Betrothed to a CEO, inlove with a MAFIA

EPISODE 8

DAMIAN’s POV

"What the f* ck are you doing out here?" I barked angrily at Claire, who stood there with her mouth agape, staring at me in shock.

"Don't you dare shout at me, Damian. Who did you kill, and for what reason? Aren't you worried the authorities will discover your actions and come after you?" She screamed back, her voice trembling with concern and fear evident in her eyes. If only she knew who I really was and the powers I possessed, she wouldn't be panicking.

"Shut up and go back to your room, now!" I commanded.

"I'm not going back into that room. I'm not a slave, and I won't allow you treat me like one," she said firmly, still standing her ground and staring me straight in the eyes. Dylan stood there, dumbfounded by the escalating situation.

I could feel my anger boiling over, an overwhelming desire to strangle her to death, but I restrained myself. Instead, I walked towards her and forcefully grabbed her hand, dragging her roughly from the balcony to the living room.

"Let me go, Damian! You're hurting me!" She cried, struggling to free her hand from my grip. I didn't release her until we reached her room upstairs.

Due to the seething rage inside me, I turned to leave her room immediately, fearing what I might do. But as I turned, a strong grip seized my arm.

"Damian, I know I've betrayed your trust and hurt you deeply, but please, don't kill me too. I beg of you. If anything happens to me, it will devastate my parents. Please, let me go, Damian. I promise I won't say anything to anyone, not even the authorities. Please!" She begged, tears streaming down her face as she clung tightly to my hand.

"Let go of my hand this instant!" I commanded in a warning tone through clenched teeth, still facing away from her. But she clung even tighter to my arm, tears flowing.

With all the anger and irritation coursing through me, I turned towards her in a flash, smacking her hard across the face. She fell to the bed, sobbing loudly.

"Don't you ever dare challenge or disobey me again. I own you, and I'll decide what to do with you," I said angrily.

"From this day forward, you will not leave this room unless I say so. I'll determine when you come out and where you go. Do you understand me?" I asked, asserting my authority. All I received in response were heart-wrenching sobs, which, oddly, sounded like music to my ears.

I walked out of the room without sparing her another look, locking the door with the key and tucking it into my pocket.

I walk back into the living room to find a furious Dylan pacing around, a nearly empty cup of wine in his hand which he promptly gulps down upon seeing me. I settle onto one of the sofas in the sitting room, completely ignoring Dylan as if he weren't even there.

"Bro, what the hell? Are you just going to pretend like that didn't just happen?" he inquires, clearly agitated.

"What?" I ask, staring at him calmly.

"The whole Claire drama, of course. What the f*ck is she doing here anyway?" he asks as he takes a seat himself.

"She's my woman, Dylan. Where else do you want her to be if not beside me?" I reply casually, shrugging my shoulders.

"It doesn't seem that way to me anymore, Damian. Didn't she disappear after ending things with you abruptly? Even though you don't show your emotions most of the time, I know that particular event broke you. The Damian I know doesn't just forgive people or let them back into his life so easily," he says, staring at me intensely.

"Guess I'm a changed man now," I reply with a stiff smile on my lips.

"But..." he starts to say, but I cut him short.

"You should leave now, Dylan," I say casually as I stand up and walk upstairs to my room.

"Don't you hurt her, Damian!" He screams right after me in a pleading manner.

DERRICK’s POV

"Yes, Mr. Simon, I'll have my secretary forward all the files to you before the end of the day. Do have a lovely day," I say, ending the phone conversation with one of our prospective investors with a sigh. I adjust my tie as I continue typing away on my laptop. A quick glance at the pile of documents still left unattended on my table gives me a headache. I haven't been in the office for a few days now due to Claire's disappearance, so there's a lot of work to be done.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes, attempting to relax my brain, but the noise coming from my front door forces them open. "Ma'am, you can't go in without an appointment!" I hear my secretary screaming at someone. Suddenly, my door is pushed open, revealing the last person I expect to see here: Charlotte, Claire's best friend, with my secretary standing and fuming beside her.

"I'm so sorry, sir," my secretary starts to explain, but I cut her off.

"It's fine, you can leave us now," I reply casually, nodding toward the door.

"Sit down, please," I say to Charlotte as my secretary makes her way out through the door.

"I'm not here to sit or have any chit-chats with you. I'm here to inquire about my friend's whereabouts. It's been days, and no one is saying anything. Her parents wouldn't tell me anything either. What is going on, Derrick?" she asks, staring at me fiercely.

"I'm sorry, but I have no information for you either," I reply with a sigh.

"What do you mean? Aren't you her fiancé? Aren't you supposed to be on your toes searching for her? Wait, wait a minute, don't tell me you're happy she's gone," she says, shock and realization in her eyes.

"Why would you even say something like that? You know how much I love and adore Claire. Why would I possibly want her gone?" I ask with an irritated look.

"Well, for starters, maybe you would want that so you can continue sleeping with your best friend and eventually marry her. I'm sure you both just want Claire out of your way and live!" she screams bitterly, almost close to tears.

"She... she told you?" Shock is evident in my voice.

"Oh, you're shocked someone else knows your dirty secret?" she asks with a sarcastic chuckle.

"It's not what you think, Charlotte. Yes, Claire caught Natalie and me in bed, but it was just that once. It was a mistake I wish never happened, and I seriously wish I could go back and rewrite the events of that day. It wasn't my intention to hurt Claire, and it will never be," I try to explain to her.

"Where is she, then? You can't tell me Claire just disappeared into thin air without any traces. There's certainly something someone isn't telling me," she says with a plain expression as she takes her seat on the chair directly facing me.

"Well, at this point, I feel like you're the one withholding information from me. You were Claire's maid of honor on that day, so certainly you saw the man who adopted her. We might not be close, Charlotte, but I know how much you love Claire. I had expected you to confront me sooner than this and even involve the authorities yourself, but you didn't. My gut tells me you know something. Do you know that man and his relationship to Claire?" I ask, my hands on the table, and my face brought forward as I stare at her intensely.

"I... What... I do not know what you're talking about, and how would I or Claire know or have a relationship with the man who adopted her?" she stutters, her eyes everywhere else but on me.

I stand up from my chair and walk towards her, squatting in front of her in a pleading manner as I stare deep into her eyes. "Please, Charlotte, I know you owe your loyalty to Claire and Claire alone, but think about the danger she might be in. If you know anything that can help us find her or at least get a heads up on what's happening, please tell me," I say calmly, concern and worry evident in my eyes as I stare straight into hers.

I get no response; all she does is stare into space like someone deep in thought, conflicted and confused about what decision to make. I can also see the fear and concern on her face. I decided to use it to my advantage, but before I could, she suddenly stood up from the chair, almost causing me to fall.

“Charlotte please”, I said with pleading eyes as we stood some inches away from each other.

"Okay, fine. 'He is Claire’s...,' she starts to say but stops abruptly when someone suddenly barges into my office, causing us to stare at each other in shock."