Chapter Eighty-Two"You mean to tell me, Damien gave your position to Lana?!" Vera asked, her eyes wide in disbelief as she stared at Rina, "That's impossible. Damien would never do such!"Rina was sitting across from Vera, wearing a tearful and dejected look. She was hunched in a sofa, looking miserable.She'd hurried over to Vera's mansion, as soon as she returned home and poured all her grievances on her ears, telling Vera of everything that happened that day in the office.Her eyes were puffed from too much crying and her nostrils red.Occasionally, she'd reach and wipe at her nose with a pice of tissue, which she yanked out of a tissue box by her side. But bitter tears still cascaded down her cheeks, glistening under the light of the chandelier which hung above them.She had been crying for two hours now, since she got back from work. She was tired, but she knew she can't stop now. She had to continue playing the victim fully before Vera, so she knew rhe severity of the case..Sh
Chapter Eighty ThreeVera jolted as those words escaped Bella's mouth. She'd been expecting to hear Lana's name, which made her suspect she must be hearing things. It was her own ears playing tricks on her, and she'd not heard Bella well."Did you just say...Lana?" She decided to ask once more to be doubly sure. At the mention of Lana's name, Rina looked up at Vera sharply. She frowned and stood up to walk over to where Vera was sitting."Yes ma'am. He brought the Miss Lana home," Bella confirmed, "And from what I've heard, it seems like she will be staying here for a long time."Vera was infuriated. She rose to her feet, her face red with anger, "What?! Stay for a long time?!" She screeched, "Damien must be out of his mind!""What is it, Vera? What is it?" Rina asked, by her side, curiosity written all over her face.Who would be staying a long time and where? Was it Lana? She looked up at Vera impatiently, but Vera was still listening intently to the person on the other side of
Chapter Eighty-FourThe next morning, Lana was getting ready for work when a tentative knock came on her door. "Miss, are you awake?" Yvette's soft voice came "I'm coming in."She opened the door, and was surprised to see Lana already dressed. She quickly bowed in greeting.Lana looked superb in a three-piece pink suit, with pencil tailored trousers and a white button down inner shirt. She had diamond studs on her ears and a diamond bracelet on her wrist. Her red hair was swept to the side of her face, and it complemented the suit. She had on minimal makeup, which gave her amazing features a dewy, natural look. A white channel bag was sitting on the vanity table beside the bed, which completed the look."Good morning, Yvette." Lana greeted, giving the maid a cool look."Good morning, Miss Lana," The maid replied, unnerved by Lana's expression and she averted her eyes.She was quite shy with looking Lana in the eyes after what she witnessed in the hallway last night. She knew she wa
Chapter Eighty-FiveThere was an awkward silence at the table for a few minutes, with Lana wondering why he'd not take his mother's call.But that's none of her business now, was it?"Aren't you eating?" Damien's asked. His brows was furrowed slightly in worry, "Why? It's not to your taste?""No, no." Lana replied, shaking her head, "I've not tasted it, but I'm sure it tastes superb." As she spoke, she looked down at her plate and her mouth made a round "o", when she saw the food.Beef cutlets with a side of roasted vegetables and pasta. "Impressive." She mumbled as she took a bite of a juicy, crispy beef cutlet. They were actually her favorite, and she wondered how Damien had known about it.He was watching her now, eagerly anticipating her reaction, "Well, do you like it?" He asked, softly."It's really good," Lana replied, nodding her head in appreciation, at the rich flavour of chewy meat and vegetables that burst in her mouth with every bite she took, "Yvette's cooking is real
Chapter Eighty-Six"Yes!" Vera cried, admitting her wrongdoing "Yes I did! And so what?"She was breathing hard and trembling with fear and anger at her ruined plans, but she decided to forge on anyway."Yes, I set someone to keep tabs on you!"she continued, her words coming out in a rush, "But that's because you chose to keep yourself far away from the rest of the famiky and your fiancee! Do you know how heartbroken Rina was everyday, at your absence? Just knowing that you were fine was enough for her, which was why I did it!""Who is it? Your minion?" Damien asked, ignoring her outburst. If Rina died every night and woke up every day at his absence, it was none of his business. She was the one reason he'd left the main estate in the first place. She should deal with it. However, Vera ignored his question as well, "But it's a good thing I did, right?" She went on with a vehemence in her tone, "if I hadn't, then I wouldn't have known you disgraced our family by bringing back that sc
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.
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-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 One Hundred And Eighty SevenThe men arrived at the room, breathing hard. Pushing the bed aside from the wall, Damien ran his hands all over the wall the way he had seen Lana do in the footage.He let out an erratic breath as the wall opened up in front of him and Paul. It even seemed more ominous than it had in the footage.Takong out his cellphone, he activated his flashlight, illuminating the whole of the passageway."Mother of pearls." Paul muttered in astonishment as they stared into the long dark space.It was a freaking passageway.Why had Lana walked into the wall? No matter how much Paul thought about it, he thought it was extremely brave of the young miss, especially since she did not know what was on the other side of this passageway.Without further ado, Damien bounded into the wall."Romero!" Paul called out after him but Damien did not stop. He kept running down the passageway, till he turned a corner and went out of sight.This was becoming more crazy, Paul th
Chapter One Hundred And Eighty-SixDamien stood in the middle of the white little room and looked around in quiet disgust.The fact that Lana had been in this place all along had filled him with so much fury that he felt like tearing the walls down with his fists.That thought was fueled by the fact that she was nowhere to be found. They had arrived Monero a little over six hours ago. Monero was only accessible through a port and when the men had arrived there, it was already quiet late.Rina had finally revealed the locations of Zaire's villa in Moreno and even though it irked Damien to grant her anything in return, he had to fulfill her request for Lana's sake."Your little informant had better be correct, Romero." Paul had said earlier on the boat, "The Young Miss had better be in Monero when we get there or you will face Fernandez's wrath."Damien had been silent, even though impatience hummed in his blood.He knew she was in Moreno.She had to be in Monero.He wondered what he w
Chapter One Hundred And Eighty-five "Let's go in, first." Anila said urgently as she walked into the corridor and pressed the button on the wall, watching with bated breath until the shelf slid back into place.She turned to Adrian then, "What about the young Miss?" She asked as she walked past him, "Is she okay?""Screw the young miss." Adrian spat out loudly in anger as they both entered the small room, "What the hell is going on? Who the hell were those men?!"Adrian was clearly frustrated. He did not mean to yell and rarely lost his cool, but he was pissed with what just happened a few moments ago in his own house.Anila sighed, "if you will only let me explain, then I will. Stop yelling at me." She reprimanded him as she walked over to Lana.Lana was huddled on the bed, cowering under the bed covers in fear. She and Adrian had stayed back in the room when Anila had gone out.She had been trembling and whimpering in fear as they heard the men ransacked the room, while Adrian pace
Chapter One Hundred And Eighty-FourThe banging on the door continued and silence fell in the room.It took a while for Lana to realize that the banging was not actually on the door to the room.It sounded farther, but that did nothing to ease the trembling of her body or the loud thumps of her heart beat."I said, open up!" Another yell came and this time it was accompanied by a solid thump, like a vicious kick to the door."What the hell? Who knocks like that?" Adrian said, frowning in annoyance. He was about to walk towards the door when Anila stopped him."No Adrian! Don't go." She called out to him, holding out a hand to stop him.Adrian looked from the door to his mother, "What?" He asked, his confusion becoming more apparent. Lana exchanged a frightened glance with Anila, who was calmer actually.She patted Lana's hand then stood up and walked towards the door."I will go out and meet them" She said calmly to Adrian."Excuse me?" Adrian asked, arching an eyebrow at that state
Chapter One Hundred And Eighty-ThreeThe words were hardly out of his mouth when the door to the room was pushed open and a middle-aged woman appeared.Lana turned to the door sharply, fear written all over her face as the woman walked into the room silently, and her eyes met that of Lana's. The next instant, they widened with joy and relief."You're awake! Oh thank heavens!" She said as she rushed towards Lana and took both of her hands in hers, "I knew you'd come around! Bless the heavens!"She turned to look at the red haired man, who went about his watering as calmly as before."Look Adrian, I told you she'll be fine." She said as she beamed up at Lana, because she was clearly four inches shorter than her."I know mother," The red haired guy, Adrian replied drily, "I treated her."Lana stared at him, "Treated?" She asked, eyeing the guy in surprise.He was a doctor?The middle aged woman nodded, "Adrian had found you in the forest when he went for his morning walk." She explained
Chapter One Hundred And Eighty-TwoShe was in the forest, running with her hands stretched out in front of her as she stumbled over fallen tree logs. Her dress was torn and her knees were scraped. She was limping due to the cuts under the sole of her feet, which the cool damp earth of the forest did nothing to soothe.Yet, Lana ran.She was blinded by a film of tears and terrified gasps came out of her mouth as she stumbled through the dark forest."LANA!"He was close!He would get her and throw her back into that suffocating place. Taking control of her whole life."No, never..." Lana muttered breathlessly as she ran. The moon was hidden behind the huge rain clouds filling the sky now. Now, and then, lightening cracked through the sky, sending a flash of white through the forest.The rumbling of thunder will follow soon after and it made Lana shriek and shudder in terror as she ran.No! No! Stay away, please!Suddenly, a hand shot out from before her and grabbed her throat tightly,
Chapter One Hundred And Eighty-One.Lana turned sharply and looked into the darkness behind her. It seemed as though she'd heard something scream. Or was it her imagination?Imagination or not, it was definitely the cue she needed to open the fucking trapdoor. Luckily, the trapdoor wasn't locked and opened up easily before her to reveal another darkness below.Lana swallowed hard as a sudden rush of cold air hit her face. She shivered uncontrollably and willed her beating heart to calm down.This was just the same as walking into the passageway, she reminded herself, Everything will be fine. There are no snakes waiting down there.The way the wind whistled from below made her wonder how far the drop was.She laid down the trapdoor, and peered down into the hole with her torchlight. The beam flashed on a slab of wood below her, then another and another all connected with a rope.A ladder!She allowed the light of the torch to travel down until she finally saw the ground.It was not ve
Chapter One Hundred And Eighty Zaire was still in his study with Aryan, who was making numerous calls.It really seemed like Romero was on his way to Moreno, due to the tip off that Rina had given them.Zaire regretted ever revealing this place to Rina. He had brought her here as well and a bitter taste filled his mouth, as he realized how her presence must have tainted his precious sanctuary."I really should have killed her a long time ago." He thought to himself as he downed the contents of his second glass of whiskey.Well, there was still time.He could still kill her and also give the same treatment to his beloved half-brother. A slight smile curved his lips as he relished the thought of Damien coming to challenge him on his own turf.He'd be able to come in easily but to go out will not be so easy.He also regretted the fact that he'd brought Lana to Moreno. He could have easily taken her to Italy or Cuba, but he figured they were too far away and he needed to still be able to
Chapter One Hundred And Seventy-NineGripping the metal torchlight to her chest, Lana hurried back into the room and climbed unto the bed once more.She glanced back at the door, her ears picking up every little sound. She expected it to open up at any moment and Zaire would walk in.She'd get caught before she even started anything and faced with more torment than she could imagine."There's no time to waste." She reminded herself as she edged closer to the wall, "Let's get out of here, Lana."Slowly, she reached out her hand to the wall and pushed it. The wall did not budge.Lana swallowed hard as her heart started beating faster once again.What the hell? Why isn't the wall opening up now?She pushed the wall again with all her might and still nothing."Okay Lana." She took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, "Remain calm and think. We have to open this wall."She closed her eyes and tried to remember how she'd had managed to open the wall earlier that day.Her memory was fuzzy w