The Forgotten Grandson

Chapter 9

The waiter set the last plate down and stepped away. The table was full of food. Steam rose from some dishes. Others looked almost too pretty to touch. Smells of meat, spices, and sweet sauce mixed in the air.

Damien’s eyes went wide.

“This all looks amazing,” he said.

Angela watched him with a small smile. He had ordered almost everything that looked good. Dishes he had only seen in pictures before. Dishes Courtney and her family used to laugh about whenever he pointed them out.

“Wait until you taste them,” she said.

He did not wait. He picked up his fork and knife and started eating right away. He did not care about the people staring from other tables. Some whispered. A few shook their heads. Damien kept eating. The food was better than anything he had ever tasted. Soft, rich, full of flavors he could not name. For the first time in a long while, something warm settled in his chest.

Angela could not ignore the looks the way he did. She knew most of them came from his clothes—torn, dirty, and wrinkled. If he had walked in wearing a nice suit, no one would have looked twice.

“We should get you a change of clothes,” she said.

Damien stopped chewing for a second. He swallowed and shrugged.

“Well, I divorced my ex-wife. I can’t go back to her house for my clothes.”

Angela leaned in a little.

“You’re the new head of the Delaney Company. You own parts of many clothing brands. Expensive ones and normal ones. We can fix that easy.”

Damien gave a short laugh. The words still felt strange in his ears.

“Yeah. I’m sure we can.”

He looked around the restaurant. Only hours ago this same place had thrown him out like trash. Now he sat at a good table with a black card that had no limit. The change still did not feel real.

“I’m sure I own houses and apartments all over the city too,” he said. “Because right now I have nowhere to sleep.”

Angela thought about the first years after the old man had taken her and Renee in. It had taken her a long time to understand how powerful Daniel Delaney really was. People treated him like he was more than human. Once she had watched a famous actor go quiet and nervous just because the old man walked into a room. Damien still had no idea what that kind of power meant.

“You can sleep in a different building every night if you want,” she said. “You don’t really get who you are yet, do you?”

Damien paused. He knew the words. Boss. Delaney Company. Lots of money. But the full size of it still felt far away, like a story about someone else.

“I’ll figure it out later,” he said.

Angela smiled. There was no need to push. One step at a time was fine.

“I’ll be here to help—”

“Gorgeous Angela. It is such a blessing to see your face this evening.”

Angela’s smile dropped. She rolled her eyes before she even turned around.

A man in a bright white jacket, tight jeans, and sunglasses—inside the restaurant—stood beside their table. His grin was wide and full of teeth.

Damien raised one eyebrow but kept eating.

“Raymond, good evening,” Angela said. Her voice was polite but flat.

“You hurt me, Angela. Raymond is my father. I told you to call me Ray,” he said, still grinning.

Raymond Ronchester. His family ran a smaller company that worked with Delaney for years. Raymond was the oldest son. He would take over one day, and he never let anyone forget it.

“By the way,” he said, “I was invited to a fundraiser tomorrow. I’m sure if you come, many men will give more money just to impress you.”

Angela’s patience was already thin. He talked to her like she was something to show off, and he had not even looked at Damien once.

“That’s an interesting invite,” she said, “but please respect my guest and let us finish our dinner.”

Raymond made a big show of noticing Damien for the first time. He turned, stared, and raised both eyebrows.

“Oh. I didn’t see him before.”

Angela felt a small wave of embarrassment when Damien did not stop eating or even look up. Raymond stared at him like he was something stuck to a shoe.

“You really are an angel, helping charity cases like this,” Raymond said. “I respect that, but a woman like you should not be seen with a man like him. It does not look good. Come sit at my table.”

Angela took a slow breath. She kept her voice steady.

“Another interesting invite. But I’m having a meeting with my boss.”

Raymond’s eyes lit up.

“Oh, Mr. Delaney is here? I’ve been wanting to talk to him about a good business idea.”

Angela almost sighed. He did not even ask about the old man’s health. All he cared about was money.

“I don’t think he’s ready to talk business right now,” she said.

“Come on, I’m sure he’ll listen. It’s a very good plan and—”

“And why don’t you do it yourself and keep all the money?” Damien said without looking up from his plate.

Angela turned slowly toward him. Raymond’s face twisted. He could not believe Angela had turned him down to stay with this… person. A waste of space eating from three different plates like he had never seen food before.

“Hey, do you not see me talking here?” Raymond hissed through his teeth. “You’re lucky no one kicked you out already. Don’t push me or you’ll regret it.”

He had had enough. He reached out, grabbed Angela’s hand, and tried to pull her from her chair.

“Come on. Let’s talk somewhere private,” he said, still wearing that wide smile.

Angela pulled her hand free at once. His palm felt sticky and cold.

“I told you. I’m having a meeting with my boss,” she said, voice final.

“Is he in the bathroom?” Raymond asked.

“He’s eating his food,” she answered.

Raymond looked at Damien, then back at Angela. Back and forth. His head turned like he was watching a slow game. Then the truth hit him.

His head tipped back and he burst into loud, sharp laughter.