Damien walked inside the event which was already underway, with Katherine by his side, their elbows intertwined together, looking like the ultimate celebrity power couple which the media portrayed them as.
They had arrived some minutes ago, and he had just finished giving his welcome speech, going up the stage as he had been called with Katherine as usual by his side, and he had welcomed the guests to the business function.
He had left for outside, wanting to get some fresh air, and Katherine obligingly had followed him too, and now they were both back inside going straight to their seat.
The crowd stilled as he entered yet again, and it felt as if he was arriving just for the first time because he could feel the stares of the guests on him as he walked in, and scanning the crowd he duly waved them as expected once again.
While he waved, at the same time he looking for the VIP seat that had been kept for him and Katherine.
The seat they had both sat on, some minutes back.
Music playing in the background from the live band that had been hired, Damien hummed softly to the popular song of Tim Jones, that was being played, all the while directing his date Katherine, to her seat.
He was about getting there, when he felt a tap from behind, and he froze.
Turning around, wanting to see who had interrupted him, Damien came face to face with an elderly couple, and looking at the man amongst them, he smiled recognizing the fellow as one of his business associates.
Mr Ramon, he could remember the man's name, and glancing at the grey haired pretty woman standing besides him, clad in expensive clothes and jewelries, Damien who was albeit amused bowed his head in respect.
"Mr Damien." The old man greeted, pulling his hands out for an handshake, one which Damien immediately partook in, removing his arms from Katherine's, and clasping the fragile veiny hands in his as he replied back, "Mr Ramon. How nice to see you today."
"Same here, same here." The elderly man said with a smile, and carrying on Damien proceeded to introduce his girlfriend, to the old man, and his wife who welcomed her with open arms.
A nearby waitress passing by, Damien signaled for the blonde haired lady's attention, and as she arrived, bearing a tray of drinks in her hand, he simultaneously collected four glasses, handing each and everyone a glass and taking a sip of his own drink, he looked up at the man again, and asked, "What brought you by? You rarely come out and..."
"Honey."
Damien stilled, as Katherine patted him, and raising his glass towards Mr Ramon, taking a slight excuse, he turned to face her slightly irritated but using his will power to mask his feelings.
He hated interruptions, of any kind, and worse still this man in front of them was one of Italy's most revered and respected business man and billionaire, but of course she had no idea.
Even if she had an idea, she wouldn't care...
Sighing gently he asked, "What is it?"
"I'm feeling pressed, I need to use the bathroom, I'll be back soon." She muttered slowly to him, and he just gave her a curt nod and turned back to resume with his discussion while she scurried away.
"I know that lady. Her father worked under me before..." Mr Ramon started to say, still looking at Katherine's retreating figure and smiling, Damien turning to look at her again before facing the old man again said, "Of course I won't be surprised if you know him. That man is a jack of all trades..." Damien added, and the old man chuckled.
Discarding the topic of Katherine, they continued talking business while Ramon's wife excused them too, and soon it was just the two of them, wine glass in hand, and whiling away time.
.......
"Finally we would get to serve this pompous assholes." Madison muttered loudly, much to the amusement of her colleagues who marched the stairs down with her.
"You are so funny, you know right?" One of them said, and rolling her eyes she replied comically, "Of course I am. I am a comedian, a drama queen, atleast it takes me away from the jumbled thoughts going on in my head."
Finally she was to get on with her gig, Madison thought to herself as she walked down the stairs, wine tray in hand, filled with glasses of juice, and various cocktails.
She was marching down confidently, as this was the time that she was actually starting her waitressing gig, instead of earlier on.
Something unexpected had happened, and so she and some other of her colleagues had been delayed and ordered to help out in the kitchen before coming out to do their job.
She had been a little bit unhappy about the development, because she had wanted to see the host of the party give his welcome speech, but due to the order she hadn't been able to.
The tip, she was going to get after though, did compensate her a bit and she was somewhat grateful that she would have some additional money after everything.
She needed it...
Looking around, at the hustle and bustle of the evening, Madison soon stepped down the stairs, alongside her colleagues, who were waitresses like her, and after saying a short goodbye and good-luck gestures, they all separated, each and everyone going their separate ways to begin their activity.
Madison, walking straight, immediately blended in the crowd, and in minutes with her cheerful smile placed impeccably on her face, hiding her worries away, she was off serving guests, and carefully fending of men who were trying to make passes at her.
She was collecting tips from them though, because she could use the spare cash going around, and whistling away to the song playing in the background, laughing care freely and enjoying her self, she didn't realize when she bumped into an incoming lady, and then her tray of wine glasses fell on the lady, staining the dress she was putting on, as well as shattering on the floor, whilst Madison's eyes widened in horror.
No, no! This couldn't be happening...
Surely this was an hallucination, and she was just dreaming probably but the murmurs from the crowd, the stares of the guests boring a hole in her back, the hysterics from the lady she had bumped into and the shards of glass that were already digging into her feets, were a stark reminder that all this was real and she had just gotten herself into a big mess.
Quickly dropping to her knees, not caring about the glasses scattered all over, Madison knelt in the floor, sweating profusely, with beads of sweat gathering around her neck and shoulders, and muttering some apologetic words she started to pick the glasses that had broken.
She had no idea what the time was, as she continued picking the broken pieces, no one was coming to her rescue, or to help at least and worse of all the lady was shouting angrily and ranting.
"I am sorry ma'am." She said slowly, finally taking her eyes of the floor to look at the woman and beg her for mercy but the young lady rather was so adamant as she kept on screaming.
Damn it! She thought to herself, her face dropping downwards again, not even properly looking at the lady she had seemingly had an encounter with.
From the way the lady was shouting, causing chaos, Madison could tell that she was one spoilt brat, or wife of a rich billionaire obviously because...
Fuck! She shouldn't be thinking of this.
She was supposed to be thinking about how she was going to get this under control, because she knew she was surely going to pay for this, and apart from being disgraced and embarrassed right here, she would still be scolded very well once this party was over.
This was one of the minor ills of her job, and she was always supposed to be attentive and focused so as not to create this kind of scenario, and now she had fucked up really bad.
Crowds were already beginning to form, the event already in disarray, and the dawning fear of what was going to happen should this become worser than it already was made her frantically try to pick these glasses and just disappear away from here, but she knew she just couldn't do that.
She would probably be called to explain, and her tip for the night would be collected from her, and withheld since she had violated some rules.
Tears burning at the back of her eyes at the waning situation, Madison was still trying to salvage the situation when she heard someone's voice, a deep baritone voice belonging to a man rather, shouting from the crowd as he came close, "What the fuck is happening here?"
"Katherine darling, what happened?" The man was saying again, and this time the whispers from the crowd increased a million fold, as she heard the lady say, "Oh honey, I am doomed. That brat, that foolish waitress she soiled my dress. She has successfully made all the time I spent looking good, feel like a waste and now..."
"Who?" The man asked again, this time whispering comforting things to the lady's ear, and from the words he was uttering it was obvious that they were lovers and immediately Madison's heart squeezed a little in jealousy.
Oh well, she had been right before.
The lady was surely the wife of a rich, and pompous billionaire.
Useless people all of them! Madison sweared in her mind, cursing at the same time crying painfully as shards of glasses continued to pierce her skin, and flesh.
"There...there she is." The lady shouted, obviously pointing at her, and not able to contain her shame any longer, Madison decided to face the couple, ready to apologize, or likewise give them a piece of her mind, as all this was just some stupid mistake when her hands froze...
No, no this couldn't be yet again!
The glasses that she had successfully gathered atop a tray, scattered yet again and the tray fell of her hands as she matched gaze with the lover of the lady she had bumped into.
Eyes widening this time around, another tear flowed down her face in shock.
No it wasn't true! This was a dream, she kept on telling herself, but as they held gazes, their mouths both opened in shock, Madison knew that this night was definitely a doomsday, because standing in front of her was him... Damien Daniels, the man who had broken her heart and shattered her dreams.
The man who had left her, and turned her into a scorn.
The man whom she loved, and cherished ever since childhood. Damien Daniels, the poor mechanic boy she had given her heart and body too...
"No!..."
Flashbacks, 2011... 11 years earlier"The most beautiful thing in our hearts about young love, is the truth in our hearts that it would last forever ~ ATTICUS ~"Would you come to the shop later today Maddie?"Looking up at him shyly, Madison gave a small smile as she nodded gently.Anytime he called her Maddie, she always got weak to the core, and his husky deep voice did things to her inside.Oh, if he would just kiss her now... She wondered, biting her lips, looking up at him shyly, her eyes blinking softly trying not to meet his gaze but she failed.They had just started dating, some weeks back and still they hadn't shared their first kiss.Every single day though, she kept on falling deep in love with him, and the cute gestures he showered on her every time.From taking her to little spontaneous dates in his workplace, kissing her cheeks and forehead so gently whenever they wanted to part in the juncture before she would go home, and sending her love texts late at night that made
"Done! Yes she would pay for it. She would pay for every single dime used in making this dress. She would pay for every thing, and if she doesn't, we'll sue!"As she heard these words coming out from his lips, Madison felt like commanding the ground to open up and swallow her.2000 freaking dollars! Where the fuck would she get that money from?That was almost half of her tip for this job, and the meager 800 dollars that she was going to get after everything she would do here, had already been budgeted.Asides from the tip also that these horny looking cheating men, had given her after she served them drinks, Madison knew that should she pay for the dress, then she would be utterly broke and stranded in New York, and she did not want to go through that nightmare.She had even decided on taking the train back home, as she wanted to save up the money she would use to book a flight back home, and now this had to happen!She started to sob uncontrollably, and a bit loud too not caring if
"That lady, was the girlfriend of the owner of this building! How dare you be so careless?"Madison stood as the chaperone and the manager of her agency berated her.If there was anything she hated in this world, it was being yelled at.She was so fragile, so light hearted that even back when she was young, and had still been living with her parents and siblings, any little berating from them, would make her drop down in tears.Now, as the manager of the establishment where waiters were being recruited chastised her, as if she was but a little girl, Madison just couldn't help the sob that escaped from her lips, as he continued throwing insults at her.The constant reminder of the cost of the dress, which he kept on repeating, did nothing in alleviating the situation instead it worsened everything.She was the only one in the office with him, because the waitresses and waiters who had served today at the event had all collected her tip and left her here.No one had stayed to even conso
“Tell me everything you’ve got.” Damien said to his head lawyer, Mr Rudiger and the man he had hired to further delve into the Connors case.He had abandoned the case some years back, after his mother had told him to drop it, but with the recent appearance of Madison, and the memories that were plunging in his head, Damien couldn’t let it off any longer.He was reopening the case, and just like he had promised himself the night before after the event, and after drinking himself to sleep, he had decided to begin the investigations today.He was going to bring the Connors down, but first he was going to make each and every member of the family pay before he would then face the head of the household, ruthless politician and the man who had sired the woman he had loved since time immemorial, Mr Connor.For the ruin that elderly man caused his family, the death of his father, banishing then from Birmingham after winning a law suit against him, and making his life a living hell before his l
Flashbacks, 2011… 11 years earlier‘If I had to sum up friendship in one word, it would be comfort.’ ~ Terri Guillements.“Hey Alvarez, come on in brother…”Madison watched with delight, and a blush creeping up her cheeks, as Damien invited her best friend into the shed where he had been busy working.Dropping the spanner she had been holding on the a work table nearby, and walking over to meet him, she smiled enveloping him in a hug almost immediately, as she said, “Hey Alvarez, what brings you by.”“Oh that’s enough between you too.” Damien said roughly, his hands on her back as he dragged her of Alvarez’s arms, and both him and Alvarez chuckled softly, while she swooned uncontrollably.It really amazed her how rather possessive Damien was of her, to the extent that he never allowed any of his or her male friends to come in contact with her, talk more of hug her tightly just the way she was doing with Alvarez.“He is my best friend for goodness sake Damien. I met him before I met yo
"Sure.” Madison assented, nodding to Alvarez's idea of having some coffee at a nearby shop he had sighted on his way to her motel. "I do need some fresh air after all this crying," She joked.She didn't think it necessary to tell him that the said coffee would be the first thing she was having today. If she did, she knew he would insist on getting her something to eat. And she didn't wish to be anyone's burden.The worried look on his face told her that be didn't think it was that amusing, but she waved it off, glad that he was here as he helped her pack her luggage into the trunk of his car.Madison turned to face Alvarez as he suddenly began to laugh heartily. "Hey, watch the road," She warned jokingly, joining in his contagious laughter although she wasn't sure the reason for it. "What's so funny anyways?""I just remembered when I used to help you sneak out to watch those circus shows your father thorough despised.” He laughed again. "We really were some trio weren't we?" She join
Damien had been trying his hardest not to feel so impatient, but it was obvious that he was as he continuously tapped his palm against his thigh, waiting for Mr Rudiger’s arrival again today.After a few moments of checking his watch at intervals, his secretary finally rang to inform him of Mr Rudiger's arrival. He immediately ordered her to him in and looked up in anticipation when the door swung open."Give me good news," He said, ignoring the presence of the other man who accompanied Mr Rudiger.He frowned when he saw Mr Rudiger take off his glasses and rub his forehead. "We have been tracking the Connors like you requested, but so far we haven't been able to get any information on the immediate family, or how their empire crashed. It's almost like they all vanished into thin air."Damien's face crumpled in anger. "That's all you've come up with? It's been days. I'm starting to think you're not the right person for this job. I need something beneficial."Mr Rudiger nodded. "Fortuna
Madison woke up with a start, as the noise of the incessant banging on her door resounded heavily through the room. As she hurried to her feet, wondering who could possibly be knocking like that, a sharp ache ran through her head, making her grimace in pain. She still had the searing headache from yesterday, and she hasn’t done anything to treat it, as she wasn't sure if she could afford to get some painkillers with the little change she had. Her eyebrows cocked in surprise when she unlocked her door to reveal the motel owner. She knew he was the owner, because she had seen him the day she moved in with Alvarez. Rubbing her hands up and down to warm herself up, she greeted him. "What can I do for you today?" She asked, puzzled as to what he could want so early in the morning. Her heart skipped a beat as a thought crossed her mind. But she waved it away. Alvarez had paid for the room already, so it couldn't possibly be because she was owing. "You have some visitors waiting to s
~ They were drawn to each other in ways they had never experienced. It wasn’t a coincidence but an undeniable fated connection. Because when their hearts first collided, they knew their soul was already infused together. ~SOME MONTHS LATER “No way…” Madison’s hand shook as she held the white pregnancy test stick in her hand, her jaw dropping as she stared at the result she was seeing.Her hands shook heavily, and as beads of sweat flowed down her face, she began to walk away from the toilet and back to the bedroom she and Damien shared.“This has got to be a dream.” Madison muttered to herself, a tear falling down her face as she gently placed the stick on the table and continued to stare at it, but she could not comprehend what she was seeing.Her eyes closed; she tried to tell herself that, indeed, her eyes were playing some trick on her, so she had to close and open them again, but when she did… The pregnancy stick was still there.Showing two positive lines, indicating that she
“Are we there yet?” Madison queried, her hands flailing about in the air as Damien kept leading her to somewhere unknown, his hands covering her eyes.“Almost…” He chuckled heavily, and she just groaned lightly.She hated this suspense, and whatever it was, he wanted to show her it had better be worth it cause she was running out of patience.Discarding the worrying thoughts out of her head, Madison instead decided to use her sense of hearing to grasp the knowledge of where she was at the moment since she could barely see a thing.The light sand, which buried her feet now and then as they walked, signified that they were either at the beach or some park. It was the beach! She could hear the soft billowing sounds of water waves from afar, and with the cool evening breeze blowing past, carrying with it the scent of murky dust, she knew her assumption was right. But which one in particular? She wondered, and again why had Damien brought her to the beach of all places?Her curiosity soo
"I'm confident that everything will be fine." As they drove to the hospital, Damien kept assuring Madison, his hands intertwined with hers. It was as if he could sense her anxiety and the nagging reminder that she might get some bad news today. She'd avoided going to the hospital for years after being treated there when her child died. Since then, she'd vowed never to set foot in a hospital building to check on herself, regardless of whether the situation was critical. But, with Damien's constant words of encouragement and kisses on her knuckles every minute, she was doing her best to remain calm. They'd agreed to go to the hospital to be safe after she'd expressed concerns about not being able to have children, among other things. Damien, on the other hand, had suggested going to the hospital so they could both get some checkups and talk to the doctor. His suggestion was good, and she could use it... "What's going through your mind, my love?" Damien's voice jolted Madison out
“Morning, princess.”Madison groaned, her eyes fluttering open as Damien’s loud greeting roused her from her slumber.“Go away.” She mumbled, eyes still closed as she turned sideways on the bed, intent on continuing her sleep, but he just wasn’t having it.“No, I won’t. Wake up, princess.” He said again, using his hands to nudge her shoulders again, and she let out a frustrated hiss.“I think I can handle you calling me ‘princess,’ and the word alone will make me wake up. You know I like it.” She mumbled, hands rubbing at her eyes as she tried to gain consciousness of her surroundingsDragging the blanket with her, Madison pushed herself into a sitting position against the headboard, yawning and stretching.She looked over to where he was standing, and her lips fell open when she saw he had a tray in hand.A tray of food? What was in there? She began to wonder, but she didn’t need to think much because, soon enough, the smell of freshly fried eggs, bacon, and pancakes filled the air,
The moment Damien placed his lips on hers, Madison knew she was lost already.Finally, after her fears and worries, she was doing this. She was going to enjoy tonight, and since it was their first time since whenever, she just had to bask in it.Closing her eyes and letting out a hum the second he placed her on the soft king-sized bed they shared, Madison’s left hand wandered to his hair, gripping the strands tightly. She moved forward to deepen the kiss, feeling his hands also moving, and she let out a sigh when his thumb caressed the bud of her puckered nipple.He was still kissing her. Their tongues lip locking lightly, and every move he made sent warmth rushing through her body and made her heart race. Suddenly, Damien pulled back and smiled softly at her before placing a gentle kiss on her neck, and she heard him whisper, “Fuck Maddie. Your scent… it’s driving me crazy and… I’ve missed you so much….” He trailed off, his voice shaking as if sobbing and the sound tugged at her he
“Sure, I’ll come visit.”“We will come visit.” Damien chimed in, throwing Madison a wink, and she just laughed softly.His hands wrapped possessively around her waist, Madison leaned further into his arms, sighing satisfactorily as she bade her family goodbye.Watching as everyone got into the jeep Damien had provided to take them home, she continued waving at the moving car until finally, the vehicle was out of the mansion’s heavy gates, and it was just her and Damien standing outside in the cold.It’d been a long night, filled with eating, drinking, and dancing, and now it was all over, and as much as she had not wanted the event to end, she was rather grateful.She was tired, and she could do with some sleep as it stood. “Hey, lovebirds.” A familiar voice called behind, and they both turned back to check.It was Alvarez, and he was coming down from the mansion's stairs, bag and suitcase packed already, and Madison’s brow raised immediately, the sleep at the corner of her eyes disa
“…I still have a lot to say, but this toast would be incomplete without my late father, Mr Daniel. It’s so funny how everything that happened all till this day is somehow intertwined with the events of the past. I can’t say the memories are worthwhile, but then everything happens for a reason, and I know that wherever he is right now, he would be watching us with love, admiration, and pride. I am also proud, not because of my achievements or everything I might have gained in these past few years. But because of what I became after all these incidents. I would never have imagined this scenario, but I am grateful for it. This enmity and malice between our families have been long gone, but we still have to look out for each other, especially when the situation gets tough. However, it can only get better from here. That I know!” The sound of applause filling the room as Damien continued his speech had Madison’s lips quivering, and she fought the urge not to cry.The way he spoke was so e
“Hello, mother.” Damien smiled ruefully, his arms wide as he embraced Mrs Connor, and she dutifully fell into his warm hug.“Son…” She began, “You look so good and strong already. How are you doing?“ She queried with a raised brow, and Damien chuckled all the more.“I’m doing fine, as you can see, thanks to Madison.” He finished with a wink, and the pretty older woman laughed heartily.“Come in, come in,” Damien said again, his hands outstretched as he led her into his modest abode.Kissing her on both cheeks, he allowed her to wander in and turned to face the rest of Madison’s family.Her father, brothers and their spouses were all present tonight for the reunion party and from the look of things, there was going to be a full house.However, Damien reveled in it. He was more than happy that they’d all honored the invitation, and knowing that this dinner event would usher in many more to come, his eyelids twinkled as another waning idea flickered into his thoughts.“Hello, brother.” M
“I’ve been trying mother’s cell phone, but it hasn’t been going through, father. Where is she?” “Hello to you too, Maddie.” Mr Connor greeted, and Madison sighed, rubbing her left hand on her forehead. “Afternoon, father. How are you doing?” She politely asked, a smile flickering on her lips as he replied “I am doing okay. Better than ever. Your mother went to the grocery store nearby to get some things for dinner tonight and….” “Why is she still going out on her own father?” Madison abruptly asked, continuing, “Damien’s made sure she doesn’t have to worry about all these. You both… I mean, the household staff he hired should be able to….” “You know how stubborn your mother can sometimes be, and I couldn’t object. She wanted to go out and get the things she needed specifically. Just leave her be.” Mr Connor said, and Madison could only jet out a worried exhale. However, hearing her father’s cheery voice lifted her heart enthusiastically, and tears pooled at the back of her eyes.