“Anastasia, what are your plans for the future?” Madam Callahan asked. “You are participating in the Scarlet Hearts. I talked to Edward Wright recently and he was of all talks of you. You seemed to have impressed him.” Anastasia did not understand if Damien’s grandmother was praising her genuinely or had an ulterior motive. “I plan to work for the company I am still working in,” Anastasia answered. “Why should you work for someone else’s company? Your father has his own company. Should you not contribute to family?” Madam Callahan said. “That is my father’s company,” Anastasia said. “And I am a designer. What can I possibly do there? The field I am interested in is already managed by his step-daughter. I have no intentions of touching it.” “Why don’t you work for our company?” Madam Callahan asked. “Mom!” Carolyn whispered. Anastasia looked at Damien and answered, “I am happy where I am at the moment.” When the dinner ended, the conversation followed to the living room. A maid
The day after Anastasia and Damien returned from his house, she received an unexpected call. It was from her father who was asking her to come home for a meeting. She refused, saying she wouldn’t go back to his house but was willing to meet him elsewhere. Her father, Harold, then asked her to come to his office.Drressd in an elegant skirt and matching blouse from the collection Adeline and Lovelina had picked for her, Anastasia made her way to the office. As she waited in the lobby, Harold’s assistant came down to escort her."Miss Spencer, you can go ahead," the assistant said, holding the door open for her.Anastasia knocked, and upon hearing Harold's voice, she stepped inside. To her surprise, several men were already seated in the room. She greeted her father and nodded politely at the others."And who is this?" one of the men, who appeared to be around Harold's age, asked."That's my daughter," Harold responded."Oh, it’s Regina?" another man asked, frowning in confusion.Before
Harold couldn’t bear to see her cry anymore. It was giving him a headache. Big tears streamed down her cheeks and her nose had turned red and ugly from all the weeping. She looked utterly pathetic."Enough!" Harold snapped, his patience reducing each second.She looked up at him as her sobs filled the silence between them.“Regina was in danger because of Damien,” Harold said sharply. “Her name is linked to him in the media. If they find out that you are married to him, it will create a huge scandal and our family’s reputation will be affected.”Anastasia waited for him to continue. “I will wage a war against Damien, Anastasia. He openly disrespected me by hurting Regina and marrying you without my permission. You know better than anyone that I have the power to ruin Damien Callahan!” She stared at him, feeling the weight of his words. She knew he wasn’t bluffing, his ego was as vast as the ocean, and he would destroy anyone who dared to cross him. Though she didn’t want to cause any
"Where are you?" Damien’s voice came through the phone just as Anastasia stepped outside her father’s office.She was looking around for a taxi since her car was still at Adeline's. She hadn’t had time to pick it up as she had rushed over to meet her father. “I’m outside my father’s office,” she replied.“Wait there,” Damien said. “I will pick you up.”“It’s okay,” she replied, not wanting to inconvenience him. “I can manage.”But Damien wasn’t having it. “How? By taxi? Your car’s still at Adeline’s. I sent someone to retrieve it. Just wait five minutes; I will be there.”As he hung up, she realized it would take him at least half an hour to get here, more if traffic was bad. Yet, exactly five minutes later, a sleek car pulled up in front of her.Anastasia’s lips pressed into a faint smile. This man… he already knew she was here, didn’t he?Of course, he had a team of invisible guards following her everywhere. The car door opened and she climbed inside and turned to see Damien sittin
Inside the car, Anastasia took the pill and drank some water from Damien's bottle.“Will it be effective?” he asked, concern etching his features.“We will find out in a week,” she replied casually. Her period was due then and it would be clear if she was pregnant or not.“What if it doesn’t work?” Damien pressed, the worry evident in his voice. She turned to him with a playful smirk. “Then the poor Damien Callahan will be burdened with a child.”He quickly defended, “Children are never a burden.”“Unless they are unwanted and unplanned,” she shot back, raising an eyebrow.He countered, “If you get pregnant, would you consider our child unwanted?”Anastasia studied him, realizing he had a tendency to make everything personal. For some reason, he was overly emotional and sensitive almost as if he was the girl of the relationship. Sometimes, it felt like she was the one trying to be rational while he was the one who always sees things emotionally and sentimentally. It was not bad but
When they reached home, night had already fallen. Neither of them mentioned her visit to her father and the silence on the subject was mutual. He thought that if she wished to tell him about the topic, she would. And she did not think that she needed to inform him anything and if he expressed his wish to know, she would not hide anything from him. Despite their differences, she did not like to lie to him. If she could tell him the truth, she would. If not, she would keep quiet. Damien also understood this thing and thus he did not pressed further. But as they walked into the living room, they were met with an unexpected sight that quickly caught Damien’s attention. Sitting on the couch was someone he hadn’t expected to see in his house.“What are you doing here, Caleb?” Damien asked, surprised. Caleb almost never came to his house. What added to Damien’s unease was the suitcase sitting by the couch, a detail that immediately felt off. It was already strange that Caleb was here. What
On the other end of the line, Damien’s mother Carolyn sounded unusually agitated.“What did he say? That I threw him out of the house?” she huffed. “I will give that boy a piece of my mind!”Damien had never heard his mother so riled up. What had caleb done that infuriated his mother that much? He also wanted to know so he asked, “Mom, can you tell me what happened?”Carolyn sighed heavily. “You know how he is. He is moody, stubborn, doing everything according to his whims. A few days ago, I met with his teacher. I have lived a life of pride as Carolyn Callahan and no one has dared to shame me, but this boy failed miserably in his classes! I tried to be understanding, kept calm, and hired tutors to help him catch up. But he scared every one of them away! And today? He fought a classmate. A kid from the Jade family, no less!”Damien’s brows knitted. He knew how important the Jade family’s partnership was to their business. “I’m guessing they weren’t thrilled.”Carolyn scoffed, frustrat
After hanging up with his mom, Damien went downstairs to find Anastasia and tell her about the changes ahead. When he reached the dining room, he paused at the doorway only to be surprised by what he saw.Did not his mom said that Caleb was on hunger strike? Well, it did not seem like that. Caleb was seated at the table and was calmly eating a bowl of noodles. It was the kind of noodles that Anastasia usually prepared just for him. She always tried to make it seem like the chef had done it, but Damien knew better. She made those noodles from scratch carefully considering his health and allergies. And now here she was, serving that same dish to Caleb.Beside the noodles was a glass of milkshake, prepared in the same way she did his which was naturally sweetened with fruit instead of sugar given his dietary restrictions. This was his daily routine, a meal made for hi, and yet now Caleb was the one being served with the same care and attention. Damien felt an odd discomfort at the si
After Crystal left, Regina turned to Giovanni. “How do you know the Hawthorne family?”Giovanni leaned back, his tone casual and warm. “Crystal’s mother-in-law is the sister of Gideon’s grandmother. The two families are very close. They adore Gideon, so I ended up getting close to them, too.” He paused, then added, “Don’t worry about the patient. The Hawthornes have the best doctors. She will be as good as new.”Meanwhile, Limpy limped toward Claire, his face pale as he delivered the news. “Madam, the place was blasted.”He was so scared of Claire while delivering this news. He would not be shocked if she killed him. Fiona was her ace and now she lost it. She would die with grief and rage. “What do you mean?” Claire’s voice was sharp with confusion. She was not ready to accept the truth. Limpy stuttered, visibly shaken. “There was a fight between two families... our place, along with many others, was blown up. There is nothing left.”Claire’s eyes narrowed as she grabbed Limpy by th
The person kept muttering, “Mum… Mum…” in a frail and broken voice.“Should we kill it?” the man asked, his face twisting in disgust. “This…thing is too revolting to even look at.”Regina’s expression hardened as she shook her head. “No. Take it with us. Make sure there is no trace we were ever here.”“This person…” the man hesitated. “It will be a liability. If anyone finds out—”Regina’s lips curled into a sly smile. “Actually, I’m looking forward to this kind of trouble.”Once they were outside, the person was bundled in layers of cloth to keep her hidden. Regina pulled out her phone and made a call. “Ronan, it’s Regina. I need your help.”A week later...Regina stood in a big bouse, facing the person who had helped her when she needed it the most as her expression full of gratitude. “Thank you so much for everything,” she said softly.The woman smiled warmly. “Come on, Regina. I like you. Of course, I would help.”Regina’s eyes softened. “Even with the risks, you still stepped in.
“Miss!”“We found the location!”Regina stood at the beach, her gaze fixed on the horizon as the words she had been waiting for finally reached her ears. For the past week, she had tasked people with keeping an eye on her mother. Although she was angry with her, it didn’t mean she hated her. Her frustration stemmed from her mother’s constant interference in her life, not from a lack of love.What troubled her even more was the mystery of where her mother was getting those sketches. At first, she suspected her teacher might be helping, but over time, she began to notice inconsistencies. The designs clearly weren’t her teacher’s work. Regina vividly recalled the day her teacher subtly hinted that someone else was behind the designs.The scandal that followed unearthed even more questions. While critics tore her apart for copying, a few respected figures in the industry made a startling observation like her work bore an uncanny resemblance to the designs of the legendary Faye. But how co
Damien sat in a café, checking his watch. He had been waiting for half an hour when the door finally opened. A tall, striking woman walked in and as soon as she saw him, her face lit up. She walked over and hugged him.“How are you, Damien?” she asked with a confident smile. The woman was stunning, strong and intimidating with an air of mystery. She wore a dress with a low back, showing off a large phoenix tattoo. The tattoo gave her an untouchable aura, like she had risen from something difficult, carrying a story only she knew, a story which with hints of sadness.“I’m doing well, Gia,” Damien replied. “And you?”Giovanna laughed lightly as her tone was calm. “What could possibly happen to me?”“Right…” Damien said. Then he asked, “How is Gideon?”The mention of the boy made her expression soften instantly. “Gideon is doing great,” she said, a warm smile appearing on her face.Damien nodded, relieved. He thought back to her past about the struggles she had endured. Ten years ago,
“Did you do something?” Anastasia asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she observed Abel. She was currently in Damien’s office where she was planning to surprise him after her long day at work. She hadn’t expected to find out he was away for an important meeting and wouldn’t return until the evening. Since she was too tired to head home immediately, she decided to rest in his office and wait for him. But she hadn’t anticipated Abel walking in and looking like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. He looked so miserable that she could not ignore him. Abel froze momentarily at her question before attempting to brush it off. “Why would you think I did something?”He tried to appear casual but the misery on his face betrayed him. His usual funny and naighty demeanor was nowhere to be found.Anastasia tilted her head as a playful smile tugging at her lips. “Hmm. Let me think…” she mused dramatically before adding, “Maybe because you reek of guilt. It is written all over y
Damien studied him for a moment before speaking. “I’m going to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me. Can you do that?” Ronan opened his eyes, hesitant, but eventually nodded. “Do you love Regina? Not as a friend, but as a romantic partner?” Damien’s tone was firm and curious. “What?” Ronan looked startled. “Be honest, Ronan.” Ronan was quick to respond, his voice firm and sincere. “I don’t! I don’t see her that way at all. She is like the sister I never had. A little sister. I love her a lot, but not romantically.” He paused, his voice softening. “But she means the world to me. She has been there for me through everything, good and bad. She is someone I share my heart and soul with. Damien, I don’t love her as a romantic partner, but she is still my soulmate. I know it sounds strange, but it’s the truth.” Damien tilted his head while being intrigued. “If you marry someone in the future, how will you fit Regina into that dynamic?” Ronan met his gaze whi
Damien arrived at an abandoned property on the outskirts of town. The place looked abandoned, the kind of place one would pass without a second glance. He walked up to the door and rang the bell. Once. Twice. Ten times. Finally, the door creaked open, revealing a dishevelled Ronan. “You look like shit,” Damien said, tossing a bottle of whiskey to him. Ronan caught it instinctively and rasped, “What are you doing here?” “Came to find you, asshole,” Damien replied, brushing past him to step inside. Oh, the inside of the house was not as bad as the inside. Someone had made it livable. Ronan, too exhausted to argue, stared at the bottle in his hands. “Are you gonna drink this?” Damien rolled his eyes. “Anna would kill me first before diabetes would kill me, if I did drink it.” Ronan chuckled dryly and asked, “Why are you so scared of your girlfriend?” Damien smirked. “Actually, she is my wife.” Ronan blinked, his momentary exhaustion was replaced by shock. “What… when? How
Mr. Arnello slammed his hand against the table, crashing the decorations to the floor. He was so angry and Delilah, who was used to his anger, did not flinch. “How dare she!” he roared, his fury directed at Anastasia Spencer and her father. The thought of being humiliated and forced to pay five million because of them burned like acid in his chest. “That crippled old man and his brat of a daughter, unbelievable!” “Matt!” Delilah’s voice cut through his tirade. He turned to her, his face twisted with anger. “Did you see what happened today?” “I did,” she said firmly, crossing her arms. “And maybe if you weren’t so biased, you would see the bigger picture too!” Matteo’s jaw clenched. “That little Spencer girl—” he began, his voice was a venomous snarl. “How dare she cause a rift between our families! She—” The shrill ring of the home phone interrupted him. Delilah moved to answer it, her face paled slightly as she listened to the voice on the other end. “Matt,” she said, ha
Back at Damien’s mansionWhen Damien arrived home, the house felt unusually quiet. Neither his wife nor Adeline was there. Mrs. Luna informed him that Anastasia hadn’t returned from the office yet, and Adeline had gone out for work. Left alone, he decided to head to the gym, where he found Caleb practicing the moves he had taught him during their last session.Atleast, someone was home. “Hey, buddy. When did you get here?” Damien asked, his voice warm. He had grown so accustomed to Caleb’s presence in his home that, without realizing it, he had embraced the role of a father figure. Caleb, for his part, already saw Anastasia as a mother. Finally, Caleb was keeping the fences around his heart down and letting these two people come inside. “I came after school,” Caleb replied with a shrug. “I missed you guys.” Damien suppressed a smile and nodded. “Alright, let’s practice some more.” As they worked out, Caleb paused and asked, “When will Anna and Addy be back?” Damien sighed, wi