Damien 85.I was dumbfounded by the news that I read it more than ten times before it dawned on me that it was all too real. I sent a quick text to Jackson to turn the car around. I turned an gave Isabella a long solemn look. I would protect her with my life even if it killed me.I looked on in adoration at her sleeping form. I was going to have to leave her again. Micheal had specifically asked to see me. I was baffled by the turn of events just today along. I changed quietly into lighter clothes and took my Smith and Wesson, chief's special.The firearm had been my trusty side piece during my army days. I prayed that I never had to need it. It was custom made to fit my hands perfectly. It also came in black so it could blend with the dark. I placed a soft kiss on her cheek as she slept like a baby.Jackson was anxiously waiting by his car when I got down. "It sounded serious," He told me as I got close to him."Al is dead, he was killed today," I told him as I opened the front passe
Isabella 86.I jolted awake from my little slumber as my heart almost gave out from fear. It was dark in the room and Damien was no where in the house. I did not know how I knew but I could always tell when he was absent.Ever since I was rescued from the clutches of Robert, I had been plagued by nightmares of the incident. The dream was always the same. It started with Robert tying me up and forcing pills down my throat. Then I always jolted awake when he raised his fist.I woke up feeling very thirsty and my stomach gnawed in complaint as I sat at the edge of the bed, putting my feet on the warm rug. I had no recollection of taking off my shoes because they were neatly placed on the shoe rack. I looked up at the round clock hung up by the entrance of the bathroom.It was past six which meant I slept for over two hours. I could not tell which was more exhausting between working at Renaissance or dealing with the St. Dumas family. It was mentally draining to deal with both.It was e
Damien 87.I had no ill will towards Al Vegas and I knew next to nothing about him except for the Intel Jackson got me. I trusted Jackson's skill as a tracker. So it annoyed me when Michael asked if I was behind the hit."I understand that in cases like this, everyone is a suspect but you really need to take it easy on the booze," I replied."Come on, he stole from you! There is motive," He said, his eyes gleaming with suspicion."He stole from the company," I said."Same difference," He replied with a shrug."So you called me here to interrogate me" I said to him, holding his steady gaze with mine."You have the most to lose," He countered."Yes, but not to the point of chocking a man with his balls," I replied in a calm tone."You rich assholes with your problems, like the common man is not committing enough crimes," Micheal complained bitterly. I could not even blame him for his sentiment. His work was stressful enough."According to my investigations, Al V
Isabella 88Even behind bars, Robert's reach wad still far enough to get to me. It was clear now that despite his incarceration, Camilla was still under his spell. I wondered how she felt when Robert had told her to send me the message.Fortunately, Camilla had stopped blowing up my phone with unprecedented calls and I was left with the uncomfortable silence that followed. To be honest, I was not looking forward to the upcoming days that involved Damien leaving for Japan with Natalia.However, business was business and it did not matter how I felt. I was downstairs busy changing the TV channels when I heard a car pull up close to the house. Even without meaning to, I knew that it was Damien.It scared me how well I was connected to him because he was the first person I ever felt this way about."Did you sleep well?" He asked as he gently closed the door behind him."I tried," I told him."The same nightmare?" He asked as he sat close to me.I nodded. He was awar
Damien 89.I was not in support of what Isabella was doing but I knew that it was for her own good. I knew what it feels like to obsess over someone especially if that someone turned out to be a monster. The two of us had fallen asleep on the couch snuggled against each other.We both woke up to a blushing maid shyly peering down at our sleeping form. She was probably waiting to clean up the living room."How long have you been watching?" I asked with a humorous smile."I just came in sir," She answered with a small courtesy but her face was red with blush."Like what you see?" I asked enjoying her torment. She shook her head, then her eyes widened in fear and she quickly nodded."Damien, stop messing with her and let her do her work," Isabella hit me softly on the shoulder. "Sorry about that," She kindly told the young lady.We both walked up the stairs and entered the bedroom. My bedroom."I want us to stay in one room together, I can't stand you sleeping in a separate room, it's t
Isabella 90.It was so broody in here and bleak in here. I tried not to let it get to me but it did. The somber atmosphere in Red Gate Penitentiary was sad and contagious. Why would anyone want to stay here. I tried to imagine how life would be here everyday.Damien and I waited at the visiting hall of the prison. I was nervous and anxious. Damien placed a calming hand on my lap as my legs were shaking uncontrollably."Fear is natural, only mad men have no fear, you will overcome this," Damien whispered to me. I nodded.Before we got here, we had both decided that, I would see him alone. Robert had been deemed armed and dangerous so I could only see him behind the thick glass with a telephone fixed to it."If things get uncomfortable, you know that you can always leave," Damien told me. I nodded again and held his hand for moral support.Truth be told, it was not easy going to face the man that just traumatized me but I knew that it had to be done. If I did not d
Damien 91.Five minutes later, I was surprised to see her back. She seemed so relaxed as she made her way to me. She hugged me tightly without a word and I held on to her till she had her fill of me."You were early," I told her. "I believed that the slotted time was ten minutes," I added."He was not worth more than five minutes of my precious time," She told me."So what now?" I asked her thinking that we should go home."Let us go to work," She simply replied."Are you sure that you will be able to get anything done?" I asked with concern.She nodded. "I have what I already wanted which was closure but it turns out that I did not even need it in the first place, men like Robert have no power over me," She said.Together, we left the state Penitentiary never to come back again. We got into my car and I drove straight to the office.I occasionally checked my rear view mirror just in case we were being followed. Isabella was my life now and I would do anything
Isabella 92.I had no idea what today was going to bring but I was ready to face it head on. A playful knock sounded on my jaw and I smiled immediately. It was Jackson the joker or Jackie for short. He peeped his head in with one eyes closed."Assistant HR reporting for duty," He said on a robot voice."Come in you goofball," I said with a short laugh and shook my head."And in tow is the delectable Ms. Grace, the event mistress," He added as he walked in.Grace walked in and rolled her eyes. She was weary of his jokes but there was a smile on his face."It's so good to see you boss, It's been hell without you, Grace was mean to me all the time," Jackson complained with fake sadness. It was hilarious."For someone so jacked, you eat like an obese person," Grace said with exasperation.Jackson smiled. "You were totally checking me out if you know I am jacked," He said."Behave yourself," Grace said with a smile."Yes ma'am," Jackson said."You too are a breath of fresh air," I said."P
Isabella As I lay on the floor, bound and helpless, a whirlwind of emotions swirled within me – fear, uncertainty, and a desperate longing for safety and freedom. But just when it felt like all hope was lost, the door burst open, and there he was – Damien, my husband, my savior.Relief flooded through me as I saw him stride into the room, his presence a beacon of strength and determination amidst the chaos. With him was Jackson, his trusted ally, who had helped orchestrate our rescue. I couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude towards both of them as they quickly moved to untie me and Ava, their movements swift and efficient.As the ropes fell away and I rose to my feet, I couldn't suppress the overwhelming sense of relief and gratitude that washed over me. Damien enveloped me in his arms, holding me close and whispering words of reassurance and comfort as tears of relief streamed down my cheeks.Together, we made our way out of the room, leaving behind the nightmare that had thre
Damien My gaze never wavered from Vito's face as I listened to my arch nemesis. The gravity of the situation got more and more deadlier as the night wore on. The papers were still in Vito's hand as I kept the phone to my hear.My father had an inquisitive look on his face as he watched me closely. The line went dead and I put the phone back into my pocket. I collected the the contract and without breaking eye contact, slowly tore it up right in front of him.Vito's eyes widened in shock and utter disbelief. "What the fuck are you doing?" He yelled maniacally as he knelt on the floor trying in vain to join the piece of paper together in a futile attempt.For the first time in my life, I saw him for what he was. An empty barrel of a man, a pathetic and sorry excuse for a husband to my mother and a fucking dead beat piece of shit of a father. I felt nothing but contempt and disgust as I watched him scrambled across the whole floor."Do you know what you have done?!" He yelled at me as h
Isabella As Ava was pushed into the room, I felt a rush of relief flood through me at the sight of her, mingled with a fresh wave of fear for our uncertain future. She stumbled slightly, her eyes wide with shock and confusion, but when she saw me, her expression softened with a mixture of relief and concern."Isabella, darling, are you alright?" she asked, her voice trembling with emotion as she hurried to my side.I reached out to her, my hands shaking as I clutched hers tightly, drawing strength from her presence despite the terror that still gripped me. "I'm scared, Ava," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know what's going to happen to us."Ava's eyes filled with tears as she wrapped her arms around me, holding me close in a comforting embrace. "We'll get through this together, sweetheart," she said, her voice choked with emotion. "I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."But before we could say another word, the door swung open once again, and Camilla e
Damien As I waited anxiously for Camilla's instructions, every second felt like an eternity. My mind raced with a thousand thoughts, each one more frantic than the last. Where was she keeping Isabella and Ava? What did she want from me? And most importantly, how could I save them from whatever danger they were in?The minutes ticked by agonizingly slow, the silence of the room weighing heavily on my shoulders. I felt a surge of frustration building within me, the urge to take action and do something, anything, to rescue my wife and mother from the clutches of their captors.Finally, the sound of my phone buzzing broke the silence, and I quickly grabbed it, my heart pounding in my chest. It was Camilla, her name flashing on the screen, and I answered it without hesitation."Damien," her voice came through the line, smooth and composed as ever. "I trust you've had some time to think about our situation."I clenched my jaw, my grip on the phone tightening with barely contained anger. "W
Isabella As consciousness slowly seeped back into my mind, I found myself engulfed in darkness. Panic surged through me as I struggled to make sense of my surroundings, the weight of my own fear pressing down on me like a suffocating blanket.My heart thundered in my chest as I became aware of the rough bindings cutting into my wrists and ankles, the coarse fibers digging painfully into my skin. Panic tightened its grip around my throat as I realized the full extent of my helplessness, the stark reality of my captivity crashing down on me with brutal force.Frantic thoughts raced through my mind as I struggled against my restraints, the panic threatening to consume me whole. Where was I? How had I ended up here? And most importantly, where was Ava?A wave of despair washed over me as I realized that I was completely at the mercy of my captors, whoever they were. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I imagined the worst, my mind conjuring up horrifying scenarios of what fate awa
Damien As I strode through the familiar corridors of the office building, my mind raced with thoughts and plans. Natalia's brazen attempts to undermine me only fueled my determination. I had come too far to let her or anyone else stand in my way.But it wasn't just about me anymore. My family – Isabella, Ava, our unborn child – they were my driving force. I would do whatever it took to protect them, to ensure their safety and security. And that meant taking down anyone who dared to threaten what was mine.And now, as I sat there, surrounded by the trappings of power, I couldn't help but feel a surge of determination. I wouldn't rest until the Founder's Association was dismantled until my family was safe until Renaissance was secure.With a steely resolve, I reached for my phone and began to formulate my next move. There was no turning back now. The game was on, and I intended to win. Immersed in the intricate details of my plan, my phone suddenly rang, jolting me out of my focused s
Isabella Chopping vegetables for the lasagna, I couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort wash over me. Cooking had always been a soothing activity for me, a way to channel my thoughts and focus on something tangible amidst the chaos of life.Ava, my ever-supportive mother-in-law, stood beside me, offering gentle guidance as we prepared dinner for Damien. "Now, Isabella, remember to slice the vegetables thinly for the lasagna layers," she instructed, her voice warm and reassuring.I nodded, taking her advice to heart as I carefully wielded the knife. "Like this?" I asked, holding up a perfectly sliced zucchini for her inspection.Ava smiled approvingly. "Just like that, dear. You're a natural," she praised, her encouragement filling me with a sense of pride.As we worked side by side, Ava shared her secrets for creating the perfect steak marinade, imparting her culinary wisdom with the patience of a seasoned chef. "The key is to let the meat marinate for at least an hour," she expla
Damien I was watchful during the conference meeting. I took my time to really look at the board members sitting at the table to see if I could see a member of the Founder's Association but none were seated at this conference. Even Rose St Dumas was not present. Maybe she was preparing her cronies of corrupt businessmen and women for the final show down.Camilla Valdez was also not present but Natalia was. I could not tell what was going on in her head as she gazed at me. If her mother was one of them, did that not make her automatically part of tht fold? Was I over reaching? If the plan with the detective worked, it meant that a lot of people will inevitably get hurt. "What is the profit margin for today?" I asked as I got down to business. "Eight percent since last year," Natalia said in a professional manner. "That's lower than last two years," I said with a frown. "That was due to the Al Vegas controversy," One of the board members said. "You mean the embezzlement," I replied
Damien Returning to the office after the recent turmoil felt like stepping into a minefield, each step fraught with the risk of detonating hidden dangers lurking beneath the surface. As I walked through the familiar halls of Renaissance, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that gripped me like a vice, a constant reminder of the precarious balancing act I was now forced to perform.Every interaction, every word spoken, had to be carefully calculated and measured, lest I inadvertently reveal the truth lurking beneath the facade of normalcy I presented to the world. I couldn't afford to let slip even the slightest hint of my alliance with Michael, for fear of the consequences it could bring crashing down upon us both.My colleagues greeted me with smiles and nods as I made my way to my office, their cheerful demeanor a stark contrast to the turmoil raging within me. Behind their friendly facades, I couldn't help but wonder who among them could be trusted, and who might be secretly wo