We’re going to bring your friend back, the words hung heavily in the room, cold and correct.
Amelia looked at Damien and said nothing, rain battering the windows behind them, tonight, for the first time, She felt as if someone was standing next to her, not because they were forced to and not for business reasons but because he wanted to.
The thought frightened her, Damien released her wrist slowly, his hand was warm on her skin longer than it had any right to be.
Amelia looked down for a second, trying to calm her breathing.
“How?” she whispered.
Damien walked up to the table, picking his phone back up calmly.
“We begin by making your father uncomfortable.
Amelia frowned a little.
“He kidnapped my best friend.
I don’t think it matters anymore that you’re uncomfortable.
It matters to men who are obsessed with control, Damien dialled another number.
His stare got icier by the minute.
‘Luca, Silence.
“I want to close down all the news media by seven in the morning.”
Amelia blinked.
“What’re you doing? Damien paused, in defiance of the question. Nothing from Laurent Group gets published without my approval.” His eyes darkened slightly.
“And get me all the security cameras around Sophia Bennett’s apartment.
He finished the call smoothly, Amelia looked at him.
“You can really do that?
“Yes.” The calm answer was somehow even more dangerous.
Amelia crossed her arms tightly over her chest.
“You are declaring a public war.”
Damien looked at her.
“Your father has already started one, there was a soft crackle of fire between them.
Then Amelia was tired all of a sudden.
Every emotion tonight seemed too big for one person to hold fear, rage and regret.
And now Sophia’s safety on his shoulders, she slid herself onto the couch, Damien saw it right away.
“You have to rest.” Amelia laughed weakly.
“How do you expect me to sleep at a time like this?
Chances are you won’t.
It was so honest it made her almost smile.
Close.
Damien loosened his tie a little, then sat down opposite her again, suddenly the room was quieter.
More human, for a second the chaos outside the mansion was far away.
Amelia looked at him closely.
“You plan everything this fast, really?
Damien leaned back a little.
“Hesitation gives people time to destroy you.
I’ve learned that a long time ago.
The sentence sounded personal again, Damien was covered in scars that were hidden.
Buried carefully.
Amelia’s voice dropped to a whisper.
“What happened to you?”
He raised his eyes slowly to hers dangerous question, she saw it immediately.
But this time he didn’t quite escape it.
“My father considered weakness a disgrace to the family.
Amelia’s chest constricted a bit.
It was the resemblance that hurt, Damien glanced over at the fire for a second, “When I was nineteen, I messed up one of Vale Corporation’s international deals.
He kept a calm expression.
Too quiet.
“He locked me out of the company for nearly a year.
Amelia frowned.
“You were nineteen.” “Yes.
And he punished you for a mistake?
Damien gave a smile, not humorous.
“In families like ours, mistakes are entertainment.” Pain crept in quietly under his voice.
Pain controlled and old ache.
Amelia looked at him, silent and suddenly she knew something terrible.
Damien had not helped her out of pity.
He helped her because he saw the same damage, the same solitude.
The same desire for approval never came.
Amelia whispered.
“So you don’t like my dad.” Damien turned back to her.
No, His voice dropped slightly.
“I hate your father because he taught your family how to emotionally destroy people and call it love.
The room was silent.
Amelia felt the words in her stomach.
Because they were real painfully true, before she could reply Damien’s phone buzzed again. Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping.com.
He looked at the screen, then his face hardened in an instant.
‘What did they do to you?’ “Amelia asked, hurriedly.
Damien took the call calmly.
“Yeah.
Nothing.
Amelia kept her eyes on him.
Then his eyes were suddenly black.
“Send it to me now.
He cut the line.
“What’s up?”
Damien raised the phone, in silence.
The screen was already filled with a news article.
Amelia’s stomach immediately fell.
A ballroom picture ran across the whole front page, She kisses Damien.
Below, the headlines screamed.
AMELIA LAURENT RUNS OFF WITH FAMILY FOE
SECRET AFFAIR REVEALED LAURENT HEIRESS WEDS DAMIEN VALE OVERNIGHT
Amelia felt her chest muscles painfully tighten.
Then worse things came into her eyes.
Richard Laurent released a public statement.
My daughter is emotionally vulnerable and now being manipulated in a tough mental phase.
Amelia paused.
No.
Her father had really made it.
He branded her publicly as unstable.
She continued to read, and her hands shook violently.
The Laurent family asks for privacy in respecting Amelia’s condition as we work to bring her home safely.
Amelia laughed, The sound was crackling painfully.
“He’s making me sound crazy.
Damien watched her closely.
“They’re trying to make you sound unreliable.
Amelia looked up quickly.
“What’s the difference?”
“In business?” Damien’s face went white.
“Nothing whatever.”
The humiliation stung worse now.
Publicly smashed.
Subject to mood swings.
A woman manipulated.
Her father was systematically demolishing her credibility.
Amelia got up quickly and walked over to the window.
The city lights were blurred by rain, without thinking she clutched Damien’s coat more tightly about herself.
“He’s gonna fuck up everything I built.” She turned slowly and saw Damien standing behind her.
He’s going to try.” Suddenly Amelia looked at him.
“You don’t understand.
Her voice rose a notch.
“I spent years earning my place at Laurent Group.” Tears came into her eyes again.
“You have no idea what it’s like being a woman in those boardrooms.
Damien said nothing back.
Listening.
“They doubted me before.” She started to gasp for breath.
“Now my own father has publicly branded me as unstable.
A deep line of pain was etched in her face.
“They’ll never believe in me again.”
Damien stepped in slowly.
“Look at me.” Amelia shook her head.
“No.
Amelia.
Her name coming from his voice Low, Firm and Steady
Made her at last look at him.
“You are not weak because some one lied about you.
Her lips quivered a little.
“You don’t know what folks are saying.
“I don’t care what people are saying.
It was answered immediately.
Without question.
“Soon enough the important people will know the truth.” Amelia laughed bitterly.
“And if they don’t?”
Damien moved closer again.Close enough for tension to mount sharply between the two.
“Then we make them, his voice was so sure, so positive, that it shook some part of her.
Because Damien sounded like a man who really believed he could burn the whole city down if he had to.
And maybe he might, Amelia was the first to look away again.
Being this close all of a sudden felt dangerous, but for a whole other set of reasons.
Then in a low voice “Why are you doing all this for me?” Damien said nothing.
Between them the firelight danced.
The rain outside abated a little.
And for a small second, the world seemed to have stopped around them.
Then Damien answered, softly, “because no one was there for me, when I needed it.
It was a soft confession, ut in depth.
Again Amelia’s chest tightened painfully, before she could reply, a second telephone started ringing.
This time it was his own line.
Damien’s line.
The moment he looked at the screen his face changed.
“What’s happened?” “Amelia asked softly.
Damien answered quietly.
“Yes.” Then “Play it.”
Amelia frowned a little.
Damien put the call on speaker, there was a moment of static in the room.
And then Sophia’s sobbing voice was soft through the phone.
All the color drained from Amelia’s face at once.
“Sophia?!”
More static crackling, and then another voice came, cold Man.Unknown.
“Miss Laurent.
Amelia’s body went rigid.
“Who are you?”
Somewhere in the background Sophia was crying harder.
Please… please don’t hurt me, Amelia’s heart nearly stopped.
“Let her go!”
The man did not hear her.
“Your father wants your cooperation.
His voice was level.
But Mr. Laurent was starting to get impatient.
Amelia caught her breath again.
“Get Sophia on the phone.
There was a sudden rasping over the speaker, like a strong blow to a table.
Sophia gasped in fear.
“Please!”
Amelia stepped forward desperately.
“Stop it!”
The man finally spoke again.
“Come home willingly by noon tomorrow.”
Silence.
Then “Or your friend pays for your choices.” The call was finished, once again the room was dead silent.
Amelia was frozen and fozen solid, then suddenly “No.”Her voice broke sharply.
“No!”
She grabbed Damien’s arm, desperate.
“We’ve got to find her now.
Damien’s face had gone frighteningly cold.
His jaw was locked so tightly it ached.
“They touched her.
The softness was gone now, Totally gone.
Under the calm only rage remained.
Amelia could barely breathe.
“She sounded so scared,” Her whole body shuddered again.
Damien snatched his keys off the table immediately.
Amelia blinked.
“What’re you doing?”
He looked her right in the eye.
“We’re finishing this tonight.
The dangerous calm in his voice sent a shiver through her straight away.
He headed for the entrance and Amelia hurried after him.
“Wait, where are we going?” Damien unlocked the front door.The cold night air rushed in with the opening.
“To remind your father,” he said quietly, “what happens when someone touches my wife.”