The Untouchable Damien Royce

Chapter 9

Beginning of The Harvest

The morning sun didn't bring any light into Nicholas Pierce’s world, it seemed to taunt him, shining brightly on the failure his life had turned to overnight. By 8:00am, the Pierce Group’s stock had plummeted to another fifteen percent.

The media was also having a field day, as they played clips of Nicholas’ meltdown at the gala on a log, daring to tag him as the ‘Crumbling Prince’. The comments were rolling in and bashing. Unable to take any more, an unkempt Nicholas had turned off all forms of the media world. Just the other day, he was basking in the praise for how he handled Damien; now, the same people had turned on him, calling him all sorts of unprintable names.

Inside his Safe House, Damien sat behind three glowing monitors, his face reflected in them. Damien leaned back while his fingers danced across the keys synchronously. Daniel was beside him, barking orders into the headset he had on. Turning slightly with a grin, he glanced at Damien, his eyes dancing.

“The contracts in Chicago? Ours!"

Daniel announced with a grin, giving Damien a thumbs-up. "The warehouse district in OakHaven just closed the deal. Nicholas has no idea his very own board members are selling him out for SRai credits. Like a hot potato” Grinning slyly as he hid his smirk, he leaned in, as though he had secret information to share.

“They're jumping ships like rat Damien"

Damien’s expression was a far cry from his best friend's, leaning back on his seat, with his arms currently crossed, his eyes cold and focused. "He's desperate. A desperate man makes noise. A powerful man makes moves.” Glancing at Daniel, he tsked and smirked, a knowing smile crossing his face. "He's been calling everyone, hasn't he?"

Daniel laughed loudly

“Ooh, he's going crazy!” tossing a tablet onto the desk. “He's been calling nonstop, calling the police, the FBI, even his private security, shrieking that he's been robbed. Someone is slowly stealing his money. He's yet to realize that the person behind it all is the same man he called a dog at that blasted party."

With a set jaw, Damien stood, grabbing a thick envelope. “It's time to shake things up a bit. It's a game of chess, let's make him more restless.” Damien his voice steady, a little low-pitched as he spoke with an alert gaze “I want to see the look on Nicholas Pierce's face when he realizes he's become homeless in the city he claims to own”

Maintaining strong eye contact, Daniel gave him a curt nod. With those last words, Damien made his way out of the Safehouse, getting into one of the three cars that awaited him outside.

*****

An hour later, the cars pulled up to Valeria’s neighborhood, stopping at the Sterlings' Villa. This time, Damien didn't use the back entrance like a servant. With wide steps, he walked straight to the front steps, four massive guards in black suits tailing him.

Without bothering to knock, and with a gleam in his eyes, Damien pushed the double doors open to announce his presence, strolling in like he owned the place.

“What the hell are you doing back here?!"

Standing in the hallway was Nicholas, his shirt untucked, his hair a mess. Looking totally unkempt. Despite it being early, a glass of whiskey was nestled in his palms. Beside him, Chloe stood, her eyes red and swollen from continuous crying. Hearing the commotion, Eleanor came running.

"Security! Get this trash out of here!” Nicholas screamed through a clenched jaw, his voice cracking as he stared daggers at Damien. “I'll have you arrested for trespassing you bastard! You suddenly think you, a monkey in a suit, make you worthwhile?! You're nothing but a bloody convict! A criminal!”

Throwing a reddening glance at his security, who paled in comparison to the men standing guard behind Damien, Nicholas pointed his finger at them as he shrilled.

"What the hell do I pay you for, if you can't do your jobs?! Get this trash and his minions out of here this instant!”

At Nicholas' command, two of his house guards stepped forward, but Damien didn't pay them any heed. He remained unflinching. In that instant, Damien's men stepped up, causing the latter two to stop dead in their tracks; the men before them were almost double their size, and looked terrifying, and that was saying something, as they both also had their fair share of terrifying looks. Glancing at their weapons, Nicholas' men could tell it was a state-of-the-art kind, the very ones that could do lethal damage.

Both men swallowed hard, these men weren't to be toyed with, they looked too terrifying to be mere house guards. And so without saying a word, they stepped back.

Damien smirked, an unkind smile slowly spreading across his face.

“This house no longer belongs to the Sterlings' family" He announced matter-of-factly. His voice was calm, and carried no embellishments, with the stillness in the air, his words carried through. "And it also definitely doesn't belong to any Pierce”

In that moment, all hell let loose in Chloe's world.

“You're delusional! You bloody fool!" She shrilled, while stepping forward, and at the same time baring her teeth at him.

"This is my family home you bastard! My father built this!” Eyeing warily “Who do you think you are, coming in here after three years of being a total nobody? A classless fool? You think you can just waltz in here and just take it?"

Tipping his head back, Damien let out an unpleasant chuckle. Staring coldly at Chloe, he reached into an envelope and pulled out a stack of legal documents, tossing them onto the table, in the center of the foyer. Damien couldn't help but remember how not so long ago, Chloe had also thrown their divorce announcement in the same manner, smirking, he pushed the thoughts away. This was a little comeuppance.

"The title deed” Damien said coldly. “The Bank called in the debt this morning. SRI purchased the mortgage, the land, and every piece of furniture in this building and outside.”

Deliberately raising his eyebrows, Damien crossed his arms and continued.

“I am here as the Chief Representative of the Shadow CEO to conduct a final inspection."

Before he could finish his words, Nicholas hurriedly grabbed the papers, his hands trembling so much he nearly dropped the stack. As he flipped through the pages, his face began turning a sickly, pale grey. He glanced warily at Damien, then at the papers.

"...Thi- this… is impossible. How? How did you get in with SRI?” Nicholas pursed his lips, while shaking his head in utter disbelief. “They don't hire trash like you!" He nearly roared.

Damien merely smirked, a cold, dark predatory look coloring his face.

"The Shadow CEO likes people who know how to survive, people who are dogged. He has made me his right hand because I'm the only one who knows about the things you do, Nicholas." Still smiling coldly, his eyes swept around the room, before landing on Nicholas.

“I suggest you start packing before I have my men toss you into the gutters. I'll give you a little grace of packing up your miserly clothing, and nothing more.”

"I'll kill you!”

Nicholas roared with spittle flying, lunging at Damien, his fist swinging wildly.

Unflinching, Damien stood erect as he caught George's fist mid-air; the same fist he had crushed in the shower. Ruthlessly, he squeezed, and the sound of Nicholas’s unmistakable whimper filled the room. Leaning in close, his breath cold against Nicholas' ear.

"You're a small man Nicholas. A small fry.” Damien whispered icily. “You have nothing to hold on to,I suggest you start begging for new partners before your end comes.” Gazing intensely at Nicholas, his stare unblinking, he continued “If you touch me again, you will not leave this house on your own two feet. Do you understand?"