Chapter Five
Damien paced up and down the hallway, outside the hospital room. He could not understand why he was so agitated but there was something about seeing your wife, unconscious, in a dead faint and also in another man's arms. It rattled him. Her white face and limp body had scared him as he watched the man carry her in his arms, bridal style. He stopped pacing and looked ahead, his brows coming together in a huge frown and a sour taste came into his mouth, as he stared at the man who had saved his wife. Zaire Ludovic. C.E.O of SERENE, A MultiBillion-dollar Fashion and Entertainment Company and one of the top rated fashion company in Emerald City. He was Damien's biggest Rival. The Romero family owned MAGIC, another top rated fashion and Entertainment company in the City. It had been in the family for years and was the source of all their wealth. The MAGIC group had other subsidiaries in other industries - Retail, Education, Manufacturing, Sports etc but MAGIC Touch, which embodied their Fashion and Entertainment Industry was the epitome of the MAGIC Group. The business summit at the Reign Gardens was open to all business icons and reputable people of the business world Zaire was one of them. Zaire was standing erect, neither looking sideways but facing the door of Lana's hospital room. Damien watched him with narrowed eyes. What the hell was he doing here?, he thought. True, he had brought Lana to the hospital but his job was done. He should leave, already. Damien did not like the way Zaire was standing guard over his wife's hospital room. Lana was his wife, not his, Dammit! He started walking towards him, to tell him to get the hell away from his wife's hospital room door and out of their lives, when suddenly, the door to Lana's room opened up and he stopped in midstride as Lana walked out and walked towards them. "Lana, are you okay?" He went towards her hurriedly, placing himself between her and Zaire. Lana gave him a withering look. "What's it to you? My wellbeing is none of your concern, last I remembered!" Her tone was scathing and her eyes cold as she stared up at him. Damien was taken aback by her coldness and was even more shocked at his reaction to her coldness. He felt nervous, as though something precious was about to slip from his fingers or had already slipped from his fingers. "Let's go home" he started to say but Lana ignored him. He saw the direction of her gaze and his eyes flashed with anger when he saw that she was watching Zaire. The way her expression softened as she stared at Zaire, made his blood boil. Without thinking, he grabbed her arm, and pulled her to himself "I said, Let's go home!" He hissed in her ears and Lana struggled in his grip. "Let go of me, you jerk!" She struggled and suddenly, she was free. Zaire reached out and pulled her to his side, breaking Damien's grip. "She said, let go, Romero. Why are you manhandling a lady?" Zaire's voice boomed out and Lana who was by his side could feel the vibrations from his voice. Seeing that she was not struggling in his grasp, almost made Damien go mad. He saw red and almost exploded. "That's my wife, Ludovic! Take your hands off her!" "I don't care if she's your wife. She's a lady and she does not want to be with you at the moment!" Zaire smirked at him before turning to Lana and saying softly "Let me take you." Damien could not believe his eyes, when Lana glared at him before nodding slightly. Zaire smiled and led her out of the hospital. Damien swore as his fists clenched and his face reddened as he watched Zaire lead his wife, away from him. "Damn you, Lana!" *** As soon as Lana stepped into the house, Vera stood up from the sofa where she and Rina had been sitting, and walked towards her "I thought you were going to be hospitalized for a long time but now I know you only pulled that stunt to embarrass my son!." She wagged a finger in front of Lana as she spoke. Lana merely glanced at her and started making her way up the stairs to her bedroom. "I'm talking to you!" Vera roughly pulled Lana back and glared at her "You lowlife! I allowed you to marry my son because of that old wretch and now you dare to disrespect me?!" "Don't you dare call Laura that" Lana fired back and Vera was taken aback at her sudden fierceness "Although, she did that for a good cause, I was a fool for going along with it." This was a new side to Lana that she had never seen before, and it shocked Vera. Normally, Lana stood like a coward when Vera berated her and had never raised her voice to her. Vera wondered if Lana had gone mad. "Stop acting as though you didn't manipulated her into it" Vera threw back at her, her arms crossed "I know your type , you gold digging lowlife." Lana smiled bitterly. "Well then, I'm sure it will gladden your heart to know I'm correcting the mistake Laura made" she calmly said, her eyes glittering like ice "I'm getting a divorce!" This revelation shocked both women and Rina actually stood up and walked towards Lana cautiously, a sly smile on her face. 'This was perfect' she thought 'Everything is going according to my plan.' However, Vera had her eyes narrowed at her. She scoffed and eyed Lana with disdain. "A divorce? really? So you can get half of my son's inheritance, right?!" "I don't care about his inheritance!" Lana asserted "And I don't care if you believe me or not, I'm getting that divorce!" "You're going nowhere!" A voice thundered from the entrance and they watched as Damien strode towards them. His face was red and his grey eyes were flashing with anger as he remembered how Lana had left with Zaire at the hospital "How dare you bring up divorce?! After you manipulated my grandmother into withholding my inheritance?!" Damien leaned down and spoke fiercely to Lana. Lana stared him down, unwilling to back down. "I have no idea what you're saying, and I don't care!" She yelled back at him, and he was shocked at the fire in her eyes "I won't stay under this roof with your little whore!" "Well, you got yourself into it, you conniving bitch, so deal with it!" Vera fired as she went to stand beside her son. They all stood before Lana, glaring at her. Lana was undaunted, however. She was leaving this house even if it meant she was smuggled out. She thought of Laura and her heart clenched with sorrow but she could not take this anymore. She would explain to Laura later. "Excuse me, sir" A voice interrupted the tense moment and they watched as Damien's assistant, Liam, walked up to him. "What is it?" Damien snarled, his angry eyes never leaving Lana's face but the next words that came out of his assistant's mouth, had them all staring at him in shock. "Your grandmother, sir. She's dead!"Chapter Six "We gather here in loving memory of our beloved sister, Laura Penelope Romero..." Lana sat very straightbacked, the pew hard beneath her as the priest went on. The entire church was so silent that if a pin dropped, the sound would bounce off the walls. Laura was dead. Laura, the one person who had been in support of her marriage to Damien. Laura, who had been like a mother to her this past three years. Laura, the only reason she was still holding on. Lana took a deep breath, as she fought back tears, which stung her eyes, and threatened to fall at any moment. She was seated among the other callers, while Rina sat with her husband and his family, in the pew reserved for families. Lana didn't mind. She had deliberately separated herself from them, and even though she was occasionally receiving dark stares from Damien, she would not budge. Finally, everyone filed out of the church, and the coffin was placed in the freshly dug hole in the ground. There were sniffle
Chapter Seven "Lana, is that you?" Samuel Fernandez's deep voice came through the phone. It was filled with awe. He could not believe he was talking to his daughter, after three good years. He stood up, as though in slow motion and held up his hand. In an instant, the entire boardroom in which seventy shareholders were sitting became silent. They watched him in shock, as he walked towards a window, his face filled with glee at the call which he received. They had all been in the midst of a serious meeting when he had that call but now, he was not in the mood to listen to them anymore. However, at the sound of his voice, after so many years, something came over Lana, and she crumbled immediately. The tears fell in torrents down her face, and she made no effort to wipe them away as she walked down the Lane leading to the gates guarding Reign Estates. Bodyguards stared at her as she passed, shocked to see her crying but she did not care. She had missed her father so much. Why had
Chapter Eight "Please, call me Zaire." Zaire placed his right hand in the small of Lana's back she tried to lead her away to his car, and away from the rain. The car was sitting in the rain, a gleaming Bentley, and the driver stood outside, taking shade under a black umbrella while waiting for them to approach, so he can open the door for them. Lana stopped and stared into Zaire's eyes. His green eyes held a light that bespoke kindness, and there was a gentleness behind his touch. He had told her to call him,"Zaire" thereby putting them on a first name basis. Lana stared at him, unsure if she wanted to venture into this new path. Suddenly, something occurred to her, and she looked closely at him, her eyes narrowed with curiosity, "What are you doing here?" She asked, indicating the huge gates behind her which signified the Romero's Reign Estates. "Did you come to call on the family?." Zaire smiled, showing perfect white teeth, "That would be unheard of" he answered, a lazy s
Chapter NineThe party boarded the helicopter, and it took off.Diego was numb with shock. He kept glancing at Lana, but somehow he could not say anything to her.He was especially scared of the dignified man who sat with the pilot in front, and he held his peace.Paul was her father, Samuel Fernandez's chief assistant, which was why he was entrusted the task of bringing the young Miss home.He looked stern, and had a face that screamed no-nonsense but was infacet a very softspoken person.He had not said anything when Lana boarded with Diego. She only said he was her person, and was with her and that reassured Paul.Finally, the helicopter finally landed at an airport, and the party came down.Diego could still not close his mouth, and his eyes widened all the more when he saw the private jet, sitting regally and looking spectacular.The party walked briskly towards it, the bodyguards flanking Lana on both sides, and soon they were ensconced in the private jet which took off into the
Chapter Ten"Miss, the chairman asked if you would honor dinner with your prescence." The maid stood just outside the door to the balcony, and said in a respectful voice."He has a special guest he wishes to introduce to you."Lana stood outside on the balcony of her bedroom, looking down on the vast land of the Fernandez's Estate.It stretched for miles, and there were several other buildings in the Estate, both residential and non residential. At the sound of the maids voice, she turned away from the view to call out her reply."Alright, tell him I'll be down in a short while." She flashed a brilliant smile at the maid, who bowed respectfully at her then exited the room.As the maid left, Lana turned back to the view which she had been enjoying. She lifted her face up into the sky, and inhaled deeply.The morning sun warmed her face and the gentle morning breeze, ruffled her hair, bringing with it the scents of the beautiful flowers, which were planted everywhere across the estate.
Chapter Eleven"I'm going back to Fashion Designing!"Lana looked at her father, her face lit with pleasure ,as she thought about what she had just said.It was time to rediscover herself and, get the old Lana back.She would go back to fashion designing, and make a name for herself just like her mother had done."But Lana, you only just got back! Don't you think you need to rest a while?" Samuel said, worried that she would stress herself.Lana shook her head as she stood up, carrying the box carefully, and placed it back in the walk-in closet."I've made up my mind, Father" she replied, as she walked back to his "its time to go back to my former self, to how I was before I..."She hesitated, reluctant to say anything but the next words her father said startled her."Before you met the Romeros." Her father completed for her grimly, and Lana's eyes went wide with surprise.In the next instant, however, she sighed wearily as she walked to sit back to the vanity table."How did you know
Chapter TwelveFive Years LaterThe sky was blue and the wind soft, as it carried the smell of the clean grass and flowers through the garden.Damien walked through the garden holding Lana, a satisfied and relaxed smile on his face. Lana held a baby in the crook her arms. It was their child. They were together forever. She looked up at him and smiled contentedly, and he had never felt as happy as he did in that moment.But suddenly, the garden was no longer a garden, the blue sky turned dark with gray clouds and lightning raced across the gray storminess, and Lana was no longer by his side.He squinted, looking into the distance, trying to make out her figure standing far away from him, phantom and ethereal."Lana!" He called out, yelled as he desperately tried to move his feet so he can return to her side.But the grasses suddenly grew taller with amazing speed, and around him, blocking his sight and seeming to choke him.The last thing he saw as the grasses closed to round him, wa
Chapter ThirteenDamien walked out of his room with long strides, and directed his steps into his study.Walking towards the desk, he pressed a button and his assistant's voice came loud, and clear over the speakers."Yes sir. Good morning, sir ""Call for Doctor Robert at once." He said in a voice that did not sound so urgent "Miss Carter is in need of medical assistance.""Yes sir" The assistant replied instantly, and the line went dead. Damien sat down in his chair behind the desk, his elbows propped up on the table as he held his head in his hands, relieved to be away from Rina and her demanding self.He was tired of Rina and her sneaky ways.The only reason he was still keeping her close was because he felt responsible for her.For how she had turned out.Rina was the sister of his best friend Lucas, who had sadly passed away ten years earlier.He had been madly in love with her when they had met and Lucas had been glad they were together.But when his grandmother insisted on h
Chapter One Hundred And Forty SixLana sat in her room poring over designs sent to her by Mandy, on her laptops. Each scroll she made, had her heart jumping for joy as she slowly forgot the bitter experience she'd had earlier that day.She had been so frazzled after listening to the recordings, that she'd gone home and cried herself to sleep. That morning, she woke up to about fifteen missed calls from Mandy the day before. "Ma'am, we made it to the preliminary round for the Queen's Glamour And Festival Awards!" Mandy had squealed excitedly into her ear that morning when she called her back. The young women sounded very excited and Lana had immediately been affected by her joyful mood.Although, she knew that they'd get selected and even possibly win the awards, her heart could not help but race in anticipation when Mandy announced the news."Mandy, that's awesome news," she said to her assistant, tears of joy filling her eyes suddenly to her surprise."Yes, ma'am. It is." Mandy af
Chapter One Hundred And Forty Five"Let me out, you hear me! Hey, I'm talking to you!" Rina yelled as she hit the metal bars of the cell doors holding her back. The cops, however, paid her no heed and went about their business like she wasn't even there."Agrhh!" Rina screamed, shaking the metal bars once more and snapping her head back. She winced in pain as she held on to her neck which had a brace over it.The doctors had warned her to be careful with moving it around, and now she'd almost dislodged it from its position again. She knew what she was doing would make no difference, but she could not sit still.It's been almost twenty four hours and yet she was still languishing in this cell. Her stomach growled with hunger and anger, and she glared at the police men.She'd not had anything to eat since she was brought from the hospital, and even then she'd not eaten anything.Both the food from the hospital and the one given to her in the cell looked like they were meant for dogs, n
Chapter One Hundred And Forty FourZaire had been following Damien all his life. He kept tabs on the Romero family as well, always looking for an opening, a leverage he could use against them.He saw when the little bastard had his first car.When he got into an ivy league. When he took over from their father.Zaire was always skulking around them, hiding in the shadows, watching every moment of Damien's life.Damien had been happy. He had loving parents, and a doting grandmother. He had his life set out for him and even got to marry a beautiful, and astounding woman in the long run.Everything that should have been his.With one tilt of his head, he downed the entire contents of the glass in one gulp and walked inside the house with it, leaving Aryan staring after him.He walked into his spacious bedroom, which seemed to be made of glass, with one part overlooking the glorious expanse of the sea.Zaire made his way to his walk in closet, divesting himself of his clothes. He walked o
Chapter One Hundred And Forty ThreeZaire stands in the balcony of his villa, overlooking the sea as he sipped from a glass of tequila.The sea wind was cold and crisp and ruffled his hair and the collar of the crisp white button down which he wore.He tucked his hand in his pocket, a calm expression on his face as he watched the sea down beneath him.It was dusk already and the dark, foamy waves of the sea crashed against the rocks situated at its bank, and spilled over the beach. During the day, he'd walked barefoot on the beach, close to the edge of the sea.The sand on the beach was fine, mixed with pieces of rocks that prickled the sole of his feet as he walked past, 0but Zaire paid no heed to it.He looked down at the beach now from his balcony, and let his blank stare gaze at the roaring waves.He took another sip of his tequila, letting the warmth of the liquid burn through his throat and spread throughout his chest. His calm and blank expression belied any of the raging turmo
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