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Chapter Seven
The laughter slowly ebbed, leaving only the hum of the proverbial of crickets outside and the faint dripping of water from the glass ceiling above. Damon leaned back in his chair, sipping the last of his scotch with the practiced calm of a man who rarely revealed what he was thinking. Jason was still half-smiling, but his eyes flicked curiously between Jeffrey and Diane.
"Interesting pair," Jason finally said, his voice carrying just enough edge to draw attention. "Our dear brother hasn't brought anyone here in… what? Two years?"
Jeffrey's gaze sharpened. "Jason."
Jason raised his hands innocently. "What? It's true. Last time it was...."
"Enough." Jeffrey's tone cut like a blade, low and commanding. The glasshouse seemed to shrink under it.
Diane's curiosity stirred, but Damon was the one who leaned in, his dark eyes finding hers. "Ignore him. But let me give you some advice, Diane."
Her brows arched. "Advice?"
"Yes." Damon's voice was velvet laced with warning. "When it comes to Jeffrey… never take everything at face value. He doesn't show all his cards, not even to us."
Jeffrey set his glass down harder than necessary. "That's enough, Damon."
But Damon didn't flinch. He just smiled that cool, detached smile, the kind that made Diane feel like she'd been invited into a game she didn't yet know the rules of.
Jason broke the tension with a laugh. "You're scaring her. Don't listen to Damon, he's a fool who just loves to thrive on mystery."
"Do I?" Damon murmured, his gaze still locked on Diane. "Or do I just know my brother too well?"
Silence.
Diane's chest tightened. She glanced at Jeffrey, whose jaw had hardened, his eyes refusing to leave Damon's. It was more than just sibling rivalry, there was history here, unspoken and heavy.
Wanting to cut through the weight of it, she stood and wandered toward the cascading orchids along the glass wall. "You three are… interesting, I'll give you that," she said lightly, though her voice trembled more than she wanted.
Jeffrey rose almost instantly, following her, his steps measured. "Ignore them. They don't know when to shut up."
"Or maybe," she said softly, turning to face him, "they know exactly when to speak."
For a second, his mask slipped. Something flickered in his eyes, something raw, unexpected and unguarded. Then, just as quickly, it was gone.
He leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "Don't let them plant doubts in your head. This… whatever this is between us, it's ours. Not theirs."
Her breath caught. The closeness, the intensity, the subtle brush of his fingers against hers, it was almost too much, deliberate even.
Behind them, Jason whistled low. "Careful, Diane. That's how he reels you in."
Jeffrey turned his head, his glare sharp enough to silence the room. "I warned you both."
The brothers chuckled, unfazed, and went back to pouring themselves another round. But Diane couldn't shake Damon's words, nor the strange storm she'd seen briefly in Jeffrey's eyes.
Because if Damon was right…
Then what else was Jeffrey hiding?
She was intrigued.
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