The next day...
Damian studied himself in the mirror. His gaze was straight and confident as he stared at his reflection.
The open black suit jacket paired with a gray shirt and black tie looked perfect on him. Black slacks, neatly pressed by Emma, his housekeeper, completed his appearance that morning.
Actually, this kind of outfit was part of Damian's everyday look whenever he was at the office. Still, the color black always managed to enhance his charm several times over. No wonder the young CEO was so admired by his female employees. Besides being highly capable at his job, Damian also had looks that were nothing to scoff at.
Simply, he’s almost perfect.
After making sure he looked presentable enough, Damian left his bedroom with confident strides. This morning, he had to attend a meeting with several clients. On top of that, there were countless documents piled up at the office that needed his signature immediately.
Huff... today was shaping up to be a long and exhausting day.
“Have you transferred the money I asked for yesterday?”
That annoying question greeted Damian the moment he stepped into the dining room. Not only was it irritating, it even killed his appetite.
“Not yet. Besides, it isn't my responsibility to cover all your expenses,” Damian replied.
He sat down at the dining table, picked up a slice of white bread, and spread it with strawberry jam. If he hadn't had an important meeting that morning, he might have preferred to eat breakfast out.
“What did you say? Technically, I'm your older sister, Damian. My name is listed in Father's will, and I'm older than you. Show some respect!”
Damian let out a harsh breath. The bread that had almost reached his mouth was placed back on the plate.
Just hearing the blond woman call herself his sister was enough to disgust Damian.
“Respect?” Damian looked at her coldly. “I don't even know where you came from. I let you stay in this house only because of Father's will. So be grateful for that and don't expect anything from me. Including respect.”
Damian deliberately emphasized his position.
The morning in that house was peaceful. Sunlight filtered through the dining room's large windows and fell across the neatly arranged marble table.
The aroma of coffee and toast still filled the room, but none of it was enough to make the morning pleasant for Damian. The house that should have been a place to rest instead felt like a place that drained his patience.
The woman was still sitting casually in her chair. Her hand toyed with the small spoon inside her coffee cup, as if their conversation were nothing worth arguing about. Her calm attitude only made Damian more uncomfortable. He knew that as long as the woman remained in his house, requests like this would keep coming.
“I'm only asking for a little money. Is that really so difficult for you?” she asked again.
Damian paused for a moment but didn't turn around. His fingers curled slightly into fists. He had heard the same sentence far too many times, each time with a different excuse. Money, necessities, her rights as family—everything was always used as a reason to get something from him.
“Don't start this first thing in the morning,” Damian said curtly.
Ignoring the bread he was supposed to have eaten, Damian rose from his chair and left the dining table instead. Staying there and indulging her rambling would only ruin his mood that morning. Damian chose to remain silent, then left the house.