Chapter 84

Damien’s POV

The headlines were brutal, glaring back at me from every angle.

I had spent years building my empire, building it slwoly to where it is today and I did so under the radar.

People barely knew I existed, but now, here I was, a video of my own bedroom now on he news.

I wasn't going to blame Bianca, Elena or anybody. This was my fault.

I let things get out of my control, a mistake that I promised not to make again.

I leaned back in my chair, the leather creaking under my weight, eyes scanning the blurred images on my laptop.

This wasn’t just about Bianca anymore. It wasn’t even about me. It was about control and loyalty.

My phone buzzed, snapping me from the spiral. Martha. I didn’t even need to look at the screen.

I swiped answer, pulling the phone to my ear.

“Speak to me,” I said, my voice clipped.

“Sir,” she began hesitantly, “Bianca… she’s gone.”

I froze mid-motion, my hand hovering over the laptop.

“What do you mean, gone?” I asked, keeping my tone low but still controlled.

“She’s gone, sir. Her clothes were packed, and… she was just gone when I came by her room.”

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Yes sir. We've made a few calls to places she'd go, but no sign of her.”

Martha's voice came again.

I didn’t immediately respond, as the reasons she'd gone replayed in my mind.

The silence between our lines stretched long, until she cut in.

“Sir?” Martha’s voice was tentative. “Should we send a search party?”

I shook my head, though she couldn’t see it. “No. Leave her. She’ll be back eventually.”

“Are you sure, sir?” Martha asked, her tone tinged with uncertainty.

I let out a slow and measured exhale. “Yes. Not now, maybe not in a year, but she will”

I ended the call without waiting for her response, placing the phone gently on the desk.

I leaned back, my eyes closing briefly as I allowed myself to ease of the tension slowly bubbling up.

Thoughts of Bianca, Leo, and Elena raced through my mind in a chaotic current I could barely contain.

Bianca was gone… was it because of the way I snapped at her.

Was it the breaking of this news? Maybe she thought I had something to do with it…

Then there was a knock at the office door. My eyes snapped open.

“Come in,” I said.

Leo entered, closing the door behind him. His posture was stiff and cautious.

“You wanted to see me, sir?” he asked, his voice calm.

I gestured toward the chair opposite mine. “Sit.”

He hesitated for a moment, then did eventually.

I studied him carefully for a few second, letting the tense silence stretch.

His eyes avoided mine at first, flicking to my hands, the desk, anywhere but meeting my gaze.

That hesitation only confirmed some suspicions I had been reluctant to admit.

“Why do you hate her?” I asked cutting off the the silence.

“Sir, hate who?” Leo asked, genuinely confused.

“Leo,” I called his tone with a certain menace, my voice low. “Cut the bullshit. I know you and Elena are behind these rumors about Bianca.”

His eyes widened slightly, a micro-expression of surprise flashing across his face before he masked it. “Sir…” he started, but I raised a hand, silencing him.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. Don’t play coy. Don’t waste time.”

He swallowed hard, shifting in his seat. “I… I didn’t expect you to believe Bianca. I mean… I didn’t think you would.”

“I didn’t,” I admitted, voice tight with controlled fury. “Even when she showed me hard evidence, I wanted to doubt it. I didn’t want to believe it.

But now, after seeing the video, seeing the headlines, hearing everything… it’s clear. You were feeding information to Elena, you thought I wouldn’t notice.”

Leo exhaled sharply, leaning back, but his hands remained folded tightly in his lap. “I didn’t plan for it to escalate like this. It was supposed to be subtle, just enough to… make Bianca miserable, but Elena let it get to her head.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Make Bianca miserable? You mean ruin her. Betray me. Tell me you didn’t install cameras in my own house.

That you didn’t have direct access to my estate and the private quarters, knowing everything would play out perfectly.”

Leo’s shoulders tensed. “You knew I could have,” he admitted finally, his voice tight. “I just… I never thought you’d act on it. I never thought you’d realize how close I was. How much I saw. How much I knew.”

“And yet, here we are,” I said, voice sharp. “You underestimated me. You underestimated Bianca. You underestimated what I’m willing to do to protect what’s mine.”

“I… I didn’t want her to suffer,” he said quickly. “Not like this. I didn’t want her hurt. I just—”

“Enough,” I snapped, cutting him off mid-sentence. I leaned forward, my gaze locked on his. “I could have you arrested right now if I wanted. I could have ended this quietly and made sure you disappeared forever. But I won’t. Not yet.”

He blinked in surprise. “Sir?”

“Because,” I continued, voice cold but deliberate, “despite everything, despite the lies, despite the betrayal, I consider you… almost like a brother.

So I'll give you one last chance, Leo.”

He stiffened, unsure of what to say.

“You are going to disappear. Immediately. You’re going to tell Elena to leave town, to vanish, and you will do the same. Completely. If I see you here by the end of the week, I will personally ensure that you and your girlfriend end up behind bars.”

Leo swallowed hard, his jaw tightening, then he exhaled slowly.

“Understood,” he muttered, almost too quietly to be heard.

“Good,” I said, leaning back in my chair. My fingers tapped the desk lightly, deliberate, measured. I let the silence stretch for a moment, letting him digest fully what I just said.

Then, without another word, he rose and left the office. The door closed softly behind him.