Imogene Scott I take a long breath before I flick the lock on the door. Before I can step out, Damien steps in, causing me to stumble backwards. His eyes darken as he flicks the lock on the door. Next thing I know, his familiar clean, woody scent fills my senses. I stiffen, my eyes locking with Damien’s as he steps closer to me. His gaze is intense, jaw clenched. Every inch of him oozes intensity. “Did you come here with your landlord?” “How...never mind.” Of course he knows Keith is my landlord. He probably knows everything about Keith Jordan since Elinor told me KJ Tech and IMU are rival companies. “Whether I’m here with him or not is none of your business. We’re divorced. I can go on a date with whoever I want.” “So that’s what this is?” The tiniest flicker passes through his eyes. “A date?” “Yes.” A platonic one, and I don't intend to meet Keith again. But Damien doesn’t need to know that. I lift my chin, challenging him to step back. “He’s not your type.” “I’m trying ne
Imogene Scott I give Elinor a blow by blow of how the date went. And how I might’ve just gotten the greatest opportunity of my life. She’s happy for me and does a show of hands in an I-told-you-so way, just to let me know that I couldn’t have done it without her.The following day, I take Lily along with me to the gallery. I haven’t found a nanny for her yet and Elinor has to work. Keith sends a little contract for the art convention project and I have Emmett read through it and sign them. The rest of the day passes in a blur and I’m exhausted from juggling through looking after Lily and attending to clients. When I get home, I put Lily to sleep and take a long shower. Then go to bed without having dinner.I’m too tired to eat.Around 9pm, I get a text from Breonna. I frown as I bring the phone closer to my face for reading. [Breonna: Hi, Imogene. It’s me, Breonna. I’m so sorry about whatever you think happened. It’s on me. I really enjoyed the little time I spent with Lily and
Imogene ScottMy fists clenched beside me as I take a deep breath. I wait for the team members to exit the conference room and as soon as they’re all gone, I start talking.“Why the fuck did you not tell me Damien is involved in this project?” I say as evenly as I can, although my face is growing hot with anger. “Because I know you.” Keith replies, relaxing in his seat.His expression is neutral and it angers me more that I don't know what the fuck he’s thinking about. Or why he’s barely giving me a reaction. “You don’t know me, Keith.” I say under my breath. “Because we went on one fucking date doesn’t mean you know shit about me.”He sighs heavily as he rises to his feet. He takes a step closer to me and places a hand on my shoulder. I want to shake his hand off like it’s a snake, but I hold back. Who the fuck does he think he is to be making decisions on my behalf?“I’m so sorry. I just thought you would turn down the offer if you knew Damien was involved.”“Hell yes, I would.
Imogene Scott My heart clenches as I try to understand why on earth my father would reach out to me after so many years. For the past three years that I was gone from LA, he never tried to find me. Even way before that, he stopped contacting me when Damien and I got married. So it’s been approximately eight years. Why now?“Hello?” a voice comes from the other end of the line, hoarse and low.I force myself to hold back the pain that claws at my insides. The pain of hearing my own father’s voice after so many good years. “Hi.” I say slowly.“It’s me, Imogene.”“Dad?” I manage to say.Damien’s eyes snap up as I mention his name. He cocks his head, a lot more confused than I am. But I don’t seem to care about his reaction. He continues to look at me as I try to gather my words into one piece.“Imogene. How are you?” my father asks in a low tone.I want to yell and ask him if “how are you” is the first thing to say after abandoning me for eight years. An apology would do.“I’m fine
Imogene Scott I narrow my eyes and hope the nurse recognizes how inappropriate it is that she’s saying this to me in a gossip-py way right now. She doesn’t. “They say he brought this upon himself by…” I cut her short. “I’ll go in now.” I say rudely. As I step into the hospital room, the first thing that strikes me is the overwhelming sterility of the space. The lighting is dim, but it still catches on the white sheets, giving the room an unsettling glow. My eyes land on my father, lying motionless in the bed. His once strong and commanding presence reduced to this fragile, weakened state. It’s jarring, to see him like this. A faint beep from the heart monitor punctuates the silence. I walk toward the bed, my footsteps muted on the linoleum floor. The chair beside him creaks slightly as I sit down, and I can’t help but feel a pang of worry. His face is pale, almost ashen, and the deep lines etched into his skin seem more pronounced than ever before. His chest rises and falls wi
Damien Shaw As I leave the hospital, the cool evening air does little to quell the storm raging inside me. The confrontation with Imogene still echoes in my mind, her sharp words cutting deeper than I’d like to admit. And the fact that she might be thinking of rejecting a huge business deal all because she wants to be away from me, is heartbreaking.She’s as fierce and stubborn as ever, and I can’t blame her. I’ve earned every bit of her anger. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m going to fight for her, for us, and for our daughter—Lily.I unlock my car and slide into the driver’s seat, the leather creaking softly under my weight. For a moment, I sit there in silence. I grip the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white.My phone buzzes in my pocket, pulling me from my thoughts. I pull it out and see Breonna’s name flashing on the screen. I’ve not heard from her all day and it’s a surprise. She usually cannot go a day without hearing from me. I hesitate for a moment before
Imogene Scott When I get back home, I’m surprised to see that Lily has calm down. Breonna’s voice seemed serious on the phone and I didn’t expect everything to be so calm when I got back home.“I just sang her a few lullabies and she stopped crying.” Breonna says to me as she prepares to leave.I watch her pack her bags, mentally warring with myself. Should I pay her? Of course I have to. But what about tomorrow? Elinor’s going to be really busy henceforth so I doubt she can look after Lily.Breonna is my only option. But it’s going to be rude if I keep asking her for favors when I want nothing to do with Damien. Asking her for favors is gonna be far fetched but…what if I employ her back instead? That way the relationship will remain professional.“I’ll be leaving now.” Breonna says as she makes for the door.“Wait,” I say and Breonna turns to look at me. She’s grinning. Shit, she already knows what I’m about to say. “Do you perhaps want your job back?”Her smile widens. “Of cour
Imogene Scott “I really can’t let Dad lose Scott Luxuries to that witch. I need to do something about it.” I keep muttering to myself as I drive to City Hospital. Dad said he needed two hundred million dollars, will that even be enough to get the company back? I doubt that. I don’t have that kind of money right now though with the gallery opening and everything. But I can woop something up in a few days. I just need to talk to Dad first. I pull up in the parking lot and walk into the hospital. I brace myself and walked towards Dad’s room. I can hear murmurs coming from inside. Does he have a visitor? I take a deep breath and step in. I’m immediately greeted by that familiar clean, woody scent fills my senses. I stiffen, my eyes locking with Damien as l step closer to Dad’s bed. “Okay, why the fuck are you here?” I snap, my face red with anger. Why does he always have to fucking appear everywhere? And why is he even here after I asked him to stay away? Is listening so hard? “I’
Imogene Scott I sit in the living room, wringing my hands together as I stare at the clock. The agency said they’d send the fourth candidate soon, but if she’s anything like the last three, I’m not sure I’ll survive the day. The first woman looked like she’d send me into an early grave with how tightly wound she was, and the second… I don’t even want to think about her. I could practically see her zoning out halfway through our conversation. The third one made me tilt my head in disbelief—a heavy coat, in this heat? On a blazing sunny day? What was she hiding under there? I shake my head, exasperated. A long sigh slips from my lips, and I sink further into the couch, staring at the sun-drenched curtains. Why is this so hard? I just want someone competent. Someone who can help me manage this house without driving me insane. The sharp ring of the doorbell jolts me upright. I spring to my feet, brushing invisible creases from my dress. Fourth time’s the charm, right? I don’t
Damien Shaw "I don’t even know who to trust anymore." The words are frustrating as they leave my mouth. I press my hands flat against the edge of my desk, gripping it harder. Gerald stands across from me, his expression carefully neutral, but I can see the tension in his jaw. “Weaknesses in our security?” I continue. “And now we’re sure someone on the inside helped with the leak?”Gerald nods. “Yes. The evidence points to internal involvement. Possibly more than one person.” The idea sinks into my chest like a stone. More than one person. It’s almost unthinkable. My team, the people I’ve trusted, built this company with—could they really be working against me? My throat tightens at the thought. “We need a full background check on every employee,” I say. “No exceptions. I don’t care how long they’ve been with the company, whether they’re at the executive level or just interns. Go through them all.”Gerald hesitates, just for a second. “That’ll take time,” he says carefull
Imogene Scott My mind is spinning as I step out of Lila’s office. Divorce papers. My father’s name on them. Lila’s isn’t. A billion-dollar check. For her? My heels echo sharply against the marble floor as I walk. In the lobby, I see the receptionist who texted me earlier and make my way toward her. She looks around nervously, then waves me over to a quieter corner. “You’re Mr. Scott’s daughter, right?” her voice low.“Yes,” I say. “Why?”She glances over her shoulder, then leans in, her voice barely above a whisper. “Your father was here the day before he was... you know. Killed. He and Lila had a huge fight in her office. I couldn’t hear what they were arguing about, but it was bad.”My stomach drops. “Do you remember anything else? Anything at all?” She shakes her head apologetically. “No, but... there’s something not right about her. She’s hiding something about this company. I’ve been here a long time, and I know when something’s off.”I blink, trying to process her word
Imogene Scott A week later… I sit in the stiff leather chair, my hands resting over my stomach. The waiting room is quiet and the door finally swings open. The doctor steps in, holding a folder. My breath hitches. This is routine, I remind myself. Routine. I’m here for my usual checkup. Alone this time. I had told Damien he didn’t have to accompany me since he’s been missing a lot work a lot lately because of me.“Mrs. Shaw,” The doctor says with a polite nod, gesturing for me to join him in his office. I follow, my heels clicking against the tile floor. His office smells faintly of antiseptic and lavender, maybe. I sit across from his desk, the folder now open in front of him. He doesn’t look alarmed, but there’s a wrinkle in his brow. “Imogene, I’m glad you came in today.” “Is everything alright?” He nods but steeples his fingers, leaning forward slightly. “The babies are fine, but your stress levels are higher than we’d like. It’s starting to show in your vitals
Imogene Scott The bedroom feels too big when Damien walks out. I sit up in bed, clutching the edge of the blanket. I let out a shaky breath, staring at the door he just closed. He’s going to ask me about therapy. I know he will. I don’t even know how to explain it. How do I tell him that sitting in that room felt like unpacking a suitcase only to realize you’ve brought nothing but broken things? That therapy didn’t feel like healing—it felt like dragging wounds out into the open and watching them bleed. I shake my head. I can’t stay in bed waiting for him to corner me. The quiet will drive me insane. I throw back the covers and swing my legs over the side of the bed. My head spins as I stand, but I grip the bedpost and steady myself. I shuffle to the door, trailing my hand along the wall as I make my way downstairs. The faint hum of the stovetop reaches my ears, along with the rhythmic sound of Damien chopping something. I stop at the edge of the kitchen and watch him.
Damien Shaw “Please, keep the investigation discreet for now,” I say firmly, meeting Gerald’s gaze. My voice is steady, but my insides churn. Gerald nods and gathers his notes before leaving my office. The door clicks shut and I sink into my seat, pinching the bridge of my nose as my temples throb. Five meetings, all back-to-back in one morning. Each one is a battlefield of strategy, damage control, and trying to piece together what the hell is happening with this damn leak. My head feels like it’s about to split open, and the office suddenly seems unbearably warm. I loosen my tie and lean back, closing my eyes for a brief moment. I need just a second—one second to breathe— My phone vibrates against the desk, shattering the silence. I grab it immediately, hoping it’s Gerald with an update, but instead, I see Imogene’s name. It’s a text: Imogene: "I don’t think therapy is good for me."My stomach twists. Therapy. The session. What happened? My thumb hovers over her nam
“Yes,” I say with a little more heat on it than I would’ve liked. “Because he believed in me. He believed I could do it.”“Okay.”“He believed in me.”“I understand.”Beat.“Can you tell me what happened after you helped him save the company?” Annie pauses to find the right words. This one I don’t want to answer but I feel like if I wiggle around it Annie will just come right back for the jugular with her follow up. I tread with caution.“Well… he got married again.”“And you?”“Yes, what about me?”“Were you in touch with him?”“Well, he had his new life. We barely kept touch.”Annie holds another of her trademark unreadable stares at me. Even though I can’t gauge the specics, I can tell there’s a lot of speculation going on. I feel theneed to add more.“Plus, we started keeping in touch again recently.” I give a little nod to punctuate my statement. I’m hoping that moved the dialon Annie’s judgment, but after a few seconds I can tell it didn’t.Annie purses her lips. “Who reached
Imogene Scott I sit down in the tufted chair opposite Dr Annie Eddie and let out a sigh. This is my first therapy session with her and I’m a little nervous. I’m only here because of Damien. Because I want to be better for him, for Lily and the twins. I tell her a few things about my life I’m comfortable telling anyone and she tells me in order to get to what’s underneath those emotions, what’s driving it, we need to unpack my life in a more comprehensive way.“Okay…” I’m hesitant. What will this entail? I hate the uncertainty.“And please, address me as Annie.” I nod. “Sure.”“Now, I want to understand more about Little Imogene,” she says tenderly. “I understand your mother died of cancer when you were just ten.”Always with the childhood, these therapists. I’ve seen enough movies and TV shows to know that this is the classic therapeutic scapegoat. Some shit happenedin your childhood, it messed you up, that’s why you are the way you are.But not me. I didn’t have an alcoholic d
Damien Shaw The kitchen smells like butter and eggs as I stand by the stove, flipping the omelette in the pan. The sizzle fills the air, and I catch the faintest scent of parsley—Lily insists she hates green things, but I sneak them in for her anyway. I glance at the clock above the sink. It’s later than I thought. Imogene is still upstairs with the doctor. I hope that goes smoothly, but something tells me it won’t. “Mummy says eggs make you strong like Superman!” Lily’s voice cuts through my thoughts as she rushes into the kitchen.“Is it ready, Daddy?” she asks.She’s peering up at me with those wide, curious eyes that make me feel like I’m doing something right in this whole parenting thing. “Just in time,” I say.I slide the omelette onto a small plate, cut it into smaller pieces, then hand it to her. “Thank you!” she chirps before scampering into the living room. I follow her with my eyes as she climbs onto the couch, settling in with her plate. A faint movement ca