Chapter 23 288 Vouchers Damian frowned . " She didn't sleep ? " " No , sir . Every time Miss Barrette has an allergic reaction , she stays by her side . Last night , Miss Barrette was crying and wouldn't take her medicine . We couldn't calm her down , so we called Mrs. Barrette . " She got her to take it , then held her for hours until she finally fell asleep . " She even stayed up to make sure she didn't scratch the rash and leave scars . " Around dawn , Miss Barrette threw up all over her . " If I may … she really cares about Miss Barrette . Maybe it's time to let it go and ask her to come back . " Damian's frown deepened . " Darla threw up on her ? That's why she dressed like that ? " The servant nodded . " Yes . Miss Barrette only wants her when she's sick . She clings to her and won't let go . And she woke up a lot last night . Mrs. Barrette held her almost all night . " I thought Mrs. Barrette would rest once you got home ! " Only then did Damian realize how badly he'd misread everything . And he said those hurtful things . No wonder Clau- dine lost it . Then he waved the servant off . Darlene had stopped crying . She knew Claudine had done a lot for her , but her words from earlier still hurt . Darlene didn't understand that sometimes grown - ups said things they didn't mean . She clenched her hands , not sure what to do . Damian looked down at her . " Is your rash still itchy ? " Darlene shook her head . She stayed curled up in his arms , thinking about how she'd pushed Claudine away . She hadn't even let her come in to get changed . " Daddy , I did something bad . " 0.0 % 03:52 Chapter 23 " You wanna tell me ? " Damian said softly . She fidgeted with her fingers , voice barely a whisper . " I made Claudine leave . " Thinking about how she'd treated Claudine just now , she felt like a bad kid . She didn't want to be one or to lose Claudine . The truth was that she had missed Claudine over the past few days . Damian kissed her gently on the cheek . " Hey , this wasn't all on you , you know ? I said some dumb stuff , too . " When she comes back , we'll both apologize , okay ? " Darlene sniffled and nodded . Not long after , she fell asleep . Meanwhile , Claudine drove back to Willow Creek Villas . Thankfully , no one else was in the parking garage . If anyone saw her like this , it'd be mortifying . She hurried toward the elevator , hoping it was empty . But when the doors opened , Audrey was already inside . " Ms. Hogan ? You're barely dressed . Come on , get in . " Audrey took off her jacket and draped it over Claudine's shoulders . " Thanks , " Claudine murmured . She glanced at Audrey's outfit . " Out for a jog , Ms. Lavigne ? " Audrey smiled . " Yeah . " She gave Claudine one more look but didn't say anything else . Claudine knew she looked miserable . If Audrey asked , she wouldn't even know where to start . She couldn't tell her how Damian and his daughter had treated her . Thankfully , Audrey stayed quiet until the elevator reached the first floor . Claudine started to hand back the jacket , but Audrey stopped her . " Keep it . You look cold . Get some rest when you get home , okay ? 288 Vouchers " And if you're free tonight , swing by my place . I've got a few pieces I'd love to show you . My husband's been collect- ing them for years . You've got such a good eye for sculpture . I think you'll like them . 29.7 % 03:52 Chapter 23 " Don't worry , I'll keep Axel in the cage so he doesn't freak you out . " She was so kind that Claudine couldn't say no . Besides , someone else might step into the elevator any second , and the jacket felt necessary . " Thank you , Ms. Lavigne . " " You're welcome , " Audrey said , stepping out . As the doors closed again , Claudine caught her reflection in the mirror and felt drained . Back home , she took her medicine , went to the bathroom , took off her dress , and tossed it in the trash . Damian left for work early . Lindsay was reviewing his schedule in the office . Ever since she'd seen Claudine at the auction , she'd stopped fantasizing about Damian . Claudine was remarkable , but even she couldn't win his heart . Lindsay knew she didn't stand a chance . So she focused on doing her job well . " Mr. Barrette , Mr. Sandoval can't make tonight's dinner . He'll pick another day . " Damian nodded . " Alright . " " If there's nothing else , I'll head out . " She turned to go . " Hold on , " Damian said . " Can you find out where Claudine's been staying the past few days ? " Lindsay nodded and walked out . She was surprised Claudine hadn't been home in so long . Thinking back to how Claudine had lit up the auction floor that day , Lindsay glanced toward his office . " Is Mr. Barrette trying to make peace with his wife ? " she murmured to herself . But Claudine was back in the auction world . Would she want to go back to being a housewife ? Lindsay couldn't figure it out . If Damian didn't love Claudine , why did he care where she was ? 288 ( Vouchers Anyone who went to Camberwell University had probably heard the stories about the trio and the woman Damian couldn't forget . If he was still hung up on her , why end the marriage in the first place ? *** 62.2 % 03:52 Chapter 23 Claudine woke to find it was already evening . Audrey had sent a message inviting her over . Claudine grabbed a good bottle of red wine and the jacket and headed out . She was curious about the sculpture collection Audrey had mentioned . 95.3 %