[Cara]
A week has flown by, and I still don't have the energy to return to work, but I know I must. My employees depended on me for them to feed their families. So I couldn't let this grief consume me, or else many lives would suffer greatly. I couldn’t do that to my people.
Most of my free time—which wasn't much—was spent searching for any possible prospect whom my dad had been afflicted with. Nonetheless, all those searches were futile and leads me to naught.Fortunately, I have Nancy to get me through my grief. She had been extremely patient and helpful to me. She doesn’t annoy me every now and then like she always does. Instead, she keeps checking in on my office, and I appreciate all of her efforts.Meanwhile, it has also been a week since I heard anything from Damon. It feels like he just popped out of our lives after the incident and my dad’s burial. It’s not that I am expecting anything from him, but he could have called at least once to see how I was doing. Well, now that my dad’s dead, killed by some heartless monster. I’m quite sure he had moved on already and is now on a hunt for a new bachelorette he deemed fit to be his trophy wife. It annoys me honestly. My phantom on the other hand was consistent. He was always there for me, comforting me each night even without talking. I will just wake up in the middle of the night with his arms wrapped around me while he was stroking my hair back to sleep.In times like this, he somewhat provides me a kind of solace I didn’t know I needed coming from a stranger. Technically speaking, given the few intimate moments we shared, he isn't entirely a stranger, but without knowing anything personal about his identity, I can say he falls into that category.Letting out a long sigh and leaning further into the backrest of my swiveling chair, I throw my head back, rubbing my temple to lessen the pounding headache hammering into my skull. If only I were allowed to break down, I would have been already confined to a mental facility.The loud buzz jolted me out of my trance and directed my attention to the single system telephone line on top of my desk. It was directly connected to my secretary outside my office and was used for anything urgent or if anyone wanted to see me and informed me in advance.Detaching the handset from the base, I answered. “Yes, Melanie?”“Miss Davidsons, a call for you.”My eyes flitted to my planner bulletin, scanning the details to see if I had missed an appointment for today to have someone call me through our business line. However, my entire schedule was already filled and checked. Have I missed anything?“Could you please transfer it to my line?” I just said, darting a quick glance at my desk clock, checking the time while listening to the reconnecting beeping chime.“C&D Media Technology head office speaking—”“Cara, how are you?”My body went rigid for a moment. My monotone spill came to an abrupt halt.“Mr. Montreal?” I exclaimed in a daze. For a week without any communication, my utterance of disbelief is just fairly justified upon hearing the familiar voice on the other line. And, my impending headache gone worst while my heart reels inside my chest.Damn. I thought he doesn’t affect me this much anymore.“I’m glad you remember me.” A deep amused tone rolled through the phone’s receiver and even though I can’t see him, I could still picture the subtle lopsided smirk playing on his lips, leaving the rest of it to my imagination.Snapping out of my indecorous thoughts, I cleared my throat as it suddenly became dry as sand, ashamed for thinking as such.“Well, of course. How could I ever forget the time we first met?”That night would be forever fateful to me. Too many things happened all at once, and in a beat, I lost my father and I don’t think I will be able to be okay again. My chest tightens at the memory, dispersing any impropriety that may have lingered there. Emotions I didn't want to relive began to surface, grief amongst them all. Pain pierces my lower lips as I didn’t notice I was nibbling it hard and that I’d been blinking too many times to push the tears threatening to fall from my eyes. There was a short silence that stretches between the line and I thought he already had disconnected, but then I heard his sharp intake of breath before he speaks again. “I know, I’m sorry, I haven’t called to check on you immediately. I got busy a bit.”At the very least, he sounded concerned, which I appreciate, even if he was late to check on me.“You’re not obliged to, Mr. Montreal. In fact, I haven’t had the opportunity to express my gratitude for organizing my father’s service. Thank you, again.”Also for saving me and mom. I wanted to say that, but for some reason, I couldn’t bring the words out. I was too stupefied at everything to even register what was going on around me at that time, yet one thing I am sure of, Damon was the one that kept us from following my dad’s fate. Even though there’s a little part of me that wanted to be dead as well that night.“Please, I told you to call me Damon.” He reminded me, again.Blowing a deep breath, hoping it would blow all my feeling away, I went straight asking him the reason he reached me aside from asking how I am. “Why d’you call?”“I have some news for you and your mom. Let us meet later this evening.”My brows narrowed. “Can’t you just tell me right now? I’m not available tonight.” Well, I am, but I’m not in the mood to be out anywhere tonight.“Upon checking with your secretary, you have a clear schedule for tonight, Cara.” From deeply furrowed, my eyebrows traveled all the way up to the zenith. Really? I think I may have the need to debrief Melanie thoroughly again about confidentiality and not easily disclose any personal information to anyone.“Good for you to intrude on my privacy,” I sniggered, rolling my eyes even though I know he couldn’t see me and I was ready for another retort telling him not to bother me again, but what he blurted next hold my jaw unhinged.“It’s something about your dad’s inheritance he left for you.”“And why does it have to come from you?” I was uttered quizzically, lost as to why he was involved in my dad’s wealth.“Let’s meet tonight.” There was a crisp authority in his voice that immediately made me hold my tongue from any unnecessary retort if I know any better than to defy him.Fuck, he scared me for a bit on that.Begrudgingly, I have no choice but to concede. Only in one condition. “No fancy dining and restaurants please.”I need no explanation, and I’m glad he promptly understands. “No, it’s not safe. You’ll be picked up from there. Be ready in thirty.” He bossed out, making me roll my eyes again to the back of my skull.What. An. Ass. Drop. Dead. Gorgeous. Ass.“Fine. Bye.”[Cara]Without waiting for his response I dropped the call and slump back into my chair again. Suddenly felt drained just by talking to him.I thought he was the one who was going to pick me up, but instead, an armored black SUV was waiting on me on the ground floor of my building. Escorted by a plethora of men in black and another three SUVs tailing the one I was in with.I just shot Nancy a quick message about where I am going and she texted back, telling me to have fun. Like what fuck? What fun would that be?If not in bed… Oh, gross.…not.I’m totally mental.The trip went uneventful and excruciatingly long. I’m not even sure where this is going and these men sitting rigidly next to me felt more like robots than humans. It was already dark when we were on our way to Damon’s place.Fancy places and grandeur don’t appeal to me no more. However, my jaw locked in its place when my gaze fell into a glass monstrosity perched skywards on the hilltop. It is double the size of our mansion
[Cara]Nobody dared to stop me as I stormed out of this glass monstrosity. Or because Damon told them not to. Mom was shouting my name behind me, but I was too angry and hurt to even listen to her.How could they do this to me?Am I not to be trusted about such matters that they chose to tell Damon instead of me? Over their own daughter? Is that how keen and desperate they are to sell me? I know for the longest time they are trying to find me an eligible bachelor with tons of money to expand and strengthen our business domain, and also to ensure my future. But fuck! I never expected Dad to include my inheritance in this gamble, and for what? So that I would be forced to marry that fucking bastard. It was clearly stated in there that I could only access whatever was left in my name only by marriage to Damon-fucking-Montreal.Gosh! I felt so dumb and stupid.“Drive!” I hollered, directing to no one while marching briskly through the roundabout pavement where the SUV was still parked a
[Cara]I am not a crybaby. I am raised not to be one. A little spoiled, maybe, but never cry more than once about the same problem. I toughened up and faced it rather than breaking down every time it resurfaced in my mind. Nonetheless, the surge of emotions was just too much, too painful to be held close.Like a dam bursting into floods, my tears flowed into rivers soon as I throw myself inside my car.That insufferable bastard really had the audacity to follow me after delivering that horrendous news like it was nothing.Fuck him. Fuck them all!I breathed deeply, clutching the steering wheels until my knuckles turned white. I stared at the empty parking lot blankly.No, Cara.Pull yourself together.You’re one of the strongest person I know. Don’t let that hot-ass bastard ruin everything that’s left in your life.Certainly, dad had some explanation for this. Just have the courage to broaden your understanding, okay? Your mom is just as devastated as you were. Both of you were going
[3rd POV—Damon]It wasn’t supposed to happen, though he doesn’t regret a thing either. All of his defenses crumbled into dust when Cara kissed him. She opened up herself to him like a bottle of irresistible whiskey, pouring liquid of fire into his tongue.All he could think was to make her feel better, and now she was curled in his arms, sleeping tightly and soundly. The soft snore coming from her mouth was like a melody he couldn’t get enough of, and the way her lashes fluttered, touching her cheeks told him whatever dream she was having, it wasn’t a nightmare. Which is a good thing after everything she’s been through. He feels terrible for deceiving her, for having Cara think that he and her phantom are two different people, but he has to hide his identity until she’s ready to embrace his dark side.Damon slid off his mask, having no need for it, and stared at Cara’s sleeping countenance. He traces his thumb over the fine bridge of her nose, down to her pouty lips before a static r
[Cara]Four packets of condom sachets littered my room, which I had been staring at for quite some time, along with the mask and shirt he had left. For a moment, I thought he just forgot about them, or he could deliberately leave them on purpose to remind me that last night was real.Damn, does he always carry a bunch of them every night?Four rounds. I can’t believe we used all that.Heat crawled up into my face at the thought of it. No wonder I’m a bit sore down there, and my knees had gotten a little weak. His scent lingered around my room and on my skin. I remember everything and the incident I encountered with Damon and Liam. Those two pricks, I hope they bang their heads on against each other and damage their brain permanently. I was expecting another bludgeoning headache to come considering how much I had drunk last night. Strangely, I felt perfectly fine.Maybe the little exertion that happened last night with my phantom helped ease the alcohol out of my system.Now my nigh
[Cara]“Cara, the situation is getting direr. Mr. Torrel wished to meet with you to discuss his shares in the company. Some of our investors also tried to make an appointment regarding the same issue.”Nancy barged into my office while I was buried with other papers. Too much is happening right now for me to have a lackadaisical moment.“What the hell do they want?” I let out a groan, slammed the folder I was going through, and then shot a glare at my friend, who is, by the way, the head of the finance department.“Here, take a look at this.” She thrust a black envelope in front of me, and I stared at it full of suspicion as though, at any moment, a snake would jump out of it and bite me in the neck.The death threat I received last week wasn’t helping much with my imagination. It was stressing me out, and I know I shouldn’t take it lightly, knowing my dad had been assassinated right before me two weeks prior.Well, whatever this shit is. It’s not going to reveal itself just by starin
[Cara]I must be crazy...A fool.A dumb bitch no brighter than a dimwit. Damn! I hate myself.Fear crippled my entire body as I crept my gaze into the eerie surroundings I was in. Yes, I know. I wasn’t in the right mind when I followed the address written on the black card sent by my new anonymous stalker.How could I ever explain these things? Certainly, it was the same person that gave me a fucking death threat. It wasn’t the most brilliant move, and I realized I wasn’t as bright as I claimed to be.My sender knew precisely how to tweak my curiosity and used something like this to lure me out of my dugout.I wasn’t thinking straight. I didn’t even manage to tell Nancy where I was going. I just fling my dad’s phone back into my security vault in great abandoned. It was only halfway when I finally realized this dumb-shit I was doing and that I wasn’t in the right mind to pull my car in reverse.“Well, Melanie. You better start praying harder for me.” I breathed deeply, darting on t
[3rd POV—Damon]Something’s not right.Damon immediately sensed it to his bone the moment he took a step inside Cara’s bedroom. The first thing he noticed was that all the lights hadn’t been turned on. He knew it shouldn’t be a huge concern since he came around just a little past her bedtime. Only that, right now, she wasn’t tucked in her bed like where she was supposed to be, considering he came around during late hours. Or that she would already be waiting for him to come around. The air around her room was undisturbed and cold and seemingly felt desolate with the absence of her presence. Her scent was a little faint, as though she had not come home since leaving for work this morning.Damon searches further inside the vicinity. Investigating what might have transpired if she hasn’t indeed come home tonight.Her living room was as barren as the bedroom of her presence. The dishes she used this morning were still intact inside the washer, and the glass she used before leaving remai