Chapter 80

Chapter 80
Chapter80

That morning, the sky was clear with no clouds.

A black car pulled up slowly in front of Alva's school gate. From inside, Sisca—Alva's nanny—got out first, making sure it was safe before opening the door for the little boy.

"Alva, come on, we're here," Sisca said with a smile.

Alva, who was still hugging his little doll, nodded slowly, then went down with cheerful steps.

As soon as his little feet touched the ground, several casually dressed bodyguards immediately moved around them. Not flashy, but tight enough to make anyone think twice about approaching.

Since the kidnapping case the other day, Elena didn't want to mess around with security anymore. Especially since Alva, her flesh and blood, was now her top priority.

Sisca straightened Alva's small bag. "Remember, don't leave the classroom until Auntie comes. If there's anything, go straight to the bodyguard uncle."

"Yes..." Alva said with a small nod, then ran towards his friends who were already playing in the school garden.

Sisca watched from afar, her eyes alert, occasionally communicating through the small walkie-talkie in her hand.

In the middle of the busy morning, a white sedan stopped across the street.

From inside, a man got out, wearing a light blue shirt and sunglasses.

He walked casually, but his eyes were keenly scanning the crowd of children.

Damian. He squinted as he found his target: Alva—a little brown-haired boy who was playing with a small ball with two of his friends.

"Target spotted," he muttered under his breath.

Damian caught his breath, corrected his expression to a friendly one, and walked slowly towards the park.

On the other side, one of the bodyguards looked suspicious, but since Damian was Alva's biological father, they didn't react immediately.

As he approached, Damian pretended to smile.

"Hi, Alva," Damian greeted as he crouched down.

Alva stopped his ball, glancing at Damian with an indifferent expression.

Alva had been taught not to talk much to strangers.

"I'm your father," Damian continued, trying to sound familiar. "Can Daddy look at your ball for a minute?"

Alva was silent. He looked at Damian for a long time before finally tossing the small ball at him without speaking.

Damian chuckled, catching the ball.

"Thank you," he said.

With a smooth motion, as he returned the ball, Damian touched Alva's hair.

A fine strand of hair caught on his finger—just what he needed.

"Play carefully, okay," Damian said as he stood up.

Alva just nodded lazily and went back to his friends, leaving Damian with a faint smile.

Inwardly, Damian was satisfied.

As he walked away, he put the strands of hair into a small plastic bag from his pocket, then hurried to his car.

Sisca could see Damian's figure from a distance. She frowned, feeling something strange.

"Who was that guy?" Sisca asked over the intercom to one of the bodyguards.

"Already checked, it doesn't look suspicious because that man is Young Master Alva's biological father. But we'll check again," replied the voice on the other side.

Sisca bit her lower lip; she had a bad feeling.

She decided to report to Elena as soon as Alva entered the classroom.

Meanwhile, from inside the car, Damian stared at the small plastic bag of Alva's hair with a faint smile.

"The game has just begun," he whispered softly, before starting the engine and driving away.

\---

Meanwhile, in another corner of the city, it was quiet in a five-star hotel.

Upstairs, Isabella sat on the edge of the bed, smoothing the thin dress she had just put back on.

Mr. Tom was still lying down, covered only by a thin cloth, a look of satisfaction on his face.

He looked at Isabella with a low chuckle.

"You always know how to satisfy a man, Miss Bella," he said, his voice hoarse.

Isabella smiled faintly, putting diamond earrings in her ears.

"I only do what is necessary, Mr. Tom," she replied lightly, as if what had just happened was just another transaction.

Mr. Tom growled in satisfaction, his hand reaching out, tugging on Isabella's wrist.

"If all women were as clever as you, this world would be more colorful."

Isabella approached, sitting back on the side of the bed.

"So," she said softly as she stroked Mr. Tom's chest with her fingertips, "what about our deal?"

Mr. Tom held back his hand, his eyes glaring.

"You know, Lancaster Group is in big trouble. I could inject some fresh funds, but..." He smiled mischievously. "I want more nights like this."

Isabella chuckled, her eyes playful.

"If that's the price I have to pay, why not?" she whispered in the man's ear, making Mr. Tom sigh.

Mr. Tom grasped Isabella's chin, forcing her to stare.

"I want a guarantee. If you break your promise, I revoke all funds. Is that clear?"

Isabella nodded slowly.

"I know the rules of the game, Mr. Tom. Trust me, I will not break my promise."

Tom chuckled. "Good. I like smart women like you."

Isabella smiled triumphantly. In her heart, she knew it was all about saving the Lancaster Group—and, of course, her own position.

Damian might think he was in control, but behind the scenes, Isabella was pulling the strings.

Mr. Tom turned around, looking at the clock on his nightstand.

"I have a meeting in half an hour," he muttered lazily.

Isabella stood up, grabbing her small clutch from the table.

"I'll excuse myself, sir. Later this afternoon I'll make sure the contract documents are sent to your office."

Tom got up, pulling Isabella in for a rough peck on the lips.

"And make sure you come back next week," he half-joked.

Isabella laughed indulgently, then turned to leave, hiding the look of disgust that briefly crossed her face.

As soon as the suite door closed behind her, Isabella took a deep breath.

Her cell phone vibrated. Damian's name appeared on the screen.

Lazily, she picked up.

"Yes?" her voice was flat.

"Everything done?" Damian's voice on the other end sounded strained.

"All according to plan," Isabella replied coldly. "Mr. Tom has agreed that the investment funds will be disbursed in two days."

Damian was silent for a few seconds before saying, "Good. I need those funds fast."

Isabella squinted, her tone turning sharp.

"Damian, remember, you must never divorce me."

Damian snorted. "Yes."

Isabella smiled with a grin. She would soon meet someone—of course, the person who had been secretly helping her destroy Elena.

"Elena, soon. I will be the queen. Soon, your business empire will be destroyed in my hands," Isabella said silently.

After hanging up the phone, Damian sighed heavily. His mind was in turmoil, but he quickly put the phone in his pocket and stepped on the gas pedal deeply.

His destination: his regular hospital, where all sensitive matters could be arranged without question.

Before long, Damian's car pulled into the basement parking lot of the luxurious hospital. He got out quickly, wearing a medical mask and a hat to disguise his face.

Damian headed straight for the fourth floor—the specialized laboratory section.

A doctor in a white coat was waiting for him in front of the VIP room.

"Good morning, Mr. Damian," the doctor greeted politely, bowing slightly. "We have everything ready."

"Good," Damian said shortly, handing over a small plastic bag containing Alva's hair.

The doctor accepted it carefully, then gestured for Damian to follow him into the room.

Inside, the room was sterile, full of sophisticated equipment. Damian sat in a chair while the doctor got to work, feeding samples into an analyzing machine.

"How long does it take?" asked Damian impatiently.

"Usually one week, Mr. Damian. But if you want express service, we can give you the results in twenty-four hours," the doctor replied in a careful voice.

Damian sighed. "I want the results tomorrow morning."

"Of course, sir. We will prioritize."

Having finished handing over Alva's hair, Damian got up to leave, but the doctor held him back.

"Sir, one more thing... We need a comparative DNA sample from you as well. For validation."

Damian gave a small snort. "Take it now."

Without wasting any time, the doctor called his assistant. A young nurse came in with a sampling device. Quickly, Damian was asked to open his mouth, and a cotton swab swabbed the inside of his cheek.

Everything was short and quiet.

"It's done, Mr. Damian. The results will be sent directly to your personal email. Is there any additional data security?" the doctor asked.

"Of course. Don't let anyone else know about this. If it leaks..." Damian stared, his voice threatening. "You know the risks."

The doctor looked down deeply. "We understand, sir. Full confidentiality guaranteed."

Damian reached into his pants pocket, pulled out a thick envelope filled with cash, and placed it on the table.

"Consider this as... additional motivation," he said coldly.

The doctor accepted the envelope without comment. This was not the first time he had dealt with a client like Damian.

"Thank you, Mr. Damian. We will work as quickly as possible."

Damian nodded once, then stepped out of the room, letting the door close slowly behind him.

Outside, he took a deep breath, rubbing his tense face.

"In twenty-four hours... I'll know the truth," he muttered softly.

\---

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Elena had just finished a meeting with her personal lawyer.

Her cell phone rang. Sisca was calling.

"Mrs. Elena, sorry to interrupt. There's something I think Mrs. Elena needs to know," Sisca's voice sounded anxious.

"What is it?" Elena was instantly alert.

"This morning at school, Mr. Damian showed up. He got close to Alva," Sisca reported quickly.

Elena immediately stood up from her chair, her face paled.

"What? Damian? What did he do?"

"It seemed like a quick chat... but I have a bad feeling. Like he took something from Alva," Sisca replied.

Elena held her breath, her mind spinning wildly.

"Continue to keep a close watch on the school. Don't give Damian a chance to get close again!" she ordered sternly.

"Yes, Mrs. Elena!"

After hanging u
p the phone, Elena clasped her hands together tightly. She knew Damian was not a man who just came to 'say hello.'

There was definitely something he was up to. And that made Elena's blood boil.

"What an asshole ex-husband."

Continued...