?


    Vrie thought for a moment and felt a headache.


    "Forget it," she said. "I don''t want to think about this right now."


    After chatting with N a bit longer, she got up to leave.


    Once she was gone, N headed to the study.


    Inside, Damon was reading through some documents.


    Hearing her enter, he looked up and asked, "Vrie already left?"


    "Mm," N hummed.


    Seeing the slight furrow in N''s brows, Damon put down his papers. "What''s on your mind?"


    "She and Brandon had a fight," N said. "I think now that Tom is back, there are going to be some serious problems."


    Although N was sure Vrie no longer had feelings for Tom, his constant interference in her life was like a thorn in Brandon''s heart, pricking him just enough to chip away at their rtionship.


    Damon''s expression darkened. He wasn''t particrly interested in the tension between Vrie and Brandon, but he had noticed that Tom had been in contact with Drake while overseas.


    Now that Tom was back in the country, Damon suspected he had more motives than just getting back with Vrie.


    Noticing Damon''s silence, N nced up at him. "Why aren''t you saying anything?"


    Damon swallowed his doubts and gave her a gentle smile. "You''re already busy worrying about our problems. Don''t tell me you have time to worry about others, too."


    N looked at him, perplexed. "What problems could we possibly have?"


    "Oh, we have plenty," Damon replied, teasing. "Like deciding when we''ll give Buddy a little sister, or when we''re finally getting married, where we''ll hold the wedding, or even where to go for our honeymoon—"


    She cut him off, "You haven''t even proposed. Besides, I''m not even sure I want to get married. We''re fine just like this."


    For her, what they had was no different from marriage. The certificate didn''t matter.


    "It''s not fine to me. I want to see your name right next to mine on a marriage certificate," Damon said.


    N raised an eyebrow. "Then you''ll have to try harder. Maybe someday I''ll be in the mood to get married."


    Damon was about to reply when his phone rang. "I need to take this."


    She nodded. "Sure, I''ll go find a book to read. You work."


    As she turned to the bookshelf, he watched her with a fond smile, then picked up the call.


    "Mr. Sumner," Spencer said on the


    other end, "there''s been a report


    from Falcon. Today, Drake''s


    elet


    secretary took a wine ss to the et


    biggest DNA testing center in


    Meristate for a test. The name on the sample was... Ms. Kinsey''s. Mr. Genge''s secretary was the one who sent the wine ss."


    Damon''s grip on the phone tightened as his breathing grew heavy. He nced at N, then got


    up and walked down the hall until he


    was out of earshot. Content b


    "Who is the other party they''re testing her with?" His voice was cold.


    "The name listed was Amy-Falcon is still working on the details," Spencer reported.


    Damon''s eyes narrowed. "Understood. Tell Falcon to keep investigating."


    After ending the call, Damon didn''t immediately return to the study. Instead, he opened a window at the end of the hall.


    The cold night air swept in, but he didn''t flinch, staring out into the inky darkness, lost in thought.


    Whoever Amy was, she had to be a


    net


    woman. Could she be rted to N? Drake suspected a familial connection, that would have to start with her parents to confirm.


    With this in mind, Damon resolved to find a way to speak with Harrison soon.


    After spending nearly half an hour outside, he returned to the study.


    When he entered, N looked up. "Took you a while. What was the call about?"


    "Just needed a break, so I took a moment to rest," he answered.