Damien Ross: Wrath of the Warlord Chairman

05: Dracula Valmont Ring

For a slight moment, James' expression was riddled with uncertainty, but he quickly wore back a gloating gesture.

“Don't be so pained to question my family's wealth and the connection we amassed. There's literally no elite in Oakland that my father can't influence.”

James' words reeked of pride and mockery, raising his shoulder high while Laura caressed his arms to spite Damien even more.

James believed luck was on his side, and he'd be a fool not to take all the credit for the unexpected twist of events.

Laura clicked her tongue, measured Damien up with a belittling stare: “You saw what happened, or are you living in denial? My man walked out to make a phone call, and boom, everything changed.”

Chloe didn't allow the opportunity to go by without taunting Damien further, “I understand why you're bitter. You wished you were half the man that James is. Newsflash: you're nothing but a sore loser!”

Damien's heart tugged in anger at James' mischievous stance in taking false credit, but he kept an unfazed demeanor, knowing the heat had only just begun.

Damien took out his handkerchief to wipe off a stain of Eric's blood on his shoe; in the process, a burgundy glass box fell out of his pocket and tinkled on the floor with a shiny item adorned in white gold, glittering as the hall light illuminated its gleaming texture.

The honorable crowd gasped, breath caught in their throats: “Huh! Heaven bless this day!”

Curiosity moved the feet of the elites closer to the glistening item: “Are my eyes stuck in a trance? Isn't that the legendary Dracula Valmont Ring? Unbelievable!” The shunning gossip intensified per second. “I thought the most powerful ring had been lost for decades? How could this be possible! Who is this mysterious young man, and how did he get hold of such astonishing earthly treasure?”

Laura widened her eyes and glanced at James, who, in return, flashed Chloe a shocking gaze.

They had also heard of the Ring of Dominion, but didn't know what it looked like.

The elites’ awestruck gossip flitted into Laura's ears; her face turned pale in doubt: “Where did you steal that counterfeit from? You don't expect me to fall for such a sham, right? No way that could ever be the real Dracula Valmont Ring.”

Damien gave a sly smile: “Oh, really? Not like you'd know what the original looks like; even if it stares before your eyes, you still wouldn't acknowledge it.”

A cold glint appeared in Laura's eyes at his choice of response. Damien let out a soft grin, shook his head, and smoothly picked up the white golden ring, and this time wore it while everyone watched it fit on his fingers.

James' teeth gritted in envy: “You're a cold-hearted thief! You stole that from my friend, Eric Chester, during the combat! Return that right away!”

Those in the hall rolled their eyes in stunned silence ‘cause they didn't consider the possibility of the Mayor's son owning the priceless item.

Instantly, Laura and Chloe backed him up, their voices laced with venom: “Yes! You stole that from Eric Chester! Shameless thief!”

Laura gave a wicked grin and blew hot: “Don't let him fool y'all. He barely left the prison five hours ago after being convicted of rape!

Her cooked-up taunts stirred mixed emotions in the hall as indistinct chatterings grew as seconds ticked down.

Unexpectedly, a commanding voice echoed from the northwest corner of the hall:

“What in heaven's name is going on here?!”

Instantly, the noise gradually subsided with eyes bulging at the mesmerizing feminine posture.

Breathe hitched, completely drooling at the most breathtaking, elegant woman their eyes had ever seen as she stole the spotlight and became the highlight.

None other than the Empress of Beauty, nicknamed Oakland's golden girl, who was clothed in a white, bluish bespoke suit with her perfectly fitted trousers screaming seduction: her voluptuous curves echoing an irresistible language for all to speak.

She was Sheraton Miguel, the COO of NewYork Oil Gold Conglomerate: Oakland's most endeared Pageant Queen.

She tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her neck and reiterated with a serious face: “Can someone tell me what the hell is going on here?”

Her radiating eyes met Damien's, who hadn't yet seen the COO that the Goddess had mentioned.

James gave a crooked smile as an opportunity struck him. With a sheepish gesture, he ran in front, his eyes lost in Sheraton’s bodacious features.

If eyes could thrust deep into a lady's paradise, then James had gone multiple times in his jumbled head.

“Ms. Miguel. It’s this sore loser. He beat up my friend and stole his golden stunning Ring.”

Laura frowned as she noticed how shamelessly James was enchanted by Sheraton’s undeniable beauty, as if she were the best thing after a burger.

Ms. Miguel's eyes rolled with intent as she momentarily turned towards the elites: “Was that what happened?”

Their countenance reeked of indecisiveness, given the fact that they didn't know if James' accusation was factual. At the same time, they admired how courageous the mysterious man had been so far.

Ms. Miguel gave a half-smile with a glint in her eyes:

“I have been watching the entire dramatic episode from the CCTV cameras and saw how Eric Chester bullied my assistant. Have y'all wondered why the security personnel didn't intervene? I wanted to watch the combat, and y'all saw how he was well dealt with.”

She chimed in with an elegant beam and turned towards Damien, who had been watching keenly: “Mr. Ross, my honorable guest, deserves a worthy appreciation for standing against gender assault.”

Most of the socialites who shared similar thoughts resounded: “Yes! We have daughters too, and the young man defeated the young lady when we all couldn't! Thank you!”

Laura's heart swelled with jealousy at how Damien suddenly gained the spotlight, with the most sought-after of Oakland’s eligible bachelorettes finding him worthy of praise.

She surged forward, seeking Sheraton's attention: “Ms. Miguel, I've known this man longer than anyone in this hall, and I'd tell you the hard truth, Ma'am. You can't trust him; he's nothing but a pathetic thief; he stole the Dracula Valmont Ring.”

James and Chloe echoed in unison: “Yes! He did. You couldn't have spotted that from the camera footage.”

Damien was about to part his lips when Sheraton’s mouth widened faster:

“Oh really? Y'all are certain about these accusations. Why don't we call the Mayor himself and confirm if his family has obtained the Dracula Valmont Ring?”

There was a hush for a while before Laura and her cohort nodded in acknowledgment:

“Yes! There's no way this deadbeat couldn't have stolen that!”

Sheraton gave a subtle grin, staring at one of the waiters: “Kindly fetch me a glass of champagne. This ongoing episode is going to be an interesting one to watch.”

Her slender fingers got hold of the glass, and she sipped the first shot before dialing the Mayor's number on the loudspeaker connected to a speaker.

They all nudged their ears in anticipation, and within three seconds, the call connected with the Mayor’s voice echoing:

“Ms. Miguel, I have received the footage of what happened at the event. I'm sorry for how uncultured my son acted and shouldn't have harassed one of your staff members. He has been a nuisance, and it's a good thing someone taught him a hard lesson.”

The hall rippled in gripping shock, with their hands covering their mouths. Laura and James furrowed their brows in disbelief at what they just heard.

Ms. Miguel beamed in elegance and mouthed:

“It's alright, Mayor Chester. That's all bygones, but that's not the reason behind my calling.”

“Did your family by chance acquire the famous Dracula Valmont Ring?”

Mayor Chester let out a loud giggle that lasted for almost ten seconds, which had Laura and her cohorts beaming about being right after all.

Then his laughter abruptly ceased:

“The Dracula Valmont Ring? The most powerful legendary ring that mankind has ever known? Please, it's not everything you see on blogs that you should swallow hook, line, and sinker, ‘cause there's no way in a lifetime my family would be worthy to feel its glistening texture, let alone obtain it.”

BOOM!

The call disconnected, and the hall burst into indistinct chatterings, with most of the elite throwing spiteful glances at Laura, James, and Chloe.

Laura swallowed hard, shame lacing her gesture. She lowered her head and couldn't maintain eye contact with either Ms. Miguel or, especially, with Damien Ross.

James stepped behind, growing dumbstruck, and couldn't make sense of what he had just witnessed, about how possibly the Ring didn't belong to the Mayor's household as he had accused.

Damien gave a cheeky grin at how the episodes had played out so far. Ms. Miguel, stylishly holding her glass, cat-walked towards them, wearing a stern expression:

“Cat, finally got your tongue? You've got ten seconds to apologize to Mr. Ross for repeated slandering.”

Most of the influential personalities nodded, and heightened:

“You all should apologize right away! Fucking apologize to him!”

Laura's forehead was drenched with hot sweat, and her heart sank in embarrassment. She surged forward with a frown:

“He's nothing but a paraded thief and a nobody! Why would I do that?”

On reflection, Ms. Miguel’s pupil turned reddish in fury; she stretched her hand with precision and sent a resounding slap across Laura's face.

HIT!

“I said, ' Apologize to him!”