Echoes of Vengeance: The Sweet Wife's Perfect Revenge-Chapter 87: An Expensive Footage

After lunch, Celeste ordered everyone to head to the Laurent Mansion after learning that Sterling Villa was undergoing a new makeover before Aveline and Damien moved back.

Damien, however, had plans to make numerous calls and possibly meet with some associates to draw out his strategy. So he apologized again and slipped away.

....

At the Laurent mansion,

Charles and Aveline were lounging in the living hall, watching a comedy movie, when Celeste suddenly rose with her hands on her hips. "Aveline Laurent, you have grown up, haven’t you?" Her voice carried clear irritation.

"Huh?" Aveline was confused. Where was this coming from?

Hadn’t she already forgiven Damien and agreed to move back with him?

Celeste twisted both Aveline’s and Charles’s ears. "I gave you enough time to confess." She had waited for two hours.

"Do I look like a fool? Damien Ashford appears out of nowhere and starts confessing and apologizing right after Eleanor Ashford gives you power of attorney. He’s a prideful man." She released their ears and narrowed her eyes.

Charles grinned. "I knew it. Grandmother won’t fall for his act." He was celebrating, glad that Celeste hadn’t fallen for Damien’s ploy.

Aveline scratched her head. Why was everyone seeing through Damien’s act in this timeline when none had noticed it before she regressed? It felt surreal.

Celeste had gotten the reaction she wanted from Charles. It was just her hunch because Damien’s words didn’t match his actions.

She smacked Aveline lightly and sat down. "Men give up their pride and forget their ego for two reasons: love and war. If he loved you, he wouldn’t have reacted the way he did."

Only she knew how she had endured Damien’s honey-dipped, sorrowful words. But she had played along to learn everything her granddaughter was suffering.

"Is he doing all this for that piece of land?" Celeste hit the nail on the head.

Henry had avoided involving Aveline in the mess of business. Hence, he had never written Laurent Industries’ shares in her name or bought them for her. That didn’t mean he loved her any less. He had given her property that would never lose its value. Even if they lost the company, she would have a steady and substantial income.

Aveline hummed in response and briefed Celeste on the slow poisoning incident.

Celeste took her time to process the news. Then she voiced her thoughts: "Lina, if he had killed you in less than two months, everyone would have been suspicious about the marriage since Project Crown is announced in less than three months.

So he chose slow poison to put on the show of being a good husband. Nobody would have questioned him when he inherited your land, your hefty life insurance policies, and the businesses in your name."

Celeste was glad Damien had changed his plan and that Aveline wasn’t around when she had fainted.

She took a breath and said, "You should write a will."

Charles was displeased. "Grandmother..." He wasn’t ready to accept that Damien could do something to Aveline.

Celeste ignored Charles and stressed her words, looking directly at Aveline. "A complex one at that. Damien should fear harming you when he learns about it."

Aveline found it difficult but understood what Celeste meant. "I’ll talk to Giselle. But I don’t clearly know what’s in my name."

Though displeased, Charles responded, "I have the details."

Aveline grabbed her phone. "I’ll check with Giselle Lancaster for her appointment."

Celeste relaxed only after ensuring, in her own way, that Aveline wouldn’t be harmed by Damien for her inheritance.

She couldn’t believe the safety net Henry had created for Aveline’s future had become a noose around her neck because of Damien.

–––––––

Meanwhile, in a Private Room,

Damien sat at the head of the table, listening to the stakeholders play audio recordings from their calls with Aveline. She had repeatedly said the same things:

"I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about boards and shares."

"I’ll discuss it with Damien. Or you may contact him."

"I totally understand if board members are against me co-heading. I’ll accept whatever the board decides."

And so on.

Damien had expected Aveline to take a stand for herself or fight back, explaining why she couldn’t co-head, but she wasn’t even defensive. She seemed confused and kept asking them to connect with him.

When anyone asked about Project Crown, she spoke well about it and showed her support for building it, regardless of the shares in her name.

Even if he wanted to, he wasn’t able to doubt Aveline anymore.

From the looks of it, she wasn’t even taking help from Henry or Charles. It was as if she just had her name on the shares while he had control over them.

Though that felt good, he couldn’t be at ease until he got his name on those shares.

"I’ll see you all tomorrow at the meeting." He stood up and left the room.

––––––

At Starlink Apartment,

The sun was casting a golden glow through the windows when Damien entered the apartment. He looked like a mess. Hair raked through a hundred times, sleepless, starved, and exhausted. He sat on the sofa and demanded, "Water."

Vivienne wasn’t displeased by his appearance. She had been waiting for him after meeting with Aveline. She handed him the glass of water and sneered, "You need a bath."

His jaw clenched, but he slowly drank the water and hissed, "Run a bath."

Vivienne could only clench her teeth and go upstairs. Turning on the hot water, she had the urge to keep the temperature high and scald him, but resisted. Damien would kill her for that.

Placing towels and pouring bath salts, her eyes sparkled brightly. She quickly set lavender-scented candles, added a special bath bomb she had bought, and made sure the bathroom’s scent was intoxicating.

Once she was done, she flatly announced from the stairs, "It’s ready."

She was pouring herself a drink when Damien reached upstairs. "Need a drink?" she asked.

He merely hummed as he entered the master bedroom, tossed his clothes as though Vivienne were his personal maid, and entered the much-needed relaxing bath.

Vivienne placed his drink nearby and was leaving when he ordered, "Prepare dinner." He was famished.

She smirked, looking at his closed eyes, his body soaking in the water. "Sure," she said.

’I’ll prepare more than just dinner tonight. The finest wine, the flavorful food, and the most expensive footage for your dessert.’

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