The hospital waiting room was filled with police officers, medical staff rushing back and forth, and the sound of Serena's voice still screaming from somewhere down the hallway where they were treating her injuries. Damon sat in a chair with his head bandaged, holding an ice pack against his bruised ribs. The doctors had checked him over and confirmed nothing was broken, just badly bruised. He refused to leave until he knew Celia and her parents were okay. Detective Morrison approached with his notepad. "Mr. Sterling, I need to get your full statement about what happened tonight." "Where's Celia?" Damon asked immediately. "Is she okay?" "Miss Greene is being examined in room three. She has cuts and bruises but nothing serious. Her mother is with her." "And her father?" Morrison's expression became more serious. "Mr. Greene lost a lot of blood from the head wound. They're working on him now. The doctors say he should recover, but they want to keep him here for observation." Damo

Two weeks had passed and Damon stood outside his father's hospital room, staring at the closed door. He'd been avoiding this moment, putting it off day after day, but he couldn't delay any longer.Anthony appeared beside him, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to do this if you're not ready.""I am ready," Damon said, though his voice didn't sound convinced. "I've made my decision. I'm going to save him.""I'm proud of you for this," Anthony said. "It takes a strong person to help someone who hurt them so deeply."Damon took a deep breath and pushed open the door. Edward lay in the hospital bed looking even worse than the last time Damon had seen him. His skin was gray, his breathing shallow, and machines beeped steadily around him monitoring his failing organs.Arthur sat in the chair beside the bed. He stood up immediately when Damon entered. "Mr. Damon. Good morning."Damon walked closer to the bed and looked down at his father's unconscious face."The docto

Anthony stared at the text message from Damon for a full five minutes. His hands shook slightly as he read it over and over again.Vivienne had confessed her feelings to Damon. Damon had rejected her gently. And now Damon was telling him this might be the right time to approach her."I can't do this," Anthony muttered to himself, setting his phone down on his desk. "What if she's too hurt right now? What if confessing my feelings makes everything worse?"But Damon's words kept echoing in his mind. She deserves to know someone genuinely cares about her.Anthony stood up and walked to the window of his office, looking out at the city below. He'd been in love with Vivienne for years, but he couldn't say anything to her, there was always some reason to stay silent, some excuse to wait a little longer.But maybe waiting was the problem. Maybe he'd been waiting so long that he'd missed every possible opportunity.Anthony pulled out his phone and called Vivienne's number before he could talk

The Sterling mansion's grand living room was filled with family members. Uncles, aunts, cousins, and distant relatives all gathered together, confused about why Edward had called this emergency meeting. Damon stood near the back of the room with Anthony beside him, watching as people whispered to each other and speculated about what was happening. "Is that Damon?" one of his cousins whispered loudly. "What's he doing here?" "I thought he wasn't part of the family anymore," another relative said. Damon scoffed, Edward was wrong. They don’t seem to understand what’s going on. Maybe they haven’t been watching the news, or they’re deliberately ignoring the facts—because it’s the talk of the entire country. How could they not know what’s happening in their own family? Edward entered the room with Arthur supporting him. He still looked weak from his recovery, but his eyes were clear and determined. He walked to the front of the room and sat in the large chair that had always been reserv

Saturday morning arrived with clear blue skies. Damon woke up early, his stomach filled with excitement. Today was the day he would show Celia and her family what he'd been planning. He got dressed carefully in a nice suit, wanting to look his best for this important moment. Then he drove to the Greene house to pick up Celia and her parents. Mrs. Greene answered the door with a bright smile. "Good morning, Damon! Come in, we're almost ready." "Good morning, Mrs. Greene. Take your time." Mr. Greene appeared from the living room, his head wound from the kidnapping completely healed now. "Damon, you look very formal today. Where exactly are we going?" "It's a surprise," Damon replied with a mysterious smile. "But I promise you'll love it." Celia came down the stairs wearing a simple but elegant dress. Her hair was styled beautifully, and she looked radiant. "You're being very secretive about this. Should I be worried?" "Not at all. Just trust me." They all got into Damon's car, w