Damian's Seduction (The Steamy Billionaire Series: Book 1)

Chapter 24: The Nightingale Room

"Follow me," the tour guide, Tabitha, called to Chloe and the visitors at Quinn Mansion, a massive heritage-listed Gilded Age attraction. With sharp features and dark hair tied in a bun, the guide moved with practiced grace. Her crisp white blouse and black skirt exuded an air of authority.

Chloe blended with the Friday afternoon tour group, her thoughts wandering. She considered the last few weeks a little 'vacation' before starting her new job at Harbor Alliances, a financial investment firm. The interview was grueling, but she nailed the problem-solving test and received an offer with a decent salary and her own office.

So, what was she doing at Quinn Mansion? Damian revealed he often visited the family residence as a child. She wanted to know more about him and if she could uncover any family secrets to help him challenge his mother.

"I played hide and seek with the housekeepers," he reminisced during a video call earlier that week. "I'll never forget the trouble I got into for hiding in my grandmother's room. My mother gave me a beating, warning me never to visit that room again."

"What's the name of the room you were banned from?" Chloe asked, her curiosity piqued. She read on the mansion's website that some rooms had unique names.

"It's called the Nightingale room. I heard that my grandmother, Sarah, used to play the piano there before she died. The housekeepers said she was gifted in music, turning rich notes into melodic songs of her own. Would you like a private tour of the mansion?"

"I'm already booked for a group tour on Friday, the four o'clock session."

"I can finish work a little early. How about I meet you there at five after your tour? I can show you more of the place."

"Sounds good," Chloe agreed. She wanted to do her own exploring first, to play Nancy Drew, her favorite book character, when she was a child. That was another thing she and Damian had in common—they loved reading The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew mysteries as children.

Chloe recalled her conversation with Damian about the room. Why was he not allowed in the room? What was Saira hiding? A painful memory of her mother? Or something more sinister?

She glanced at the map and plotted her course. She was on a treasure hunt to dig up as much as possible about the Quinn family history at the mansion—where it all began. Chloe was determined to gain information that could be used against Saira to help Damian escape his onerous contract without risking any loss. If only it were possible...

Why should she bother helping the man who broke her heart?

Because Damian was more than just a love interest. First and foremost, Chloe loved him as a friend, a person, a human being. He showed genuine remorse when he begged for forgiveness, and she was not cruel. She believed in his promise to end his agreement with Grant and Gemma. In his world, where he regularly dealt with assholes and idiots, he sure needed a friend.

There was an undeniable chemistry in their messages and video calls—they flirted, but that was all it was. No one-night stands and no booty calls, unlike the message requests from Chase. Damian respected Chloe's space and valued their friendship. He was no longer a ghost in her life.

Speaking of ghosts, one visitor whispered as they walked down the narrow hall, "My cousin told me the mansion is haunted, and the spirits of the dead whisper behind these walls."

"Bullshit," Chloe wanted to say but remained silent—the only ghosts were the shadows in Damian's life.

"Darius Quinn, God bless his soul, drove Lester Harbor's economy with John Scott during the oil boom. He refurbished much of this home before his wife, Sarah, died. Their children, Saira and Nicholas, were cared for by relatives during that period."