Chapter Six

Damian's eyes widened as realization crashed into him in waves that would have sent him reeling, but he stood still, firmly rooted to the ground, and flabbergasted. Olivia, his ex wife, was actually the next heir to the powerful Arthur's group. She was the hidden gem that worked in secret alongside her uncle.

A ripple of surprise went through him as he assessed her, from head to toe. Ethereal was nothing compared to how she looked, he could not help but notice that she had undergone a series of changes in the interval of a few days. The fact that all these were happening after the divorce was unbecoming.

Her beauty which was once dim like a candle flickering under the influence of a coverage, now radiated with a newfound confidence and poise.

In place of the soft, warm and gentle glow that her eyes eluded in the past, were a pair of glassy eyes that oozed a fierce intensity, as if illuminated by an inner light, something keen to getting back at those who humiliated her in the past- him. His heart hammered against his chest as he beheld her eyes. She stared straight into the camera, like she was staring right at him.

Olivia gracefully thanked her Uncle, not revealing details about their involvement and only specifically stating that he was her 'Dear uncle Ivan', and proceeded to divulge the news further, by stating the obvious with a smile gracing her radiant face. She would be the next heir to Arthurs group!

Whilst all these went on, Damian observed that she spoke with authority. Her words commanded attention and turned heads. She, his once timid and hesitant wife, now spoke like a calculating leader that she is, ready to take on the world. Her words flowed with a smooth, velvety cadence that made him listen with rapt attention. He unconsciously nodded a few times and his chest swelled with pride until he realized that he was now a chapter in her story. He was her past.

A thunderous applause brought Damian back from his reverie and he discovered that she was done delivering her speech.

"That was a powerful speech right there, dear..." Ivan continued, now in possession of the microphone. He addressed the crowd on a few other significant topics but Damian had lost focus on the whole event that went on. His gaze was solely fixed on Olivia.

His mind raced with the intertwining of these recent developments. Does it mean that Olivia had an Uncle as powerful as Ivan all these years and kept mute? How could she have held back such important information from him? In a hazy flash, he recalled the few times that they had talked to each other. He was never there for her, never valued her or recognized her as his wife. He only saw her as a tool. A numb, little, plain tool.

He could not wrap his head around the dynamic of her new position. Had she kept it a secret so that she could pay him in his own coin someday? If it was so, then, he had underestimated her. Damian sighed unconsciously and leaned slightly on his desk, his eyes still latched on the television. They remained fixed on Olivia's dainty yet powerful figure, seeking answers to the tirade of questions running through his mind.

Damian did not need a soothsayer to tell him what was coming for him. He had underestimated her capabilities, she had hidden vital information from him. Who knew what else she would do. The questions swirled in his mind like a vortex, leaving him feeling unsettled and unsure of what lay ahead. What drove her to seek revenge against him? And what did this mean for the future of Arthurs group?

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An unsettled smile spread across Darian's face in spite himself, the need to exit the area consuming him.

"Shame on you, Damian." He muttered under his breath as he sought a place to hide his face. It was not out in the news that Damian had thrown Olivia out of his estate yet, but what if she had told a few other important personalities?

In an era like theirs where everyone wanted the best connections for themselves, the business men and women will not hesitate to castigate him for his brother's wrongdoings. He was not the one at fault, but he was the twin brother to the offender. Hell, they even look alike. Darian suddenly wished that he had semblance to anyone that was not Damian. Bad luck, that's all his twin brought him every single time. Bad luck.

Darian found it hard to comprehend how his twin brother's ex-wife could turn to the CEO of a powerful company like Arthurs group overnight. He thought that situations like that only happened in movies, but here it was, happening before his eyes.

His heart skipped a beat when Olivia walked forward with her Uncle, flanked by four huge men. She had a warm smile on her face and extended a hand to him.

Darian courageously shook her as he tried to mask the confusion written all over his face with a smile.

“Breath Darian, breath.” He told himself as Olivia's soft hand shook his firmly.

"I'm glad you honored my invitation, Darian." She started "I didn't think you'd make it here."

"Yes, Olivia." The lump in his throat slowly dissolved as he spotted that warm look that she always gave him in the mansion. Phew! She was not mad at him.

"Congratulations, this is a whole new feat."

"Yes, it is." She concurred with a smile, before turning to her Uncle who stood nearby, assessing Darian "Uncle, meet Darian."

From his voice and the nervous smiles that he dished out to Olivia, Ivan knew that this was not the arrogant entity that he had conversed with.

"Darian, meet my Uncle Ivan. He's a philanthropist and the sole owner of Arthur's groups."

Darian could have swore that his blood stopped circulating at that moment. It was too good to be true. Never in his life has he been so close to someone as powerful as the influential Ivan Arthur. To further escalate matters, the man stretched a hand towards him.

"It's pleasant to see you, Mr Ivan Arthur." Darian said as he shook him firmly.

Ivan nodded. The golden brown lines on Ivan's face could be seen as a smile stretched across his face. His niece had spoken greatly of Damian's kind-hearted brother, and it was indeed pleasant to see one good person in that family line.

"I have heard so much about you, young man. Say, how about we have lunch together?"

Darian's eyes popped out at Ivan's invitation. Pinching himself to see if this was real was his next resolve, but he refrained from doing such before the dignified fellow.

"Y-You and I?"

"Yes," Ivan chuckled, "1pm, the company."

One of his men walked up to him and whispered something to him, interrupting him.

"See you tomorrow, Darian Brown." Ivan patted the shoulder of the bewildered man and left, with his men flanking him.

"Am I dreaming?" A dazed Darian asked.

"You're not," Olivia chuckled quietly "You've always wanted to have a place in the company alongside your brother, right?"

"Well... Yes. But, how'd you know?"

"Let's just say I knew everything that went on while I was in the house." Olivia stared at a speechless Darian, "I know you have a lot to say. We'll talk after the meeting with my Uncle. Till then, goodbye and have a good night."

And in a heartbeat, she was swallowed by the people and led to the McLaren F1 that she came in by her uncle's men. It zoomed off, leaving no dent.