"Hmm," I responded absentmindedly, swirling the brandy in my glass, my mind still reeling from the dinner. "I'm so elated for you." The words tasted bitter, forced. "I really wish I could make it to the wedding, but I can't. I'll be extremely busy then." After what happened last night, there was no way in hell I was showing up to their wedding. I didn't trust Camille one bit. Who knew what she'd try to pull in a room full of people?
Lucas tilted his head, his brow creasing slightly. "You don't even know when the wedding will take place."
I winced inwardly, cursing my slip-up. Now it sounded like I was dodging the event for no reason. "I know it'll be soon, considering how fast you're moving," I said smoothly, recovering. "And right now, I've got an important deal I'm closing in Seoul. I won't be around much, which is why I canceled everything to be here. Once the deal's done, I'll definitely visit you two lovebirds. Who knows, maybe by then I'll have a little godson or goddaughter on the way." I flashed a teasing grin, hoping to steer the conversation away from my blunder.
Cecil interjected. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We still have plenty of time for that."
I nodded, raising my wine glass. "Of course. Let's cheer to the new couple." My voice was steady, but my eyes flicked to Camille, who hesitated, her fingers tightening around her glass before she reluctantly lifted it.
"Cheers," Lucas said, clinking his glass against mine, his smile wide. The rest followed, though Camille's movements were stiff, her lips barely touching the rim of her glass.
When dinner finally ended, Cecil wasn't done with her questions. She leaned forward. "How long will you be staying in Chicago, Damien?"
"I'm leaving tonight," I said, keeping my tone casual. "I've got a meeting tomorrow. My things are already on the private jet."
Lucas looked surprised, his eyebrows shooting up. "So soon?"
From the corner of my eye, I caught the relief flooding Camille's face, her shoulders sagging slightly, her lips parting in a quiet exhale. She thought she was off the hook. Not quite.
"Yeah," I said, glancing at Lucas. "I would've loved to stay longer, but work won't let me."
Lucas clapped a hand on my shoulder, his grin returning. "Well, since you're leaving so early, you're spending the rest of the night with me. You owe me a drinking session. We've got a lot of catching up to do."
Cecil stood, smoothing her dress with a practiced hand. "You two go ahead. Everett and I are tired and need to sleep." With that, she and Lucas's father swept out of the room, leaving just me, Lucas, and Camille.
I glanced at Camille, who sat there looking like a startled dove, her eyes wide and her hands clasped tightly in her lap. I knew better now than to buy her innocent act.
"What about her?" I asked, nodding toward her, my tone neutral but pointed.
Camille's head snapped up, her voice rushed. "Oh, I'm fine. I can stay here and wait."
I didn't want to spend another second around her, but leaving her alone felt like giving her a chance to spin some story. "You can come with us," I said, my voice flat, daring her to refuse.
"No need," she said quickly, her fingers twisting the edge of her napkin. "I wouldn't want to intrude."
"Okay," I said, shrugging, letting it go. Let her stew in her guilt.
Lucas turned to her. "You can ask the housekeeper if you need anything."
We left the dining room and headed to the liquor room, the air between us lighter without Camille's nervous energy. I sank into one of the plush leather sofas, the scent of aged wood and whiskey filling the space. Lucas went to the bar, pouring us each a glass of brandy, the amber liquid catching the light.
"Here you go," he said, handing me a glass before settling into the sofa across from me.
"Thanks, man." I took a sip, savoring the burn, then set the glass on the table. After last night with Camille, I wasn't touching alcohol around her again. Not a chance.
Lucas raised an eyebrow, leaning back with a smirk. "Really? You used to be a party animal. What happened?"
I chuckled. "I grew up. Plus, I'm still nursing a bit of a hangover from the jetlag and the alcohol I had yesterday." The lie came easily, but my mind flashed to last night; Camille's moans, her body arching under me. I shoved the thought away.
"You totally missed out on all the fun last night," Lucas said, shaking his head. "What were you even doing after you left the party?"
Screwing your fiancée senseless? The thought popped into my head and I crushed it immediately, my jaw tightening. "Sleeping, actually," I said, keeping my voice even. "I went to one of your guest rooms and dozed off. Left this morning."
"You could've stayed so we could spend more time together," Lucas said, his tone almost wistful. "We barely see each other anymore."
"We've been busy running companies," I said, steering the conversation toward safer ground. "And one of us now has all his time dedicated to a woman." I raised an eyebrow, keeping my tone light but probing.
Lucas just smiled, taking a sip from his glass, his eyes softening. I pushed further, careful to sound uninterested. "I never thought I'd see the day a woman would tame you."
He scoffed, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. "As if any woman could ever tame me."
Relief flickered through me. He wasn't head over heels for her. That was good. It meant I wouldn't completely shatter him when I eventually told him about last night. "What do you think about her?" he asked suddenly, catching me off guard as he poured himself another drink, his eyes on the glass.
I froze for a split second, my eyes narrowing before I caught myself. Why was he asking me that? I shrugged, playing it cool. "She's okay."
Lucas gave me a long look, his head tilting as if waiting for more.
"I mean, she's beautiful," I said, careful not to let my thoughts slip to how she'd felt under me, how she'd moaned. "Seems smart. A bit clumsy."
He rolled his eyes, a fond smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, I know all that. But I meant your personal opinion about her."
This was my chance to plant a seed, to hint at the truth without blowing everything up. "I don't know," I said slowly, swirling my glass. "I think you should slow down on things."
He didn't look surprised, just curious. "Why?"
I wanted to tell him..God, I wanted to lay it all out. But the guilt gnawed at me. Telling him would strain our friendship, maybe break it. Lucas would think I'd slept with Camille on purpose, maybe to get back at him for something in the past. I hadn't even known who she was when it happened—it hadn't even crossed my mind until I saw her tonight. But I knew how Lucas's mind worked. He'd have doubts, and I wasn't about to lose my best friend over some gold-digging receptionist. So I went for a safer answer.
"Because it's obvious she's a gold digger who's just around you for your money," I said.
His brows shot up. "Are you saying a woman can't love me unless I'm rich?"
"I'm not saying that," I countered, leaning forward. "I just mean she's using you as a social ladder. Maybe take things a bit slower, get to know more about her."
"Your concern's nice, but my mind's made up," he said. "She's exactly what I want in a woman."
I raised an eyebrow, unable to resist. "I thought you preferred socialites, models, actresses. Didn't know you were into petty staff from your own company." Camille was pretty, sure, but she wasn't his type. That innocent-girl vibe had always annoyed him before. What had changed?
"I'm done with those types of women," he said, leaning back, his expression resolute. "I want someone I can settle down with, have a family with. Camille wants that too. Plus, I can trust her to be more faithful than all the high-end ladies in Chicago."
The irony hit me like a punch, and I nearly laughed, but I caught myself, my lips twitching into a tight smile. If only he knew. "Yeah, you're right," I said, forcing the words out. "I'm happy for your choice."
I let it go. This wasn't my mess to clean up. If Camille kept her mouth shut, so would I. For now, I'd watch her, wait for her to slip up. Because women like her always did.