Chapter Sixty-NineAs the Maybach rolled away from the restaurant with a satisfying purr, Lana let out the ragged breath she didn't know she was holding.She leaned back on the leather seats and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, but it did nothing to calm the inferno that was raging within her.It was a mistake coming back here. She should have thrown Lana's letter and parcel to the blazes, the minute she got them.Her heart clenched with guilt as she thought of that, and she quickly shook her head to clear out the thoughts. She laughed cynically as she leaned back with her eyes closed, resting her head on the headrest behind her. Laura had asked her to help and protect her grandson, but she'd sooner kill him than do any of that.She could not believe that he still had such opinions of her. Worse, the fact that his words still hurt her this much was enough for Lana to punch the seats beside her in anger and disgust."Ugh...that crazy bastard! I swear to God, I'll
Chapter SeventyZaire could barely control his anger as he watched Lana walk out of the restaurant with Damien.Who the hell did that bastard think he was? Storming in here and claiming his woman.His fingers bunched into fists at his side, as he muttered through gritted teeth, "And she went right out with him."This was the main reason why he'd not tried to stop her from leaving. She'd had no choice but to follow Damien but she did not try to stay either.The dark look Lana had given him before she left, had left him short of words but he knew he was to blame for that.He groaned silently, raking his hand through his hair in frustration. He knew he'd messed up big time, losing control like that and lashing out at her.He was very content with showing her the part of him that she was used to. He knew that way, he'd be able to get her eventually, one way or the other.But he'd slip up.And now a single mistake might upset every of the pieces which he'd been carefully putting in place
Chapter Seventy-One"You've got to be freaking kidding me!""I beg your...pardon?"The receptionist looked stunned. Her brows were furrowed with puzzlement as she stared at Lana, and the smile on her face faltered. The gorgeous red-haired woman in front of her, placed her hand on the counter and closed her eyes, blowing out a breath in frustration. She looked like she was counting to one hundred, in order to calm down. The lobby of the hotel was filled with people and guests. Some were travellers, while some were business people and vacationers. True, it was that time of the year, where the city would be flooded with tourists, gushing over its beauty. Diego stood beside her, his shoulders slumped with exhaustion. His expression mirrored that of his mistress when he heard what the receptionist had said.When Lana spoke again, her voice was ragged and it sounded like her temper was hanging by a thread."So you're saying I can't book the penthouse?"The receptionist did a double take,
Chapter Seventy-Two"What the hell do you think you're doing, Lana?!"Damien growled as he marched towards his ex-wife. Somewhere in his brain, common sense trashed about, trying to get ahold of him but he was too angry to listen to it.He knew he shouldn't sound so harsh.He wasn't supposed to sound harsh at all, but goddammit! , the woman was just too infuriating.After he'd driven off from the SK Restaurant earlier that afternoon, Damien had set to chase down Lana, but a call from his assistant Liam pulled him out of that decision."Sir, the investors from Mauritania is here." Liam had said as soon as he picked up the call, "When do you think you'll be able to make it?""Reschedule the meeting." came the terse reply from Damien. He was trying to focus on the road and also on his dashboard, where he could track the location of Lana's car on a panel there. Liam swore silently, rolling his eyes upward, "We can't reschedule the meeting. This people flew seventeen hours to get here tod
Chapter Seventy-ThreeLana was not fazed by the way Damien stormed towards her like an angry bull. Neither did the anger in his eyes or his handsome face which was darkened by a huge frown."Welcome to the club, baby" she muttered under her breath, making sure her own expression matched his furious one.He had the audacity to be angry, after acting like a pest towards her for the whole day?!What a joke!She wrenched her eyes away from his as he approached, and made to brush past him towards the direction of her car.In an instant, Damien's hand shot out and gripped her arm, stopping her from moving further."Ow! Let go, you brute!" She yelled angrily, jerking back her arm furiously but Damien's grip was too tight.Damien leaned down so his face was in hers, "Do not walk out on me!" He said fiercely, his breath fanning her face, "I asked you a question!"Lana punched on his arm hand angrily, tears of anger shimmering in her eyes "Alright, I heard you! Just let go already!"Damien cont
Chapter Seventy-FourThere was shocked silence for some seconds as those words left Damien's mouth. All three of them were shocked.Lana and Diego could not believe he'd actually apologized to her. This was not the Damien Romero they knew, and Lana did not know how to react to this new side of Damien.She shifted uncomfortably on her feet, as he still held her firmly by the wrists.Her bottom lip found its way between her teeth as a slight frown crossed her face. Her mind played back his exact words that he'd said to her a few minutes ago,"I'm sorry, Lana! I don't know what came over me when I said those senseless words but I did not mean them. Believe me when I say, I don't think of you as a gold digger!""He did not think of me as a gold digger" she thought to herself, scoffing slightly, unsure if she should believe his words.This was the same man who'd not wanted to be in the same breathing space with her five years ago. She knew it'd been wrong for his grandmother, Laura, to for
Chapter Seventy-FiveIt was quite late in the night when the Benz finally pulled up at the Romero Villa. It was located in the heart of the city, and was a sight to behold.The driveway which led up to the house was dotted with beautiful lights and different varieties of flowers, which filled the entire area with their exotic and pleasing scents.The car stopped directly in front of the house, beside a small fountain. A statue in the figure of a baby angel with wings, stood on the raised platform, the flowing water pouring out of its upturned vase. The reflection of the moon and stars up ahead could be seen in the water and they shimmered, giving the water a sparkling surface.Before Damien could get out of the car and go round to help her, Lana was already outside the car, staring appreciatively at the building in front of her.His jaw clenched with irritation at this, but he quickly clamped down on it.At least, she was here with him. Lana had eventually agreed to stay at the Romero
Chapter Seventy-SixLana's eyes flew open at the sound of Damien's voice behind her. Startled, she turned in the water to find him staring down at her.She blinked away her drowsiness and widened her eyes at him in shock. Lana became acutely aware of the state she was in and she swallowed hard in trepidation, desperately hoping that he would not be able to see anything through the water.But that might just be wishful thinking. The water was as clear as crystal."What the hell do you think you're doing?!" She gasped at him, taking care to make sure that her entire upper body was still submerged in water. Her cheeks became flamed with heat as her eyes flashed with anger, "Get out!"Damien made no move as though he did not hear what she said. He was leaning against the door, with arms crossed over his chest. He had taken off his tie and his white button down was opened at the throat, revealing his bronzed pecs underneath. He tilted his head and continued watching her, his eyes darkening
Chapter One Hundred And Forty Two."There are some things we need to look into before handing the files over to the police."Damien was silent.He had his head in his hands with his eyes closed. He was not fully listening what Liam was saying, with his mind whirling with various thoughts. He was still numb from the fact that his grandmother had been killed. She had been taken away from him. He did not even get a chance to reconcile with her.For months he'd been at loggerheads with her because of Rina. He'd made her cry and frustrated. He'd repeatedly declared his love for Rina, and how he'd choose her over Romero. Damie closed his eyes as pain lodged in his throat. She must have been very heartbroken, yet she still made sure she helped him recover.Yet, she'd been taken away from him?Rage coursed through his body and he shivered with the intensity. At that moment, he swore he was going to crush Zaire's neck.Just the way he'd done to his grandmother. And he'd take extreme pleasure
Chapter One Hundred And Forty OneAs soon as the party arrived home, Lana went straight to her room and locked herself in.She had been quiet throughout the ride home, and refused to say or acknowledge a word anybody said to her."What's wrong with Miss Lana?" Diego asked, looking round at the others who stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching Lana go up.Yvette shrugged, as puzzled as Diego was.Damien and Liam, however, ignored him as well, and went into his study. Damien was brooding, his heart heavy with sadness and anger.Liam stood before him looking downcasted as well. Knowing Damien's temper, it would not be a good idea to say anything unless Damien spoke first.It had not been a good idea to let Lana listen to the recordings with them. That was the one thing Damien regretted. Although, it was supposed to come to her notice one way or the other, but Damien would have loved to keep it buried for life.He hated to see Lana sad, or heartbroken. After listening to the tapes,
Chapter One Hundred And Forty "Miss Lana, pick up already." Mandy muttered to herself, as she called Lana's number for the umpteenth time. As usual, the call rang out, leaving Mandy in despair and on the verge of pulling her hair out.She was pacing up and down the design team's office, the phone pressed to her ear, while the other employees went on with their work. It seemed like the design team was not affected by the crisis which had hit Romero since earlier that day. There was an air of joy, and the employees were working in a frenzy, with a light heart and smile on their faces.But their joy was incomplete somehow, with Lana's absence in the office.Where on earth did their head of design team go at this very crucial moment?At this memorable moment.A smile of joy and disbelief tugged at Mandy's lips, as she tried Lana's number once more. For the first time in years, MAGIC got accepted in the Queen's Glamor And Festival Awards, and it was all because of Miss Lana.She had mad
Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Nine Without another word, Samuel stormed out of the office, followed by Paul and his companion.Lana heaved a sigh of relief, but she could still not ignore the pang of guilt that twisted her stomach. She'd have to call her Dad later on and explain things clearly to him.She was still a bit stunned that he'd actually left with a warning. "Oh God, hope he's not planning something behind my back." She muttered to herself, biting her lower lip in trepidation. If he was, then she deserved it, but she was not leaving Oackcrest without doing what she came here to do, anyway.And with the way things are, it seemed they'd gone back to the root of all squares. Romero was in danger!Before she could comprehend this thought any longer, Damien pulled her in to himself for a crushing hug.He pressed her to his chest, his heart racing from her nearness and his nose filled with the scent of her. He closed his eyes deeply and reveled in the feel of her still in his
Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Eight Chairman Fernandez sat very straightbacked at the head of the table in Damien's office. Damien and Lana sat in chairs adjacent to him, while Paul stood behind him, whispering something in his ears.Paul finished and straightened up, and the chairman glared at Damien. His presence as well as that of Paul's, dominated the entire office. Samuel Fernandez was a big man, and when he spoke, his voice boomed across the office, bouncing off the walls."You wish to keep my daughter hostage?!" He barked, pointing a stubby finger at Damien, "Just like you did eight years ago?!""Uhm...Dad, we were married. I married him," Lana said in a small voice, "I was not exactly held hostage..." she trailed off and lowered her gaze, when her dad gave her a level look.Damien gave her an appreciative glance, then faced the chairman. "I don't wish to hold Lana hostage, nor have I ever held her hostage." He said firmly, giving the chairman a square look, "I only wish sh
Chapter One Hundred And Thirty SevenRina ran straight to the parking lot using the stairs, with Liam hot on her heels. She was wheezing, almost doubled over, as she made for her camry, digging in her bag for her keys. Suddenly, the screeching of car tires could be heard and Rina held her hand over her eyes, before she was blinded by the headlights of the oncoming vehicle. She jumped out of the way as well, when it seemed as though the van was after her life."Ow!" She cried out as she hit the floor hard.The van swerved to the side and came to a stop with a screech. The driver looked out his window and yelled at her."Get in!"Rina blinked in shock as she realized it was her henchman, Carlos!About time the bitch showed up!Joy lit her face and she winced in pain, trying to get up from the floor. The sound of Liam kicking the door to the parking lot open, gave her the energy and galvanized her into action.Her eyes met with his angry ones and Liam bared his teeth teeth at her, as he
Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Six"We've recovered all the data, sir!"Damien's face lightened with relief as he heard those words.His fingers tightened around the phone in joyous anticipation, "All...the data?""Yes sir, everything was recovered just a few minutes ago!" The head of IT department sounded very excited.After all, a major part of the crisis had just been evaded.Yes!Damien wanted to punch the air in victory, as relief surged through him once again. Relief so powerful that it almost sent him sprawling to his knees. The others noted his change in attitude and stared at him, confused."What? What is it?" Lana asked, her voice tinged with confusion and concern, "Is everything okay?"However, Damien's lighthearted mood faded as his eyes met with that of Paul. Suspicion clouded his brows and he placed the phone back to his ear."Hold on. How did that happen?" He asked tentatively, "How were you able to recover the data?""Well sir, we could suddenly gain access to it." T
Chapter One Hundred And Thirty Five "What? What did you say?"Rina blanched at that question from Damien. She went pale, as she realized she'd probably said more than she was supposed to.Lana stepped forward, her brows arched in suspicion, "You said you won't stop until Romero becomes like your so called Carter family." She asked, then scoffed in disbelief, "Did you have a hand in this attack, Rina?"Everyone faced Rina immediately and the woman felt attacked. She swallowed hard, feeling none of the bravado she'd had felt earlier, when she was giving her passionate speech.She should not have said what she had said, but Vera had so annoyed her, that Rina just let it all out.She sighed inwardly, as her stomach churned with fear.Zaire was going to kill her, when he discovered this."Seriously?" Vera's shrill voice broke the silence, as she pointed an accusing finger at Rina, "you are behind the attack against us?! How dare you do that?!""I..I...I don't know what you're talking abou
Chapter One Hundred And Thirty-Four"Damien!" Vera hissed at him, giving him a flaming look from head to toe, "What are you talking about? Do you wish to see us go down?"She glanced at Lana with a tight smile, then leaned in to whisper fiercely in her son's ears, "Just take it now that the Fernandez Empire are being nice."Damien's face hardened and he glared at Liam, "Get the guards and have them escort Mother home." He ordered grimly, and Vera's eyes widened in alarm."No!" The obnoxious woman yelled, looking prepared to dig her feet into the ground if necessary, than to allow herself dragged out like before."I will not endure such ridicule again!" She thought to herself in despair, then quickly grabbed Lana's hand."Lana dear." She called in a beseeching tone, "Please, do not listen to whatever Damien's saying. You can go ahead and ask your father to send the money."Lana yanked her hand away Vera's hold, irked by by the woman's pleading, "Please, do not touch me." She uttered st