“What do you mean by this?” Elara asked, not believing what she was hearing.Damian sighed deeply. “My mother has never been one to admit defeat.”“So?”“Look here, Elara, you’ve caused a lot of trouble for me as well. The shareholders are already whispering about how rude you were.” Damian’s expression hardened. “I warned you to be on your best behavior, no matter what, because I knew you’d be a target.”“You mean I should just let Veronica walk all over me without doing anything?” Elara frowned, her voice rising. “And I should allow your mother’s assistant to slap me?”“I have no time for this,” he said coldly. “I need to get to the office and meet the shareholders.”“And what about me?” she shot back, slamming a paper against his chest. “Even if we’re in a contract marriage, you should at least protect me.”“Oh, you thought I was going to protect you, so that’s why you slapped Veronica? Do you even know who she is?”“I don’t bloody care, Damian,” she snapped, her frustration boilin
The boardroom fell silent as all eyes turned to Travis. Damian’s words hung in the air, heavy with implication.“What do you mean, ‘not your grandfather’s blood’?” Travis repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.Damian’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Uncle, or should I even call you that? Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?”He pulled out another file from his briefcase and slid it across the table. Travis’s hands shook as he opened it, his face draining of color as he read its contents.“This... this can’t be true,” Travis stammered.“Oh, but it is,” Damian replied, his voice calm. “DNA doesn’t lie, Uncle. You’re not a Blackwood by blood. My grandfather knew, and that’s why he left everything to me.”The other shareholders murmured in shock, their earlier complaints forgotten in light of this bombshell revelation.“I’ve been preparing for this day for a long time,” Damian continued, addressing the entire room. “Each of you has skeletons in your closet, and I know every sin
Damian stood at the window of his office, gazing out at the city horizon. The boardroom confrontation had gone exactly as he’d planned, but he felt no satisfaction. His phone buzzed constantly with notifications about the scandalous article concerning Elara.A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. “Come in,” he called out.Henry entered, his face grave. “Sir, the PR team is waiting for your instructions regarding the article about Mrs. Blackwood.”Damian turned, his expression unreadable. “Tell them to prepare a statement. We’ll deny everything and threaten legal action against the publication.”“Yes, sir,” Henry nodded. “There’s something else. Your mother is here to see you.”Damian’s jaw clenched. “Send her in.”Moments later, Serena swept into the room, a look of fake concern on her face. “Darling, have you seen the news? It’s absolutely dreadful what they’re saying about Elara.”“Spare me the act, Mother,” Damian said coldly. “I know you’re behind this.”Serena’s mask slipp
Elara’s hands trembled as she set down the tablet. The vicious lies in the article had shaken her to her core, but a steely courage was beginning to form within her. She couldn’t—wouldn’t—let them destroy her like this.A soft knock on her door startled her. “Come in,” she called, quickly composing herself.Aiden entered, his face a mask of concern. “Mrs. Blackwood! I’ve just received word from Mr. Blackwood. He’s calling an emergency press conference to address the article.”Elara nodded, a plan forming in her mind. “Thank you, Aiden. Please have the car ready in fifteen minutes.”As Aiden left, Elara moved quickly, gathering her thoughts and preparing herself for what was to come.Across town, Damian stood before a sea of flashing cameras and shouting reporters. His face was a mask of calm, but inside, he was seething with anger—at his mother, at the press, and at the situation he found himself in.“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, his voice steady and authoritative. “I stand before
Her world stopped spinning the moment she heard Charles Montgomery’s name. The air in Damian’s office suddenly felt thick and suffocating. She gripped the arms of her chair, her knuckles turning white as the implications of Jackson’s words sank in.“Charles? Are you certain?” Her voice came out as a whisper.Damian’s eyes were fixed on her. “Elara, who is Charles Montgomery?”She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “He was... he is... my mentor. The man who gave me my first real chance in the corporate world.” The words tasted bitter in her mouth.Memories flooded back unbidden: Charles’s encouraging smile on her first day, his patient explanations, his teachings, and the pride in his eyes when she closed her first major deal. Each recollection was now tainted by the knowledge of his betrayal.Elara stood abruptly, needing to move, to do something to quell the storm of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. She paced back and forth in Damian’s office, her heels clicking on t
The newsroom of The Daily Chronicle was a frenzy of activity. Phones were ringing non-stop, keyboards were clattering, and voices were raised in excitement and disbelief. Marina Chen, the paper’s top investigative reporter, was at the heart of it all, her eyes wide as she scrolled through the explosive documents on her computer screen.“This can’t be real,” she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. “How could their son do this, and they chose to cover it up? I still can’t believe it.” As she delved deeper into the mountain of evidence before her, the truth became increasingly undeniable. The once untouchable Regars empire was on the brink of collapse. She pondered over who could have the power to orchestrate such a downfall.Across town, in the Blackwood company, Damian stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office.“Damian,” Elara called as she walked into his office. “Have you seen the news?”“It’s done,” Damian said, his voice low and controlled. “Jackson’s just confirmed
The morning after the Regars scandal broke, the city awoke to a changed world. The revelations about Daniel and his family had spread like wildfire overnight, dominating every conversation from subway cars to coffee shops, from university lecture halls to corporate boardrooms.By dawn, a crowd had gathered outside the Regars Enterprises headquarters. What began as a few curious onlookers quickly grew into hundreds of protesters. Their angry chants echoed off the glass and steel exterior of the once-proud building.“Shame on Regars! Justice for the victims!” they shouted, waving hastily made signs bearing slogans like “Corrupt Regars Must Fall” and “No More Corporate Criminals.”Sarah Lin, a former Regars employee who left the company two years ago due to harassment, was among the protesters. She stood at the front of the crowd, her voice hoarse from shouting.“I tried to speak up,” she told a cluster of reporters, her hands shaking slightly. “But they silenced me, threatened me with m
Elara’s phone buzzed as she rolled over in bed. She slowly opened her eyes and picked up her phone, her friend’s name flashing on the screen.“Hello, baby girl,” Tessa’s cheerful voice rang out. “Don’t tell me you’re still sleeping.”“Yes, I am,” Elara replied, rubbing her eyes.“Do you know what today means?” Tessa asked, excitement lacing her voice.“About what?” Elara mumbled.“Today is the downfall of the Regars!” Tessa screamed.“Oh, right!” Elara’s eyes flew wide open. Today was the day—the day Daniel and his family would finally fall. “I need to get ready.”“You should,” Tessa agreed. “I won’t be able to come. My parents didn’t allow me.”“Okay, make sure to watch the news,” Elara responded before ending the call. She quickly jumped out of bed and stripped off her clothes, heading for the bathroom. After a quick shower, she dried off, applied lotion, and slipped into a short, elegant dress. She combed her hair, then hurried out of her room.“Hurry up, Damian,” Elara called impa