Damien 115.Mother had been livid when I showed her the graffiti on my wall. A black skull with a black crow perched on it. She had grabbed the phone off my hand and glared at the image displayed on it."Vito sicced those bastards on you?" Mother asked in disbelief and pure rage."It would have been different if I was at home but I had just been returning from work," I had told her."He is going to pay," Mom said with a dead serious tone."It is alright mom, you do not have to do anything," I tried telling her."This is not up for debate, Damien, end of discussion," Mom brusquely replied and got up from the couch.I watched her pace back and forth the living room with a scary scowl on her face. I was already regretting letting her know about me and dad."Why would he do that to you, his son?" She mused loudly."It has something to do with some numbers that he told me," I told her. "It happened when those soldiers came to take him away," I reminded her."After all those years, he still
Damien 116. Deadbeat father in law.It was horrible when they finally laid Belladonna to rest. I felt Isabella lean against me for support as she cried. She looked away from the grave and turned into my chest. It felt as if she did not want all these things to be real.But Alas, it was. One by one they all left us. The well wishers, the sympathizers. Who could blame them? They were still alive and there was still time left for them."Do you want to be alone with her?" I asked, already eyeballing a mad hiding a camera inside his long coat. He knew that I was watching and yet I could feel that he was still taking pictures.I saw his be-spectacled brown eyes daring me to do something. After all, it the cemetery was public property and he could be here if he wanted to. He was daring me to do something."I do not know what to say, Damien," Sha said helplessly. It drew my attention back to her cry."Anything that comes to mind is fine, Isabella, as long a
Isabella 117.The days that went by after the burial were a painful blur. I was fooling myself if I believed I could go back to work after everything. I wanted to shut the world out and hide away.However, Damien would not let me. He was there through the pain and agony. He was patient and I admired his patience. He forced me to eat, he forced me drink, he forced me to bathe and when there was no life left in me, he forced me to live. He was a patient man and he was there for me.An August visitor came to visit while I was still grieving. It had been so unexpected. But I deducted that it was about time that she reared her head up."We have to prepare for the great ball," Ava said one morning as I prepared for work."The annual end of the year gala for Renaissance, I totally forgot," I exclaimed wearily."It is not your fault, Isabella, you have been through enough," Ava said kindly."I and Grace were working on it with Jackson," I recalled loudly."Well, it is
Damien 118.The silence that followed was uneasy and loud. What Natalia was saying was out of the question."She was never an employee in the first place," I reminded Natalia."Well she would like to be," Natalia said."This discussion does not concern me," Isabella said in a dry tone and stood up. "I will be in the car," She added and stood up."I think it does, sweetheart, you are in charge of the end of the year party my mom is always so crazy about, and Camilla wants in," Natalia replied."I am not working with you, ever again," Isabella looked directly at Camilla before storming out.I was about to stand up before mom stopped me."Let her go, She needs to calm down," Mom said so with great reluctance, I sat down. This whole thing was making me upset.Mom sat back and scrutinized Camilla and Natalia with a suspicious gaze."Look, Ava, I know we do not get along but clearly you of all people should know about second chances," Natalia said."The problem is if
Isabella 119."Are we being followed?" Damien asked in a calm tone."Negative," Jackson said as he drove us to the office."Who were those men?" I asked Damien as my heart began to slow down."If I guess right, friends of my dad," I told her."Vito is behind this?" I asked in disbelief. The last time I saw Damien's father, he was in an impromptu conference meeting and he had been silent and sullen.He had refused to look me in the eye through out the duration of the meeting and yet he would not hesitate to resort to his violent ways."What does he want from us this time?" I asked in a weary tone."Not us, me," Damien answered. "He believes that I have something that belongs to him," He added."And he will resort to anything to get it back," Jackson added as he pulled over in front of the curb that led to the office lobby.Damien followed me to my floor and would not leave until he was satisfied that office was safe. It was almost ridiculous but it calmed him dow
Damien 120.Jackson was on the same floor as Isabella so I walked to his office. I entered without knocking only to find one of his female coworkers on his laps, kissing him. The lady jumped up with fright and hastily exited the office."Ever heard of knocking?" Jackson asked sarcastically."Is this what I pay you for?" I asked."Nope, but it comes with the job," Jackson said. "So unless your wife is actually in danger, I do not know what you want from me," He said."I need you to hunt someone down for me," I told him."Who made the mistake of crossing you today your highness," He asked."Isabella's father.""The stranger at the funeral?""Yeah. He is becoming a real problem," I answered. I showed him the pendant that was sent to Isabella."He sent this through a courier but there was no return address," I told him."It seems like daddy wants to hang around for a while," Jackson said as he took the silver necklace off my hand and closely examined it. "This is ori
Isabella 121.I noticed something about the way Michael spoke to Damien. It was beyond platonic and what stuck me as odd was that they both had some sort of resemblance and I the playful banter sounded so familiar."Let's get to it," Michael said, straight to the point. "We have reason to believe that your mom was murdered," He said.Damien and I both looked at each other."Damn it. You both know," Michael said and leaned back in frustration."Arsenic acid," I said to Michael.Michael threw Damien a suspicious glare. "That is police information, how do you know that?" He demanded."Someone sent it to my email on my computer this morning," I told him. "When I searched for the email that sent it online, there was no results," I added."Whoever this person is, they know know how to stay hidden," Michael said. "I am currently investigating this matter but it is being done secretly, there is enough heat on you as it is," Michael said.I was wondering if I should tel
Damien 122."I want to be alone," Isabella told me and left me all alone on the top floor. She had every right to be after what had gone down just today alone."She will get used to it, do not worry about her," Natalia said as she came closer to me. She seemed overtly chipper and I could not help but suspect her.Everyone was a suspect. Was Natalia capable of ending the life of a sick old woman in such a painful manner? I was not sure."I am more worried about you and your motives," I said."Damien, I mean you no ill will, I just want to make things right, the way they were before," Natalia said.I pointed to Camilla. "Her con man of a boyfriend kidnapped my wife and you advocate for her, things are never going to be the same between us ever again," I said and turned towards the elevator.Natalia followed me. "I am trying to make things right, Damien, why can you of all people not see that?" She called after me."How is she coming back here going to make things right?" I demanded."Ca