Chapter 3

 

Emma stood frozen in her seat. The whole restaurant became silent. Everyone's eyes were completely focused on Emma. They were all speculating in their minds of what the young woman's answer would be.

Eric kept staring into her eyes. He had waited for long. He had planned earlier to propose to her but decided against it. He wanted to give more time to their relationship and allow Emma to enjoy it without any forced next step. He then decided the perfect time to propose to her was on her birthday.

He stared at Emma whose eyes began to tear up. He had already began to shake a little fearing her answer would be the opposite of a yes. Emma slowly stood from her seat. Her hands were on her mouth. She couldn't help but sob tears of joy. She also wanted him to take the next step in their relationship and today, her prayers had been answered.

She used her hands to clean her continuous tears dropping from her eyes. She then smiled which brought a big relief to Eric. Emma nodded countless times still sobbing. She finally cleared her throat and responded. "Yes! Yes Eric. Nothing will make me more happy than to be your better half forever". 

After hearing her answer. Eric finally let out air which was stuck in his lungs. Emma brought out her left hand towards Eric. Eric couldn't help but chuckle. He took her hand and placed the ring on her finger.

The whole restaurant burst into cheers, laughter and a huge round of applause. Emma hugged Eric tightly and continued to sob on his shoulders. Eric also began to sob as well. They both were so happy and embraced each other tightly while the people in the restaurant watched them with love and admiration. "Congratulations Miss Emma Hall. You are now my fiance". Eric said filled with tears of joy. Emma chuckled " Same to you too Mr Eric Paxton. You are now also officially my fiance". She replied. Eric took the bottle of champagne and uncorked it. He poured it into two cylinder glasses and handed one over to Emma. They both were happy. "Cheers". Eric spoke and they both clicked their glasses together enjoying and reminiscening about their future together.

                       ***

Damien was in a conference meeting along with other business associates and a man who was illustrating a presentation that was broadcasted from the projector. His mind wasn't in the meeting at all. He was smiling remembering the little conversation they had this morning. She was a carefree and jovial person. He took his phone which was placed on the table. 

He dialled his trusted man's number. He picked on the first ring. "Where is She right now". He spoke in his cold tone. Everyone present in the room looked towards him. His voice was audible enough for everyone in the room to hear. He looked at them with an expressionless face.

He sent them out of the conference room. Immediately they all stood up from their seats and exited through the door quickly. After they left, he resumed his conversation. "Speak Rojas. Where is she right now". He asked once again. For the past two and half years, he had hired Rojas to monitor her every move. Because of this, he was able to know everything about her, her back story and her past. He knew everything about her. "She is at Royal's Fountain restaurant". Rojas repiled calmly.

Damien narrowed his eyes. What was Emma doing at an expensive restaurant. He knew that even with her salary while working for the restaurant, she couldn't afford to dine in an expensive restaurant like that. That much he knew. "Is she alone or with someone?". He asked Rojas over the phone. Rojas gulped silently. He was currently inside the restaurant and saw the whole event happening. Eric's proposal and Emma's acceptance, he saw it all.

He didn't know how to reveal the news to his boss. This news would obviously bring out the demon from inside him. "Rojas? Answer me! You know very well I hate not being repiled to immediately!". Damien boomed his voice over the phone which startled Rojas in his seat.

Damien was 26 years of age but his dominance was more than his age and he was feared by many people. He had a tough and rough childhood. His mother died of cancer when he was just 5 years old. His father always locked himself inside his room since his wife's death. He became lonely and soon fell terribly ill. He slipped into a coma and came out after four years. He was mute and on a wheelchair. Damien hated his father for not being there for him and protecting him as a child. Cian, his uncle took over and made Damien the ruthless demon he was today. He began to join the company at age 16 and under Cian's influence, he grew their company which was almost bankrupt.

Nobody outside knew about his demonic side only his uncle, father, Rojas and their staff knew about it. The staffs were always being threatened not to reveal his secret to the world or else they would be killed. 

"She is with someone boss". Rojas spoke trying to remain calm but deep inside, he was shivering terribly in fear. "With who?" He asked. He could hear Rojas clearing his throat in fear. Damien didn't like the sound of that.

"Speak up Rojas! Damn it!". Damien roared through the phone. Rojas gulped again before landing a bomb on his boss.

"She is w.wi.with he..her boyfriend sir". He stuttered as he felt his heart racing. In all these years of watching and following her, he knew about Emma and Eric's relationship but never once spoke to Damien about it. He thought that his boss would have confessed his love to her but no. He was shocked when Eric proposed to her and how she also accepted his proposal for marriage.

"Boyfriend?! What the fuck are you saying Rojas?! Emma doesn't have any boyfriends a...". Damien paused and thought. He had come to the conclusion that Rojas knew about it but never told him. One of his hands began to ball into fists. Veins were beginning to pop out on his neck. His eyes were blood shot. "Tell me everything you know that you haven't told me right now!". He screamed at the top of his voice. He was beginning to go insane just with the thought of Her with another man.

Rojas gulped again and told him everything, how Emma had been dating Eric for six years and how their relationship had blossomed over the years. "And Boss. He..he pr..proposed to..to h..her and she..she ac.. accepted". Rojas spoke before letting out air that he held a while ago. The next thing he heard was the sound of beeping on the other line. He had hunged up the call.

Damien's eyes were all red, bloodshot. Veins popping out from his neck and hands. He had smashed the phone to pieces on the ground. He screamed and pushed all the files and documents that were present on the long oval glass table. He threw glass cups and they all shattered into pieces earning a shattering sound which was echoing in the silent room. Both his hands were already in tight fists.

Voices began to speak and echo inside his ears. SHE DOESN'T LOVE YOU AND WILL NEVER LOVE A DEMON LIKE YOU!. SHE BELONGS TO SOMEONE ELSE NOW! YOU WILL NEVER HAVE HER!. The voice slept on flooding into his brain. He screamed in pain and punched the glass table with one of his hands. He continued hitting the glass table until blood was spilled on the table. His skin had peeled from the force he had exerted on the hard glass table. He didn't care about the pain from the blood.

"She's only mine! Emma is only mine". He spoke with gritted teeth. The staffs that were still present at the office could hear the noise and the breaking of things in the conference room. They knew exactly what to do. They packed their stuff and immediately left the office. A situation somehow similar to these occurred at the office with staffs still present. Damien came out of his office in a mad state. His aura was oozing everywhere scaring the crap out of everyone. He suddenly jumped unto one of the staffs and grabbed his neck. Almost at the brink of killing him, he was pulled away immediately.

After repeatedly calling Damien with no answer, Rojas dialled another number. "I think he needs help right now". He spoke over the phone.

PROPOSAL! HE PROPOSED TO HER! SHE WILL BE GETTING MARRIED TO SOMEONE ELSE AND THAT SOMEONE ELSE ISN'T YOU! HA HA HA HA HA!. The voices came back again speaking loudly into his ears. He covered both his ears with his bloodied hands but the voices didn't stop. He went towards the wall and slammed his head continuously and blood started oozing out from his forehead. Still remembering her proposal and the thought of her getting married and becoming someone else's made him all the more angry.

The door opened to the conference room suddenly opened. Cian and three nurses walked in. They witnessed the state of the room. Shattered pieces of glass, vases and other valuable items. They were all in ruins. Cian's eyes moved around until he heard a thinking sound. He looked upwards and saw Damien hitting his forehead on the wall continuously. The nurses rushed to him and held him. Cian walked slowly towards them and stood looking at his nephew's sorry state. No expression was on his face. He was completely blanked from any emotion.

Damien struggled to move and hit two of the nurses as the other one quickly injected him on his shoulder. Damien's eyes started to become heavy and hazy. He slowly slumped to the ground as the nurses grabbed him. "She is only mine! You are only mine. Emma!". He repiled before he succumbed to the darkness. He had fainted. Cian narrowed his eyes at his last statement before loosing consciousness. Emma!.