“Frankenstein?” he asked.
I twisted the cap off, let the bottle rest in my hand, took a small sip, and nodded toward the book on the table.
“It’s a first edition by Mary Shelley.”
Damian’s eyes widened. “Daisy, that’s incredible,” he said, sitting beside me on the couch and carefully leafing through the pages. “Where did you get it?”
“It was pure luck. I found it in a little junk shop in Edinburgh. The owner didn’t know what he had, and I bought it for a bargain.”
He flipped through the yellowed pages. “This really is an incredible find. The story itself is a milestone in literature.” He looked at me, his gaze soft, full of admiration. “You truly have a rare gift for finding things. It’s as if they were waiting for you to take them.”
I smiled. “So that means you’re happy to have me as your employee?”
“Happy? Is that a joke?” He closed the book carefully and set it on the table. “Having you as my employee is like winning the lottery. I also wanted to tell you what happened at the gala. I waited because—”
I nodded. I understood why he had waited to talk about that day.
“First, I had to apologize to people for you not being there. I told them you were sick,” he explained, his voice gentle. “But I plan to host another event in your name, because you were the one who discovered the origin of the Phoenix pendant.”
“And did the gala change anything for you?”
“The discovery of the pendant changed everything,” Damian said. “I’m flooded with offers from very high-ranking people in the industry. Suddenly they all want to work with me. The papers reported on it, and my value has doubled.”
I smiled. Pride burned in my chest. “You deserve this.”
He took my hand and pressed it gently. “That’s not true. I owe it to you. Without your sharpness, none of this would have been possible. You have a gift, Daisy, and I’m glad we can use it together.”
“It means a lot to me that you say that, but won’t what you did with Mason ruin all of it?”
“I know Mason is going to retaliate. Either against me or against you. I have to stay one step ahead of him. But I’m not worried about the fight. If he goes public and says I’m the one who beat him, people will start asking why. Mason has a wife. Kids. He’ll do whatever it takes to keep this quiet.”
I nodded. “He already has. I read an article online. He claimed he was mugged.”
“I saw it.” His gaze sharpened. “ Did you tell Jenn about Mason?”
“No. If I had, she would’ve been on the first train here. I’ll tell her next time we see each other.”
For a moment, Damian seemed lost in thought. Then he reached into his pocket.
“I got something for you.”
He opened a small velvet pouch.
“What is it?” I asked, curiosity flickering through me.
“I had it made. For you.” He pulled out a delicate chain with a pendant attached.
I took it from him and stared at the miniature phoenix in my palm. It was an exact replica of the original.
“Damian… I don’t even know what to say. Thank you.”
“I want you to always remember how valuable you are.” His fingers brushed slowly down my arm before he wrapped me gently in his arms. He took the necklace from my hand, fastened it around my neck, then lifted me onto his lap, holding me tightly as he buried his face in my hair.
“Is there anything—anything at all—I can do for you?”
“It’s enough that you’re here.”
“Do you want to talk about it? About Mason? About that night? I need to know how you’re feeling. What you’re carrying.”
