Damon stepped out of his car and walked toward the entrance of Celia's office building. The money he had given her had already saved her family's company from collapse. He checked his watch and realized it was almost lunchtime, which meant perfect timing to surprise her.He'd barely made it through the glass doors when his phone rang. Anthony's name flashed on the screen."What's up?" Damon answered."Just wanted to let you know the meeting with your father went exactly as planned," Anthony said. "He bought everything. Asked a lot of questions but I stuck to the script. He left frustrated but he's not suspicious of me.""Good work," Damon replied. "Did he say anything else?""Just asked me to pass along a message if I ever talk to you about personal matters. He wants you to know he's sorry and he'll wait until you're ready to reach out."Damon felt something tighten in his chest but pushed it away. "Noted. Thanks for handling that.""No problem. Are we still meeting later this week to

Damon stared at Vivienne's name flashing on his phone screen. He answered, putting it on speaker so Celia could hear."Damon, I just heard Alexander's in Newcastle!" Vivienne's voice came through shaking and panicked. "Please tell me he hasn't found you yet.""He found me about ten minutes ago," Damon said calmly. "Showed up at a restaurant with six of his men and accused me of being with you.""Oh god, I'm so sorry!" Vivienne's voice cracked. "This is all my fault. I should have answered his calls. I never meant for any of this to happen to you."Celia watched Damon's face carefully, trying to read his expression."What exactly is going on between you two?" Damon asked. "Because Alexander seems pretty convinced that something's happening."There was a long pause on the other end. When Vivienne spoke again, her voice was quieter. "Can we meet? I need to explain everything face-to-face. You deserve to know the truth about my relationship with Alexander and why he's acting like this."D

Damon finally spoke up."Then we're going to help her if you want it. You know I can't deny you, and besides, Vivienne has already apologized for everything she did. I've already forgiven her, so she's a friend to me again..." Damon paused, his expression growing thoughtful before he continued."Even though she and her family misunderstood me when I needed them to believe me most, I wouldn't think about that and use it to repay them. I'll help her."Celia couldn't help the happy smile that escaped her lips when Damon said that. Her eyes lit up with genuine warmth."That's so good of you, Damon. You're the kindest person I have ever met," Celia said softly.Damon scoffed, though there was amusement in his tone. "Are you flattering me?"Celia hit his shoulder lightly, laughing as Damon chuckled. "Of course not! I'm telling the truth."She turned to look outside the car window, her gaze settling on her family's company building. The sight made her smile grow even wider, and for a moment,

Damon drove back toward his house, his mind working through possible ways to help Vivienne get away from her engagement. Alexander had a lot of resources, but that didn't make him untouchable. Every powerful man had weaknesses, it was just a matter of finding them.His phone rang. Simon's name appeared on the screen."Good day, Simon. Why did you call?" Damon asked, switching to speakerphone."Boss, I need to tell you something urgent, and I have to say it right now over the phone." Simon's voice was tense. "I've been digging into that Tarnex Holdings company like you asked—the one connected to your mother's death. I found something, but you're not going to like it."Damon's grip tightened on the steering wheel. "What did you find?""The company's ownership is buried under multiple shell corporations, but I managed to trace it back through offshore accounts and dummy boards." Simon paused. "It connects to the Sterling family."The car swerved slightly before Damon corrected it. "Which

"What..." Vivienne's voice cracked, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Alexander, what the heck are you saying? Damon never laughed at me. He never disrespected you. You're the one who dragged him into this mess in the first place." She stepped forward, her hands shaking but her words sharp. "So stop making things up, thinking you could hurt him with your accusations and make me hate him. It won't work."But Alexander wasn't listening. His jaw was tight, his eyes dark with something that looked like madness. The kind of madness that comes from a man who's used to getting everything he wants and suddenly realizes he could lose the one thing he truly desires."You said he never disrespected me," Alexander said, his voice dangerously low, "but he just did. Right now. And you didn't do anything about it." He took a step closer to Vivienne, his presence suffocating. "And Vivienne? You of all people know who I am. You know how powerful I am. You know what I can do when someone crosses me."Vivi