The morning was bright as Damien woke up after an almost seven-hour flight from New York to California. He took a bath and put on his bathrobe. The five-star hotel presidential suite he was staying in wasn’t too far from the event center for the business gala. His food was already served, and he ate the little he could before taking a glass of wine to his balcony. The city view was spread out before him, with busy streets and other skyscrapers visible in the distance. Damien took a deep breath. It was a beautiful scene to behold. He looked down at the people walking around, and when his eyes landed on a couple, an image flashed in his head, making him hiss. He sat down to relax, going through his mail, but the events of the previous night in his study started replaying in his mind. “I’m in love with you, Damien.” Aurora’s words seemed to be haunting him, and he dropped his iPad. He didn’t understand why those words still echoed in his mind. Since he was born, the only image that s
The afternoon was bright. Aurora followed Stella and the other maids into the grocery store. One bodyguard stood outside, beside the car, while the other two followed the women inside to accompany them as they shopped. As soon as the women entered the store, Stella looked at Aurora. “Please stay close,” she said. Aurora nodded, and Stella smiled at her as they began shopping. “Miss Stella, please check this out,” one of the maids called, prompting Stella to walk toward her. At that moment, Aurora seized the opportunity to sneak away. While the guards followed the women, Aurora slipped out of the store. As she attempted to cross the road, the guard by the car noticed her and quickly approached. “Madam, do you need anything?” he asked. Aurora smiled. “No, I just want to grab snacks for lunch. I’ll be back,” she said, pointing at the café across the street. The guard nodded, and Aurora crossed the road. Once on the other side, she walked toward the café. As the guards returned to
The large, exquisite room was silent after Simon heard what the butler said. “Ran away,” he murmured. He wanted to ask more questions when the door opened, and Damien walked in with Mason following behind, causing Simon to quickly hang up. “Welcome, boss,” Simon greeted, bowing his head slightly. “Where are my clothes?” Mason asked. Simon quickly walked to the single cushion and handed him the tailored Dior suit. “Thanks, Simon,” Mason said, while Damien walked into his bedroom to undress and take a shower. Mason followed behind as Damien grabbed his bathrobe. Mason began to unbutton his shirt. “What are you doing?” Damien asked, frowning. “Taking a bath, of course,” Mason replied, but Damien glared at him. “Don’t you have your own room? Why do you want to share my bathroom after I let you dress here?” Damien said, still glaring. “I can’t go back to my room and shower and then come back to dress…” “Then take your clothes to your room, dummy,” Damien said, his voice sharp. “
The hall was decorated with a beautiful, bright red color, with round tables now occupied by guests from both large and small companies from different parts of the country. The ladies were dressed elegantly, while the men donned their expensive suits. As soon as Damien walked in with Mason, his appearance drew attention from everyone, including the non-business guests. Business partners immediately approached him, exchanging pleasantries and talking business. Though Damien disliked standing for long conversations, he had no choice—this gala was not just for the award ceremony but also a prime opportunity to meet more businesspeople.“I’m so glad I made the right choice by choosing the contract with Vladimir,” said a man in his late forties, smiling at Damien, who nodded politely.“Please, if you’ll excuse me,” Damien said, giving a dry smile as he walked toward his table at the front row.“Is he alright?” another man asked Mason, who smiled.“Yes, he just doesn’t like standing for too
Immediately after Damien stepped into his hotel suite and started walking towards his wardrobe, he noticed a red light beeping beside the room cushion.He moved towards it and quickly realized it was a fixed bomb.Damien knew it would be too dangerous and too late to try disarming it, so he sprinted towards the door. Just as he managed to open it and run out, the explosion went off, and the force flung him against the opposite wall. He hit his back and head, falling unconscious instantly.Simon, who heard the screams of people outside and the sound of the explosion, rushed out of the garage into the busy night street. Looking up, he saw that the explosion had occurred on the nineteenth floor, right where his boss’s room was.“Shit, boss!” he yelled, sprinting back into the hotel while guests and workers scattered in a panic.“Call the ambulance immediately!” Simon shouted to a security guard while he ran towards the elevator.“Take the stairs!” he ordered the guards who rushed towards
The doctor sighed, his expression grave as he wiped his brow. “He made it through the surgery,” he began, his voice steady but heavy with caution. “However, he’s in a critical condition. The head trauma is severe, and there’s internal bleeding we had to control. We’ve done everything we can for now, but the next 48 hours are crucial.” Mason’s heart sank. “Will he wake up?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper. The doctor glanced between the two men, hesitating before answering. “We can’t say for sure. The extent of the head injury is significant, and he’s in a medically induced coma to reduce the swelling. We’ll have to wait and monitor his brain activity.” Simon, feeling a knot in his stomach, clutched his hands tightly together, his knuckles white. “But he’s strong, right?” he asked, almost pleading. “My boss is a fighter. He’s made it through worse, hasn’t he?” The doctor nodded sympathetically but remained realistic. “He is strong, yes. But this is a delicate situation. We
The room was silent, with only the sound of Beverly’s sobbing as everyone watched John comforting her.“It’s okay, Bev. He will survive,” John said, rubbing Beverly’s back.Camila walked over to her stepbrother, who was still unconscious. She held his hand, trying not to cry as tears formed in her eyes.“Who wants him dead? Is it something related to business, Simon?” she asked, looking at Simon, who sighed.“We’ll find out, young madam. The cops are on it. Our priority is to make sure he’s stable first,” he replied, and Camila sighed.“Please, Damien. I know we don’t talk much, but I love you, and seeing you every day makes me proud. You gave me a unique identity among my peers. Just being known as Damien Vladimir’s baby sister makes even the rich in the same caliber respect me. Please come back, Damien, please,” she said, hugging him and starting to cry.John sighed after releasing Beverly from the hug.“Go and change into something comfortable, okay? Have you all eaten?” John asked
After what felt like an eternity, the doctor returned, holding the test results in his hand. He looked at her with a serious expression. “Congratulations, Miss Aurora,” he said softly. “You’re almost two weeks pregnant.” Aurora gasped, her breath catching in her throat. She felt the world spinning around her, and before the doctor could say another word, everything went black as she lost consciousness. When Aurora woke up, she was lying on a small clinic bed, a nurse hovering over her, checking her pulse. “Miss, are you alright?” the nurse asked, her voice soft but concerned. Aurora blinked, trying to adjust to the light. Her head was throbbing, and the weight of the news she’d just received came crashing down on her. “I… I’m pregnant?” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Yes, ma’am,” the nurse confirmed gently. “You fainted after the doctor told you the news. We’ll give you some time to rest and recover before you leave.” Aurora lay there, staring at the ceiling. She couldn’
Damien wasn’t in the mood to joke around with Daniel Babiah’s tantrums. Normally, he wouldn’t have confronted Ciara after the DNA test showed that the skin from his grandfather’s finger matched hers. She was the reason his mother died, and now she had sent his grandfather to the grave with her own hands.His eyes scanned her body until they landed on a small bandage on her arm.“Are you insane?” Daniel looked at Damien after the heavy accusation.“I refuse to let you drag me into a mess. Why would I kill Grand—”Without another word, Damien grabbed Daniel by the neck with force. He had no time for her denial. Since she killed his grandfather for her son, he would make her confess—because of that same son.“Let me go!” Daniel struggled, but it was like a giant gripping a human’s neck. Ciara’s eyes widened as the aura Damien released grew colder and colder.“Why did you kill my grandfather?” Damien asked again, this time increasing the pressure on Daniel’s neck.“Kkkk…” Daniel gasped, s
Damien was surprised. What he expected was nothing close to what he was seeing. He scoffed, then put the papers back into the envelope.“You can prepare him for the funeral. My assistant will take care of any payment needed,” he said and then left the doctor’s office. Damien’s jaw clenched as he walked out of the hospital.Simon opened the door, only for Damien to stop.“I want to visit my mother. Find your way back to the company. Also, inform my father to release the news of my grandfather’s passing—say it was due to a heart attack,” he said, then got into the driver’s seat and zoomed off.Simon wondered what was in the envelope that made his boss drive off like that. But the most important thing was that he was grateful Damien didn’t ask him about Beverly’s gravestone.As Damien drove toward the elite graveyard, his hands gripped the wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. If it had been about the people he expected, he wouldn’t have minded.When he stopped at the garage, he ste
Aurora kept looking at Damien as he washed her feet.“I don’t believe you,” she said, prompting Damien to look up at her.“I wouldn’t joke about something like that.” He moved closer to her face. He could see his marks on her neck. His slim, masculine fingers brushed over them, then trailed toward her lips.“You don’t look sad,” he said, and Aurora scoffed.“I don’t believe you, Damien,” she repeated.Damien nodded, stood up, grabbed a clean towel, and walked back to her.“Camila didn’t say anything about it?” he asked while drying her hair.“Wait… is that why she’s been crying?” Aurora asked as the realization dawned on her. Her eyes began to fill with tears.“He died this morning, but his body is in for autopsy. It doesn’t seem right,” Damien said, carrying her out of the bathtub.“What? Why? He…” Aurora couldn’t finish her sentence as tears streamed down her face.“Stop crying,” Damien said, placing her gently on the bed.“No… I was supposed to see him, Damien. We were supposed to—
Every time Damien kissed Aurora, it felt different. The emotions surged through her with varying intensity—sometimes soft and soul-melting, sometimes wild and consuming. But tonight, it was something else entirely. His tongue pushed deeper, tasting every inch of her mouth with slow, deliberate strokes. His hands slid down to her thighs, fingers pressing firmly into her soft skin. “Mmm…” Aurora moaned between kisses, struggling to steady her trembling legs. Damien released her lips only to trail his kisses down her neck—deep, possessive kisses that left tingling marks. Her head tilted backward, eyes shut, lips parted in a silent cry of pleasure. “Ah…” she gasped as he lifted her and gently placed her on his study desk. He take her lips again, after a little while, released the kiss and traced kisses down to her neck. He deepened the kisses, sucking hard, leaving his mark as he kissed her erotically. Aurora’s head tilted backward, her eyes closed, her mouth parted as waves of inte
The night was cold—colder than it had been two nights ago. Aurora covered Camila gently, then sat out on her balcony. After their discussion earlier, she now understood why Damien never forced anything. She bit her lower lip, then stood up and walked to her wardrobe. She opened her lingerie drawer and brought out everything she and Agatha had gotten from the Bahamas mall.Her shy mind thought they were too erotic to wear, but Agatha had insisted they were more than appropriate. She walked back into her room and picked up her phone, calling Agatha on a video call.“Isn’t it late?” Agatha picked up, yawning.“I need your help,” she said, prompting Agatha to sit up.“Okay… what is it?” Agatha asked.Aurora raised all the lingerie for Agatha to see, which made her cover her mouth in surprise.“Woooooo!” Agatha gasped, still covering her mouth, as Aurora shyly kept them aside.“Come on, you know I’m shy, Agatha. I need your help. I don’t know which one to wear,” she said.“The red string r
It was afternoon, and the sun shone brightly despite the snow around. Inside the cabin of one of New York’s prestigious restaurants, Joshua Ontario sat watching the young man whose presence made him feel a little nervous. He watched Damien sit calmly yet composed.His dark hair, expressionless face, and upright posture made him look every inch the prince that he was.Joshua Ontario cleared his throat and adjusted his suit.“I’m glad you asked to meet before accepting the deal,” he said, and Damien nodded.“Actually, I didn’t like the structure of the contract,” Damien replied, and Joshua nodded again.“I’m glad. When my father brought up the suggestion of merging, I was furious. But on second thought, my son Gregory—who is the same age as you—doesn’t want to carry on. He just wants to party. To keep this part of our family business going, it’s best we merge with one of New York’s best business partners,” he explained. But that was all a long story to Damien.“The clause about listing
It was 7 a.m. The sun shone brightly. Camila had a screening test for her upcoming event. Dressed in a navy-blue suit, she walked to her grandfather’s room. There had been chaos in the family yesterday. She was speechless and couldn’t say anything. She knew that even if Daniel was not a Vladimir like her and Damien, he deserved to be treated as one—because he was born and raised as one.She was about to knock when she noticed the door slightly open.Gently, she walked into the room.“Grandpa, still sleeping?” she asked, dropping her handbag as she approached the bed—but she froze when she saw a very pale old man lying there, face up, eyes wide open.“Grandpa?” she called gently, moving closer.The moment she touched his cold hands, she screamed so loudly in shock.At Damien’s mansion, the sun shone brightly, and its rays fell on Aurora’s sleeping face. A shadow moved over her, causing her to gently open her eyes. She yawned and stretched her body. As she looked up, she saw Damien in s
The unexpected drama kept the Vladimir villa in chaos. Ciara was furious at her husband. After Daniel left to speak with his grandfather, Ciara dragged John to their room.“How dare you say such words to Daniel? How could you break him like that?!”“He’s an adult now, Ciara. He should—”“You have no right to decide when or how he should know his true identity. Then why did you accept him without explaining to your father?” Ciara asked, her voice filled with anger. John sighed, then looked at her.“Because I killed his father,” John said, making Ciara gasp.“What?” she whispered, shocked.“What did you say, John?”“I love you, Ciara. More than anything in this world. More than Gladys. She was the one my family wanted for me, but I broke her just to get to who I wanted—even though I knew you were with someone else. The day I gave you the job, I already knew about your boyfriend and his habits. Even when you told him about your pregnancy, I knew. I knew if I didn’t take action, I would l
Aurora’s hands trembled. She didn’t know what triggered her, but she knew she had started something she couldn’t finish. The way Damien walked away from her—and his last words—still echoed in her head. Swallowing hard, she closed her eyes.She took a deep breath and began to eat her meal. Midway through, Damien walked back into the room. He didn’t say a word. He went straight to the wardrobe, pulled out his business suit, and left.Aurora frowned. Where was he going? She quickly followed him, but by the time she got outside, the chopper had already taken off.She sighed and returned to the sitting area, where the butler was cleaning a portrait on the wall.“Did Damien say where he was going?” she asked.“No, madam,” the butler replied, shaking his head.Aurora sighed again.“Is everything alright?” Agatha’s voice rang out from upstairs. Aurora looked up.“What’s wrong?” Agatha saw the tears in Aurora’s eyes and immediately frowned, descending the stairs with concern.She gently held A