Revenge Of Domenico Santoro

Chapter 6. Denial

"Wh-what?" Damian asked.

"Yes, sir," Roberto affirmed.

"Oh my God. No wonder you could get the head of the police to release him," Damian shook his head.

"The Santoro family holds immense power in Italy," Roberto offered without being asked. "I’m so sorry you had to go through what you went through while you lived as Damian... I am so sorry, Young Master," he bowed his head in apology as Damian stared at him in shock. No one has ever bowed to him before. Ever. And this right now felt surreal.

"No, no. Get up. I mean, don’t do that," Damian said quickly.

"No, Young Master. I deserved to be punished," he said and stood upright. "You have always been your father’s golden boy, his precious little boy…" he said in sobs as Damian held back the urge to laugh because of the funny look on his face. "When I found out how unfairly you were treated in jail, I almost killed myself for disappointing Sir," Roberto sniffed as Damian chuckled slightly.

"You are such a comedian, Roberto," Damian said, surprised at the way he was easily relating to this man.

"Don’t beat yourself up. I didn’t even remember him. I’m the bad son here," Damian said as Roberto nodded slowly and dabbed his eye with a white handkerchief he discarded afterwards.

"So you are saying I am the heir of a $900 billion worth inheritance?" Damian was still yet to believe something like this could happen.

Roberto nodded.

"You weren’t joking when you said the Santoros were influential," Damian smiled nervously.

"We just need you to get better and get you back to Rome, where the family’s business is based, and the ancestral home of the Santoros, where you grew up," Roberto said.

The thought of that interested Damian, knowing about where he truly came from, but then the thought of the kings struck him.

"No. We can’t leave yet. I have unfinished business here in Venice," Damian said.

"And what might that be?" Roberto asked dutifully.

"The Kings. Their daughter is my wife, and I heard she is getting married soon. I want to see for myself," Damian said, even though the thought of it being true hurt.

"Oh. No wonder you keep talking about them. But if she is your wife, why is she getting mar—"

Roberto stopped as realization hit him.

"That bitch! She cheated on you."

"It’s more complicated than you think, Roberto. If it is true, then the Kings owe me one. Get me ready; I want to see my wife," Damian said with an authoritative voice he didn’t realize he possessed.

"But you’re—"

Damian's stern glare cut Roberto short, but he still completed the sentence nevertheless. "…still weak."

"This is nothing compared to the betrayal from Ravenna," Damian said and forced himself to stand up from the bed.

"I’m sure an heir to a $900 billion inheritance will have a suitable car?" Damian asked with a sarcastic smile while Roberto returned it.

********

"Young Master… we've been here for the last two hours waiting for—" Damon turned to cast a warning glare at Roberto. The other man understood and fell silent. Damian turned to gaze out of the window of the exotic limousine that had driven him from the hospital to the front of Kings Mansion. He wasn't interested in talking to anyone from the Kings Family; all he needed to see was Ravenna. He was certain her father was at fault, not Ravenna.

"Sitting like this for a long time will affect your wounds. Even though that bloody warden got what he deserved when I found out what he did to you… you still need to be wary of your health," Roberto began again.

"She comes out at this time. Let's be more patient," Damian replied without sparing him a glance.

"You can have any woman you want in the world with your wealth and power. Why do you have to worry about a lowlife's daughter? The Kings don't even have half of what you own," Roberto chimed in again.

"You're correct about Lucian being a lowlife, but Ravenna is different. She's the sweetest thing that ever happened to me," Damian retorted, annoyed by Roberto's persistence.

"She's got you wrapped around her finger. No wonder you went to jail for her father's crime," Roberto muttered to himself as Damian looked at him. Damian had told him on their way here how he ended up in jail, causing Roberto to develop a strong hatred toward the Kings—a hatred he surprisingly didn't seem to harbor.

"She's here," Damian's eyes lit up with happiness as Ravenna walked out of the house, looking as beautiful as ever. However, a shocking scene unfolded before his eyes—she was wrapped in the arms of another man.

"What the hell?" Roberto asked, staring at the duo.

"She—" As Roberto turned to talk to his boss, he realized Damian wasn't by his side. Instead, he found him heading toward the house, as the limousine was parked a substantial distance away from it.

"Ravenna!" Damian called out, ignoring the fact that she was with another man. Maybe they were just friends. He shouldn't jump to conclusions.

Ravenna turned to look at him, shock followed quickly by irritation crossing her face. She scrutinized him from head to toe without saying anything for a while, but Damian closed the distance between them, still ignoring the man beside her who was giving him an unfriendly look. "I'm out," Damian said with a smile.

"God, I missed you." He pulled her into his embrace, holding her as if his life depended on it.

"Let her go, you lowlife!" Carlos pushed his way in, coming between him and Ravenna.

"And who the hell are you?" Damian asked in shock, finally giving him his attention.

"Her fiancé," Carlos glared.

"What?" Damian asked, feeling that what the warden had told him might be true. He had thought the man was trying to play tricks on him, but it was actually true.

"Ravenna?" He walked past Carlos to face Ravenna, who just stared at him. "What is he saying?" Damian chuckled nervously. "Tell me it's not true. I am your husband, doesn't he know that?" Damian asked, his tone almost pleading.

"It's true," Ravenna drawled, moving to Carlos and placing her hands in his. "We're together. And I don't remember being with you," Ravenna said as Damian staggered back in shock.

"What?" His voice barely came out as a whisper. "Is this some kind of prank?"

"I'll call the police on you and throw you back into the bloody jail you came out of if you continue disturbing my woman! How the hell did you even get out of jail? You should have been dead!" Carlos seethed.

The words sank into Damian's head. These people had played him all this time. The warden... the beatings... Ravenna... It was all a lie.

"I was meant to take your father's blame, be jailed, and killed afterward so you could be with him?" Damian asked in a low, hurt voice, staring at Ravenna.

"It took you this long to realize," Ravenna eyed him.

"Don't play the victim card. You were a convenient scapegoat." Ravenna walked up to him and said in a condescending tone. "You should be grateful you're out. Scram, Damian!" She said, spat on his face, turned, tucked her arm into her new man's arm, and stepped into his car without a backward glance.

"A convenient scapegoat indeed," Carlos laughed out loud, entering the same car and driving off.

Damian stood there, as if dealt a blow but refusing to fall from the hit. It was as if his whole world had crashed in that instant. Ravenna had played him all along.

"Young master…" Roberto placed his hand on his shoulder as Damian turned slowly to look at him. He could see the look of pity on his face, as if he had witnessed the whole scenario and needed no explanation.

"How much power do the Santoros hold?" Damian could only ask.

"Much more powerful than the president. Why do you ask?"

"Because I want to use that power to make some people pay and wish they never played with me," Damian breathed.