Chapter 84: An Unexpected Arrival

"Clean her up and make sure she understands her schedule," Damon told Isabella before leaving.

Isabella glanced toward Chloe, who was still on the sofa, then nodded. "Understood."

The door closed behind him.

For several seconds, nobody spoke. Chloe remained where he had left her, trying to steady her breathing. The words Test passed kept replaying in her mind.

He had treated the entire encounter like an assessment, something to complete before moving on to the next task. Now he was gone, and she was left to face the consequences of the contract she had signed.

Isabella approached with a glass of water and placed it within Chloe’s reach.

"Take your time. You don’t need to stand up immediately."

Chloe accepted the glass with unsteady hands.

She wanted to ask whether every test would be like this, whether Damon would summon her whenever he wanted, and whether she would ever get used to being around him.

Yet the questions tangled in her throat. She already knew the arrangement she had agreed to, at least on paper. Experiencing it had been different from reading about it and telling herself she could endure it for the money.

"Will it always be like this?" she finally asked.

"That depends on what you mean," Isabella replied, keeping her tone professional.

"Your contract establishes the private arrangement you agreed to. You’ll receive your work schedule and the details of your responsibilities during onboarding. If you have questions about the terms, you can ask me or Ms. Hayes. I won’t pretend the arrangement is ordinary, but you signed it knowing what was expected."

Chloe lowered her eyes to the glass. She had signed because she needed the money, and that reason had not changed.

Neither had the obligations written into the contract.

The contract had seemed straightforward when she signed it. Now, she found herself wondering how much of her life would be shaped by its terms—and how much of that would depend on Damon himself.

Isabella gave her a little more time before helping her prepare to leave the room.

Meanwhile, Emily and Sofia waited outside with their onboarding documents. When Isabella finally brought Chloe out, both girls looked up at once.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked.

"I’m fine," Chloe answered automatically.

The answer did little to reassure them. Chloe looked pale, and there was a guardedness in her expression that neither had seen during the interview.

Sofia’s fingers tightened around the edge of her contract folder. They had both understood the private terms before signing, but neither had known what Damon would be like in person. Seeing Chloe return in that state made the situation feel much more real.

"Is he always that intimidating?" Sofia asked quietly once Isabella had stepped away to retrieve the remaining paperwork.

Chloe hesitated. "I don’t know. I only know what happened today."

That answer frightened them more than a simple yes would have.

Isabella returned and resumed the onboarding process without making a spectacle of Chloe’s condition. She explained their upcoming schedules, the agency’s professional expectations, and whom they should contact if they had questions about the contract.

She was careful not to promise that every day would be easy, but she made it clear that the work itself would be organized and that the agreed terms would be handled through the agency.

Chloe listened quietly while Emily and Sofia asked the questions they had been holding back.

The three of them had entered the same arrangement for different personal reasons, but they were beginning to understand one thing: working for Damon Thorne would not be an ordinary job, and the generous salary was only one part of what they had signed up for.

Damon was already on the road, his black Lamborghini Revuelto gliding through Vesper’s streets.

He leaned back comfortably in his seat, feeling refreshed. The morning had gone well, and his thoughts returned to the cultivation technique he had carried over from his previous life.

This method really is good for cultivating lust essence.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

The Lamborghini turned away from the busy commercial district and headed toward Blackstone Manor.

Damon let his mind drift from cultivation to the matters waiting for him there.

Thomas had been handling the estate’s staffing, and there were still plenty of things he needed to learn about the Thorne family.

For now, he would deal with whatever came next.

Blackstone Manor had grown noticeably busier.

When Damon arrived, a guard near the entrance straightened and greeted him. Beyond the doors, servants moved between the adjoining rooms, carrying supplies and attending to the estate’s daily needs.

Damon handed over his keys and entered the manor.

Thomas soon appeared in the entrance hall. He looked composed as always.

"Master, the senior personnel member we’ve been looking for has arrived."

Damon stopped.

"What? You said he wouldn’t be here for another two weeks."

"That was the information I received earlier, Master." Thomas inclined his head.

"He had work to finish in another country, and his return was expected to take longer. However, he has arrived ahead of schedule. I received the updated news shortly before he came here."

Damon’s surprise faded into interest.

The man had apparently finished his business sooner than expected. It was a welcome development.

"All right. Let’s arrange the meeting."

"Of course, Master. He’s waiting in the meeting room."

Thomas led the way through the manor. Damon followed him past the entrance hall and into a quieter part of the residence, where the room had been prepared for the visitor.

The servants had kept the area orderly, and everything was ready for a proper meeting.

A man was waiting inside.

He appeared composed and well presented, with the bearing of someone accustomed to handling responsibilities. When Damon entered, he rose from his seat without hesitation.

Thomas stepped aside, allowing the two to face each other.

Damon studied the newcomer briefly. This was the senior Thorne-family personnel member whose return had been expected weeks later.

Now that he was standing here, Damon was curious to discover what sort of man he was—and how much he knew about the family Damon had inherited along with his name.

The man straightened and offered him a respectful greeting.

"Young Master, it’s really good to meet you."