Damien It was certain that Emilio was hiding something. He had sounded so sure of himself when we had our confrontation at the bar. He was really pissed that his daughter was married to me. I knew if there was a chance for him to invalidate out marriage, he would take it.The problem with Isabella's father was that I could not decide if he was friend or foe. He claimed to care about his daughter's safety but then he began to do the exact opposite thing that would actually protect her.I paid for my tab and called Natalia. It was time we had that talk. It was time we really needed to come to terms about what the hell was going between us. I was no longer going to tolerate her interference into my life and marriage.I had no intention of meeting her in a place like this so I decided that the most suitable place for our discussion was in a diner with good coffee."Let us meet at that fast food place, opposite the office," I told her."Give me thirty minutes," Natalia replied over the ph
Isabella 175.I needed a break from all of them. Emilio, Damien, Natalia and Camilla. I had watched Natalia storm into this place more times than I could count. I had almost feared for my life because I believed that she was going to get physical with me.Natalia was not the kind of person anyone could say no to and that was why she was finding it hard to let go of Damien. I had not actually met her in person but her family were famous in the city as business moguls and elite.However, delving deep into the family dynamics, they just all took advantage of Damien when he was living with them as a child. Natalia's parents were Marcus and Rose St. Dumas. What surprised me was that while living with the St. Dumas, Rose was steadily having an affair with Damien in when he was just barely seventeen and Marcus, the husband was aware of it.Ever since he married me, it had been one unwanted revelation after the other. I packed a little of my things and reluctantl
Damien 176.I sat there for a while after Natalia had unceremoniously left me at the diner. All eyes were on lonely me as I sat alone and drank my coffee. This was not how I had planned the whole thing. I sighed deeply and looked out of the window. I knew that she would be back.The women of St. Dumas were relentless in their pursuit of whatever they wanted and they only gave up if they were bored.My phone rang and a number that I thought I would never see again showed up on the screen. It was a call from my Commanding officer back in the army. He just recently retired and was now working as a criminal analyst and profiler.He had been the head of the precinct at the City police station but he had been transferred because he was asking the right questions from the wrong people. He had been helping me investigate the killings at Renaissance.While I had left the army, he had chosed to retire than resign and he was not even that old yet."I did not think I was g
Isabella 177As I sat across from Ava, the weight of our shared experiences hung heavy in the air. I watched as the early afternoon sunlight danced through the leaves, casting dappled shadows across the porch. Ava's eyes held a sadness that mirrored my own, a silent testament to the burdens we both carried."Tell me about those early days, Ava," I urged gently, breaking the somber silence that had settled between us.Ava sighed, her gaze drifting into the distance as memories from the past flooded her mind. "Those were dark times, Isabella," she began, her voice tinged with regret. "After Vito was arrested by the army, I was left alone to fend for myself and Damien.""Rose was the only one who stood by me back then," Ava relayed to me. "But she took advantage of my helplessness," She added bitterly.I knew what she was talking about. Rose had an affair with a young Damien and it ruined the relationship between Ava and the whole of St. Dumas."I knew about
Damien 178.I walked back to my car and thought of my options of where to go. Going after Emilio was out of the question as I could not promise myself that I was not going to kick his ass. I was still keeping Jackson on standby and also telling him to lay low.This was due to the fact that Jackson was a former employee of Renaissance and I was damn sure that he was already on the company hit list. I was certain that Isabella would give me more drama and demands for answers.Answers that I was not willing to share with anyone, not even with her. There were dangerous informations stored in my head and letting her have just as little as a glimpse into them could spell danger for her. I decided to head for the office. It was the only place that I had ironically did the best of my thinking.I drove with haste to the office and gave out a few curt nods to my employees. I dreadfully realized that they could all be potentially killed just for choosing to work here.Camilla Valdez was sitting
**Damien 179.There were no words. I could not even describe the carnage and agony the place oozed. People in straitjackets, naked from the waist down, all behaving in a grotesque and disgusting, animalistic nature. I watched in awe as and pity as a woman threw up and shat herself at the same time.There were very plenty. This was the company that I was in charge of taking to a greater height. A company built on pain and misery. I saw big muscular orderlies in white scrub push patients strapped down to the bed. The patients would thrash widely and strain at their bonds while yelling at the top of the their lungs."Those are failed experiments," Camilla said in a bland tone."They are people, Camilla," I told her pointedly."They are useless," Camilla replied with an arrogant shrug. "And before you keep on going about morals and ethics, they were aware of the dangers before they signed the contract," She coldly added."It does not make this right," I insisted."If you are like this bec
**Damien 180.I decided to head home since I was not winning this battle of mine. Camilla had the upper hand and also a highly connected backing. This meant that I had to thread carefully. Despite the fact that I was the CEO, I was surrounded by enemies who had their own selfish genders.I was still in my office when I recalled a mysterious email on my computer. It had been from Michael Stryker, my old buddy from the army, he had once been the head of the police precinct before he was unlawfully transferred. I had no idea what he was up to but I knew that he was a valuable ally.I was not going to lie to myself. What Camilla had showed me had rattled me to the core of my entire being and I currently did not have a plan on what to do.I put a call through, Emilio and waited for him to pick up."And just how did you get this number, Moretti," Emilio said as she answered the call."You have your ways and I have mine, Emilio," I said to him on the phone."What can I do for you, Damien?" E
Isabella 181It was blissful at Ava's as the day went by. Damien still had no idea that I was absent from the house. I entered into the house with Ava as a pleasant tour guide. It was fascinating seeing all the abstract art she hung around the house. It was enlightening.She showed me the family portrait which was very old and I could make out just how young Damien had been when he just a little boy."Here, he was just four," Ava said proudly."He looks so serious," I noticed as I told Ava."Yes, he had always been rather solemn for his age," Ava replied fondly.I followed her to the huge library she had installed in the house. I gasped at the collections of rare books she had in her possession."Some where stolen from museums," Ava whispered proudly. It was as if she was a child again.I looked at her, appalled."What? They were just collecting dust from where they were kept, here, I get to show it off," She replied.My eyes caught a glimpse of something