Chapter 54: Rebuilding the walls.
Damien's POV
The flashlight hit me the moment I stepped out of the car.
I lifted my chin and slid on the iconic Maddox smirk, the one they've all seen too well.
The smirk does not only add this charming look but it also screams ‘I’m untouchable, I'm unbothered, I'm unbreakable.’
“Mr. Maddox!! Over here!”
Cameramen shouted and my investors waved at me, women with diamond smiles reached for my arm like I’m already theirs and the night air reeked of champagne and expensive perfumes.
Tonight is the night that every Maddox investor and partner will be meeting and that means….. Anneliese would be here, though I kept telling myself, I don't give a fuck about it, I don't care about her appearance but it all felt like a lie.
I really wished tonight wouldn't be possible but it's unavoidable, it's something that takes place every five years and there's no way I can cancel it because I'm trying to avoid someone.
It's not just a meeting, it's a celebration of our success and achievements over the years.
Inside, the ballroom is a pool of silk gowns, polished shoes, and mixtures of real and fake laughter.
There were hundreds of models there too as Maddox empire has its own agency and we also sponsor a lot of agencies as well.
A model from my agency leaned into me with her fingers trailing my chest like she’s memorizing it, our lips met and lipstick stained my jaw which she cleaned with her handkerchief.
The night was going so smoothly and I was enjoying every bit of it, I laughed when I’m supposed to and shook hands like my father taught me, I spent minutes signing deals worth millions like it’s pocket change.
We were currently having a meeting and I was talking about our major achievements with lots of cameras in my face then I heard it.
A laugh, it was soft, melodious and so familiar, the laughter made my chest tighten.
I turned and for a second, everything seemed to tilt.
I felt my heart sink as I saw the person that laughed, it's not who I expected but the stranger had her laugh and her eyes.
“Anneliese….” The name fell from my lips, faster than I could stop it and louder than I expected it to be.
What the fuck is wrong with you Damien?
I shook my head and turned back to the people waiting for my next words but they all knew what happened, they all heard it.
Flashlights started popping again, the model stiffened and investors glanced my way, whispering.
Two men nudged each other like they’ve just watched a ghost walk through me.
And soon, chatters and mini laughters filled the room.
I forced a smirk and lifted my drink, pretending that I haven't given them something to gossip about.
Damien Maddox just bled in public.
By the time I left, I can already hear the headlines forming:
“Haunted by Her.”
“Maddox CEO Still Obsessed with Ex-Wife.”
I wanted to grab those cameras and the microphones and slam them into the hypocrites’ faces.
I got into my car with my guards following me into it, the driver started the engine and began racing home.
I don’t even make it home before I see her…
Anneliese.
No, I didn't see her in person or beside the road but on my phone, I was trying to distract myself on Instagram when I came upon a video which was uploaded seconds ago…
She was standing on the red carpet, laughing and glowing like the sun, the cameras surrounded her and she was posing…I would have scrolled away but something stopped me.
I saw Romel.
Romel, my so-called friend!
He was standing beside her, they smiled at each other and he took a picture with her.
What the fuck?
I instantly felt like slamming my fist into that motherfucker's face, what did he think he was doing?
\---
Romel was waiting in the parking lot of his studio, the bastard was leaning against his car like he’s posing for a photo shoot.
“Damien,” he greeted, grinning like a goat.
“You think you’re clever?” I spat with my voice low and sharp. “You think you can play house with her? Parade her around like she’s yours?”
“What are you talking about…” he raised an eyebrow.
“Don't fucking play innocent, idiot. You waited for me to leave before you started flirting with Anneliese,” I said between gritted teeth.
“Oh… now I see but wait Damien… are you saying all this to me, your best friend because of a woman, not even an ordinary woman but the one you don't have anything to do with anymore?”
“The fact that I don't want her doesn't mean you can have her!” At this moment, the words were just coming without me thinking.
“And who established that fact? I am not even interested in her, I just decided to take a picture that's all. The fact that you don't fucking want her doesn't mean no one can stay around her, what the heck is wrong with you Damien, why behave like a fucked up teenager, if you know you still want her, reduce your stupid ego and fucking tell her.”
His words hit hard and I felt my ears turn hot, unable to think, I stepped closer and grabbed his collar. “I don't care whether she is my ex-wife or not but Romel, fucking stay away from her.”
He didn’t flinch, “And if I don’t?”
I wanted to hit him, I wanted to break his jaw and watch him bleed but I shoved him instead, he stumbled back, hitting his back against the wall and laughing like a psycho.
“Last warning,” I growled.
He wiped his shirt, still smiling. “You’re not angry at me, Damien. You’re just mad because she's not yours anymore, because she is free, you better admit your damn feelings and go back to mama.”
I left but the laughter and the words would never stop haunting me.
\---
Back in my penthouse, I became a shivering mess.
Not that I'm cold or I'm afraid but I was so angry.
I clenched my jaw as I ripped off my jacket and threw it across the room.
I grabbed a glass and smashed it against the wall, the sound almost made my ears bleed but I don't give a fuck, I grabbed a bottle and drank from it, walking straight on the broken tiny pieces of glass on the floor like a wild animal.
The city lights outside seemed to mock me, they were glittering like they knew I’d lost control.
What has gone wrong with me?
I don't like this!
This is weakness.
This is everything I swore I’d never be, tied to a woman who isn’t even mine, haunted by a marriage I never wanted.
I slammed my fist into the wall, and the pain was so real.
“Enough,” I snarled.
I poured another drink. My reflection stared back from the mirror which was spared from my little rampage… I hated who I saw… with those red broken eyes and clenched jaws, I hated him so much.
“I’ll never be this weak man again,” I whispered “No more weakness. No more Anneliese Rowan, Damien Maddox doesn’t bleed for anyone and this weakling has to just go away….. I'm independent and strong?” I yelled like a possessed man.
The words felt like armor to me.
I sat on the edge of the bed with a bottle in hand, staring at the skyline. My heart slowed down and my thoughts sharpened.
By the time the sun crept over the horizon, my mind was made up.
No more cracks, no more missing people.
If Anne, Romel, or anyone else tries to touch the mask again
I’ll bury them before I let them break me.
Calling Claudia's name over and over again, I felt the pain return, gnawing at me and ripping my chest and before I knew it, I had built up the walls again.