damien Ashford." She stepped back, trembling, "Not this one."

She pointed toward the door. "That woman almost slapped me. Forget saying something, you are behaving like you didn’t see it. You’re so busy, you didn’t even ask about my treatment."

She choked. "I lie to my parents, saying you’re in touch. But this is what I get. If work is so important, you shouldn’t have married me. You shouldn’t have married anyone."

She grabbed her bag and stormed out.

Damien: "..."

Aveline was slipping from his grip, too.

One moment. Just one moment of softness could’ve kept her in line.

And he blew it.

He jogged out and saw her standing by the fountain, biting her lip, tears slipping from her lashes.

"Nina..."

"I’m sorry..." Aveline cried, "I know you’ve lots of work. You’re working hard for us. You even brought me flowers.... I don’t know why I said all that."

Damien hid his smirk. He embraced her, his hand gently stroking her head. He couldn’t believe she broke down without him even trying.

She was an emotional fool who was fooling herself.

"I feel like I’m always on edge," she whispered, still in his arms as she heard a car drive away into the distance.

"It’s alright, Nina. I feel better knowing you’re at your parents’. No one, not even me, could take care of you like they do." His lies were layered so meticulously, even he almost believed them. "Once my work’s done, and you’re back in Sterling... My time is only for you. I promise."

"Okay." She sniffled, pulling back from his embrace, "Go, go... or you’ll be late to your meeting."

With that, she waved her hand, sending him off. Even rabbits bite when irritated. So Aveline gave him a taste of losing her, just to find her more understanding.

"Go, wash your face." It was the stern voice of Alaric behind her.

Aveline sighed. She had used the water from the wall fountain as her tears.

Unhygienic.

"Go, order food for me." She muttered, tossing the bouquet into the trash.

Alaric shook his head in resignation. She knew exactly how to disarm Damien. It would be dangerous if he learned she was faking it.

His jaw tightened at the memory of their hugs. The sight of flowers in the bin soothed him a little.

Watching the little woman’s back, ’Let’s see if they could escape your trap.’