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 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 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-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-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-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-SixZaire slammed his phone down on the desk in front of him, as soon as he handed the call. The screen of the phone cracked and left cuts in his hand, which soon started bleeding .Zaire gave no thoughts for the blood which was running down his palm to his desk. He did not even feel the pain. Instead, he still held the phone in a tight grip and seethed with rage. He was breathing hard and trying hard to calm down.The conversation which he just had with Rina kept replaying in his head and Zaire slammed the phone on the desk once more."Damien knows about the Carter Family."This words rang in his head once more and he gritted his teeth. He stood up from behind his desk and went to a small bar in his office.He needed a stiff drink.Taking a bottle of brandy, he poured himself a small glass and downed it in one gulp. He poured another and repeated the action three times. "How much does he know about them? Does he know anything about Lucas?" He thought worriedly as he
Chapter Ninety-seven Rina smiled happily to herself when the call ended. "That was refreshing." She thought as she turned to walk back down the stone bridge. It was really nice to make Zaire speechless for once.Rina detested how pompous he was and how he'd been treating her all along. "We have the same purpose and the same objective," she muttered to herself with a snarl on her lips, "how dare he act like he's the lord of me?"Truth be told, Zaire had not always been like that. They had been really close when they met, and had formed a bond which was only made stronger when they discovered they shared a common enemy. She had just lost Lucas then.To that stupid plague called AIDS.Lucas, her so called brother who had left the orphanage with her when she turned eighteen."I'll protect you, Rina, and I'll make sure they all pay for what they did to us."But big brother Lucas had died barely three years into their plan. Turns out, he found that the lures of the city and sex were muc
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