Chapter 75

• Meanwhile, as Esther paced her own office, a wicked smile crept across her lips, pride swelling within her. Getting Charlotte to agree to dinner had been easier than she anticipated. The cunning plan began to unfurl in her mind—an opportunity to reinforce the distance she wanted to maintain between Charlotte and Damien.
• With the dinner set, Esther called Damien, knowing that this sudden gathering would put them all at a pivotal crossroads. As she dialed his number, she felt a rush of satisfaction; this was a chess game she played well, and each move managed to push Charlotte further out of Damien's orbit.
• “Esther!” Damien’s voice was warm and familiar, an anchor in the storm brewing between them. “What’s going on?”