Chapter Fifty-Four"Why'd you do that?" Lana asked puzzedly after some time.They were alone in the boardroom, waiting for Liam to be done with some paperwork. The shareholders were already gone and Lana already signed the contract. The fact that she was getting fifty percent shares of MAGIC was only known to Damien and Liam.The other shareholders were oblivious to this. If they'd known that Damien had easily given out fifty of his sixty percent of shares of MAGIC, they'd try to get it from her in every possible way, like a pack of bloodthirsty hounds."Do what?" Damien asked, fixing Lana an innocent stare."Kick out one of your top shareholders!" Lana retorted, exasperated at the situation.Hell, MAGIC needs all the investments that it could get at the moment, and he was kicking a shareholder out impulsively?While it felt good that he'd done that for her, it was still a stupid thing to do, and she told him so.Damien shrugged, nonchalantly, his broad shoulders rippling beneath his
Chapter Fifty-FiveRina was having a full body massage, when she received the call from Claudia."Miss Rina, you have to come in quick! That red haired bitch had appeared again!"This piece of news caused Rina to scowl fiercely at the masseuse, who was working on her body at that moment.The poor woman quickly removed her hand from her body and shied away from her in fright as Rina sat up on the massage table, her cell phone clutched tightly to her ear.A red haired bitch? There was only one that would come to mind, who had the ability to ignite her murderous instincts and that was Lana.She had appeared again? Did Damien already sign the contract with her?She listened to Claudia rant on about the woman the CEO had brought in, and who was now the new head of their design team.Rage boiled through her as she ended the call, "Get me my clothes!" She screamed at the cowering masseuse, who jumped and scurried out of the room to carry out her order."That little bitch, I won't let her get
Chapter Fifty-SixDamien sat in his office, trying to do some work but it was next to impossible as he could not focus on what he was doing.He groaned silently in frustration as he threw the pen he was writing with on the desk."What's wrong with me?" He muttered to himself, "There's so much to be done, Damien. Focus." He could not help losing focus as his mind always inadvertently went to one person: Lana The fact that she was right here in his company at such a close range made him giddy with joy, and he could not sit still.He frowned, as he wondered if it'd be too much to have her desk moved close to his own office, perhaps right outside his own, so he could see her anytime he wanted."No, she'd probably just give me that dead eye stare, and ask me to fuck off," he muttered, angry with himself for thinking such, "Let's just take things slow for now."He was seriously contemplating this, when the door to his office opened and Liam strode right in."We replaced Miss Fernandez des
Chapter Fifty-SevenOnce Damien left the design team's office, Rina hurried to the rooftop once more, unable to stand it anymore longer.She could not stand the look of affection he'd shared with Lana, she could not bear the judging looks of the employees she passed on her way to the rooftop, or the derisive remarks she was sure they were making about her.On the rooftop, she did not bother to look around for any hidden sniper. That was not what she should be concerned with for now.Right now, she was concerned with what had just happened back inside the design team office.Something was wrong.Something was definitely wrong.Something about the way Lana had whispered in her ears. It held an ominous tone that she could not shake off. It almost sounded like Lana knew something.But that was literally impossible.If she knew about the plan to take over Ludovic, then she'd not still be with...Rina took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She brought out her phone, and frowned at h
Chapter Fifty-EightThe shrill sound of the phone echoed on the rooftop, and Rina hesitated, biting her bottom lip in anger.She did not want to pick up his call. She was definitely not in the mood for some ass chewing.Her finger hovered above the answer icon, her mood becoming sour at the thought of hearing his insults once more.Why was he calling anyway?He had his sources and already knew what was happening in MAGIC. Yet, he called her at any opportunity to remind her of her incapability.This thought made her grit her teeth in fury, as the phone continued ringing, its ringing tone, a shrill reminder of the derision to come.However, the thought that he was watching her through the hole of a sniper rifle, made her jolt back to her senses and she quickly swiped on the icon."What?" She snarled into the phone, already trembling with fear and annoyance, but she still managed to keep the tremors out of her voice."You were demoted?" The voice asked calmly."Wait what? How did you kn
Chapter Fifty-NineDeciding she'd been on the rooftop too long, Rina heads down the empty stairway.Occasionally, she'd lean over the railing, her eyes scanning the floors below, trying to see if she could see any employee fleeing but there was no one there, and she finally decided she was being paranoid.About seven floors below, Lana quietly slipped through the door that led to the staircase and emerged on the seventh floor. Employees milled about, and she quickly blended with them, making her way to the elevator that would take her back to the design team's office.Her face was impassive, not even glancing sideways at the employees who stole surreptitious looks at her. However, her heart was beating fast at what she'd just done, and what she'd just heard and witnessed.When Rina left the design team's office in a hurry, Lana had waited for two minutes before casually walking out after her.She was just in time to see Rina, taking the side door and making her way to the rooftop, and
Chapter SixtyDamien stopped in mid-stride as soon as he sighted Lana. Immediately, his expression softened and he looked relieved.The next instant, he tried to hide his relief when he saw that she was staring him with that annoying dead eye stare once more.Great, what had he done now?He stuck his hands in his pockets and moved closer to her, "Already ditching work on your first day?" He asked sullenly, as he moved to stand in front of her.She swallowed hard and avoided his eyes, ignoring his question. He narrowed his eyes in puzzlement, especially when he saw how tense her shoulders were.Did something else happen while he was gone? Come to think of it, Rina was also not in the office just now.He had come back to the office, pretending he wanted to drop off some files for her, but he had really just wanted to see her face once more and ask if she'd be willing to go out to lunch with him.It was maddening the way he could not stay away from her. It had been barely thirty minutes
Chapter Sixty-OneRina walked out of the elevator, sullenly. The joy she'd felt earlier at still being alive, and also with the fact that the instructions she received was to her benefits, had evaporated.She crossed her arms under her bosom as she walked on, her face pinched with annoyance when she recalled that she had to go back to the office and act like all was well, and also receive orders from that bitch, Lana.Well, it was something she had to do if she was to get her plans in place.She rounded a corner and stopped short, her eyes narrowing into slits at the sight before her.Damien stood in the middle of the passageway, tenderly holding on to Lana. The affection in his face and the tender, loving look he was giving her gradually increased her anger.She dropped her arms and her fists bunched by her side. Lana had only just started working here and she'd had him come to the office twice in an hour.This had never happened when Rina was the head of the design team. Damien had
Chapter Ninety-FiveWhen the car rolled to a stop in front of the main house, Vera held on to Rina, "Honey, why don't you come over to my place?," she asked, " I don't want you to be all alone here, and it will be easier for me to speak to your father."Rina gave her a tight smile, but slowly shook her head, "No, Mother." She replied, in a lowered voice, "I need some alone time. I want to be by myself for some time."Vera sighed, "Alright then, go on." She saod and Rina climbed out of the car with great relief. As she walked towards the entrance of the house, Vera lowered the window pane and called out to her, "Don't even think about getting funny ideas, dear. I'll call at the house later this evening, okay?"Rina gave her a warm smile and waved her along, "Okay Vera, I'll see you soon." She uttered softly, and as the car drove away with a cloud of dust, Rina's smile slowly faded away, and in its place, came a nasty scowl. "Ugh, she's so annoying, geez." She uttered, shuddering dram
Chapter Ninety-Four"W...what?" Rina stuttered, looking at Vera with eyes wide with terror. She had gone a little pale and did not know how to reply to Vera's request.Vera looked her up and down, her brows furrowed in confusion, "Why are you so shocked?" she asked in a surprised tone.Rina let out a nervous laugh, "oh, it's nothing." She cracked, suddenly apprehensive. She swallowed hard and looked at Vera once more, "It's just that you've never asked about my family, so..."She trailed off, giving Vera a knowing look and Vera laughed lightly, "No dear. I never asked about them because I didn't want you to be uncomfortable." She replied Rina, "And besides, Damien liked you despite your family's influence, that's why I decided to just let things lie low."Rina also laughed nervously and nodded her head, "Oh ok. Well, that's okay, Mother." She said, trying to reassure the older woman, "Just continue to keep things lying low."Vera shook her head to Rina's chagrin, "No dear. Now is
Chapter Ninety-ThreeThe security guards escorted Madam Vera and Rina out of the premises of the company.Vera had stopped struggling and Rina was still playing a dying girl. Soon, the driver brought Vera's car round to the entrance of the lobby, and only then did the security guards let go of the women."Let go of me," Madam Vera struggled one last time, just as they let go of them. She turned to glare at the security guards who still stood behind them, waiting for the woman to get into their cars.Vera stretched back her hands and gave them both slaps across their faces. The men did not flinch and their grave expression remained the same, even with the red welt marks on their cheeks."Please, get into the car, ma'am." A body guard said, giving Vera a serious look. The other glanced at the driver, who came round to open the car door for them."Lowlife bastards," Vera swore under her breath, glaring at the security guards with hate. They gave her a look that said they did not even c
Chapter Ninety-TwoRina walked into her office, and all the employees quickly stood up and bowed in unison, with respect. The fact that she had such influence to the extent that, she'd gotten Rina fired was still mindblowing.No one would dare to cross her from now on, especially now that they knew the CEO was solidly behind her. He even escorted his mother out of the premises for her.Lana sat behind her desk and only then did she ask them to sit with a curt nod of her head. The employees sat down clumsily, shifting uncomfortably under Lana's scrutinizing gaze.Claudia and the rest of Rina's minions felt the most uncomfortable. They could not even raise their heads to look at Lana. Instead, they fiddled with their keyboards or thumbs or bag straps or the pile of papers on their desks.All the while praying that Lana does not call them out. Even though they hated her, they still loved their jobs and wanted to keep it. Rina was gone, so there was no use acting up in front of Lana.L
Chapter Ninety-One"I'll reconsider suing your mother, Damien." Lana uttered, "If Rina is fired from MAGIC!"Rina gasped in outrage, while Vera struggled in the hands of the security men, "Let me go!" She struggled fiercely once more, and managed to wrench herself free from the men, who were a bit surprised by her strength. They had let her go, because it seemed like Vera would hurt herself any moment with the way she was struggling.She stood arms akimbo and faced Lana, "You bitch, what are you saying?! You want Rina fired, after everything she's done for MAGIC?!" She yelled at her, "Do you think I don't know what's going on? You're trying to throw out the rightful owner and take Rina's glory!" She then turned to face Damien, saying fiercely, "How long are you going to believe her? Can't you see how evil she is?!"Damien was silent, ignoring his mother's outburst. He tilted his head and watched Lana with a calculated, narrowed gaze. "You will reconsider, you say?""Damien!" Vera scr
Chapter NinetyLana looked so fierce, that both Vera and Rina were overcome with fear. They shuddered, even as Vera tried to stand firm."I won't let you get away with this, Lana!" she retorted, "I won't!""Oh right!" Lana said suddenly as she walked back to Diego, and examined his face once more. The sight of his bleeding lips made her grit her teeth in anger. She turned back to Vera and said coldly, "I won't let you get away with this too, Vera."Vera eyed her in annoyance, "What?!""This is assault." Lana said, simply, "You dared to hit a person to the extent that you left a mark on their skin." She smiled tightly, "You have to pay for that."Vera scoffed, "You must be out of your mind!" She spat out, unable to believe what she was hearing. She sniffed haughtily and looked down her nose at Lana, "I was only teaching your lowlife assistant a lesson. How dare he speak out of turn to me?!"Lana brought out her cellphone from her bag, and gave Vera a fake smile, "you can explain that t
Chapter Eighty-NineVera raised her hand to strike Diego once more, but then she felt a tight grip on her hand, holding her back. "What the..." she started saying as she turned in anger to look at the person that would dare to hold her hand back. Her eyes widened in shock when her eyes met Lana's face."Y..you.." she retorted, trying to sound firm, "What do you think you're doing?""Are you out of your freaking mind?!" Lana growled, baring her teeth at the older woman, who was stunned at her audacity."Let go of me this instant!" Mada Vera shrieked in a tremulous voice, "Don't you know who you're talking to?!"Lana was trembling with rage. She looked from Diego's reddened cheek and bleeding lips, and it only seemed to add more fuel to the inferno that was raging within her."You nasty old hag, how dare you touch him?!" She said to Vera, fiercely. The employees gathered around, all gasped at Lana's audacity. They wondered if she knew she was talking to the mother of the CEO.Vera's mo
Chapter Eighty-EightDiego paced back and forth outside the office of the design team, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Damien.He could not take it if Lana was angry.His heart clenched within him, as guilt made his stomach churn. The question she'd asked him rang in his ears over and over again "Is CEO Damien your boss that you take orders from him?"He was sure he'd heard some traces of hurt in her voice. Diego groaned at that possibility. He could not believe he was such a coward in front of the person who had treated his mistress so badly when she was in RomeroIt was just that Damien's aura was too domineering and Diego still feared him.If it weren't for Miss Lana being in the Romero Villa, Diego wasn't sure he'd ever have gotten the opportunity to look Damien in the face.That was how high up he was.The elevator dinged behind him and he turned to it sharply, his eyes lit with hope, "Miss Lana?!" He called out as he walked towards the elevator. However, he stopped and froze, a
Chapter Eighty-Seven"We'll be signing it in the office."Lana scoffed in disbelief. She raked a hand through her hair, and tried not to glare at him."It's okay, it's okay ." She calmed herself down, "He's just trying to get on your nerves."She was certain now, that Damien was playing tricks with her. If not, why all these delay in signing the papers?"You said you had the papers here." She said, giving him a right smile, "Why trouble ourselves and take it to the office?"Damien shrugged, "So we can meet my lawyer there," he replied and walked past her to grab his jacket which was on the chair next to where he'd been sitting, and draped it over his shoulders, "He can be our witness as well."He finished buttoning the jacket and gave her a cocky smile, as she watched him puzzledly.What he'd said made sense .Perhaps, he was not playing tricks after all?"I can only know that when I sign the papers," she reminded herself, then raised her nose haughtily at him, before saying outloud.