Damien stormed out of the boardroom, his tall frame tense with barely contained rage.
The echo of gasps and murmurs followed him like a shadow, but he didn't care.
The sound of his expensive leather shoes clicking against the polished marble floor reverberated in the corridor, but all he could hear was the blood pounding in his ears.
His entire body pulsed with fury, a storm raging beneath the surface of his carefully cultivated calm exterior.
Vivian, fuming with unrestrained fury, stood up sharply and followed him, her high heels clicking loudly as she stormed after him.
Her pulse raced, her heart pounding as she caught up with him outside his office. She wasn't going to let him walk away so easily, not after everything he'd done.
"Divorcing me?" she scoffed bitterly as she slammed the door behind her, her voice filled with venom.
"You're divorcing me after everything? After killing our child, after cheating on me?" Her voice broke, but she quickly composed herself, her eyes filled with cold fury. "And now you think you can just divorce me?"
Damien stopped in his tracks, his entire body going still at the mention of their son.
His fists clenched at his sides as he turned slowly to face her. His face darkened, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Don't you dare mention him," he growled, his voice low and menacing, each word dripping with restrained fury.
Before she could say anything else, his hand shot out, grabbing her by the throat.
Vivian gasped, her eyes widening in shock as Damien's grip tightened.
He pulled her closer, his face inches from hers, his breath hot and filled with rage. "You have no right to talk about him!" he yelled, his voice thunderous as it echoed off the walls. "No right!" His hand trembled, veins bulging in his arm as his fury boiled over.
Then, just as quickly as he had grabbed her, Damien let go, shoving her back with enough force to make her stumble.
Vivian staggered, her hands flying to her throat as she gasped for air, trying to steady herself.
For a long moment, the room was filled with the sound of her labored breathing, the tension so thick it was suffocating.
Finally, Vivian straightened herself, glaring at Damien with cold, hateful eyes.
"Fine," she spat, her voice hoarse but filled with venom. "Let's divorce. But don't you dare regret it." She gave him one last, scathing look before turning on her heel and storming out of his office, her anger radiating from her in waves.
As soon as she was out of sight, Vivian pulled out her phone with shaking hands, her fingers trembling not from fear but from barely suppressed rage.
She pressed a contact and held the phone to her ear, waiting for the line to connect.
"Two days," she said curtly when the person on the other side picked up. "I want you to find the woman in the photo. No excuses."
"Yes, Ma'am," came the immediate response.
Vivian ended the call and let out a slow breath, her mind spinning with schemes and plans.
If Damien thought he could walk away unscathed, he was sorely mistaken. She would make sure of it.
Meanwhile, at Elena's Condo.
Elena sat back on her sofa, her legs tucked under her as she scrolled through the latest headlines on her phone.
A small, satisfied smile crept across her lips as she read the statement issued by Lawson Enterprises. She read it aloud, relishing each word.
"Hello, this is Lawson Enterprises. Mr. Damien Lawson remorsefully acknowledges that he indeed had an affair outside of his marriage.
And because of that, we hereby announce that he and his wife will be divorcing. We ask the public for forgiveness and for your support during these trying times."
The smile on Elena's face widened into a full grin, and then, unable to contain herself any longer, she burst into laughter.
The sound echoed through her small condo, bright and victorious.
Everything was going according to plan, and it was unfolding faster than she could have ever dreamed.
Damien was falling right into her trap, just as she had planned.
Her laughter was interrupted by the buzzing of her phone. Elena's smile faltered when she saw the name flash on the screen: Alex.
She sighed, her amusement quickly evaporating. She knew exactly what this call was about.
"Elena, stop," Alex's voice came through the moment she answered, filled with urgency. "His wife isn't going to sit still. You know that, right? She's going to come for you."
"So what?" Elena replied, her tone nonchalant as she stood up, walking over to the large window that overlooked the city below.
"So what?" Alex echoed, incredulous. "Elena, you're playing with fire! This woman won't just sit back and let you destroy her life. She's dangerous, and you know it."
"I don't care," Elena snapped, her irritation growing.
She was tired of Alex's warnings, tired of him always trying to steer her away from her plans.
She was too far in to back out now.
"Elena, please." There was desperation in Alex's voice now, his words softer, almost pleading. "I'm begging you to stop before it's too late."
"I can't do that." Elena's voice was cold and final.
She ended the call before Alex could say anything more, tossing the phone onto the sofa.
Her mood soured as she stood there, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Alex always had a way of making her doubt herself, but she wasn't going to let him derail her plans. Not now.
Just as she was about to sit back down, her phone buzzed again. Irritated, she snatched it up, ready to ignore Alex's call, but when she looked at the screen, she froze.
It wasn't Alex calling this time. It was Damien.
Her irritation disappeared instantly, replaced with a smug satisfaction as she answered the call. "Hey," she said, her voice softening.
"Hey," Damien's deep voice came through, low and serious.
"I saw the statement. Are you really serious about this?" Elena asked, a small smile playing on her lips again.
There was a pause on the other end, the silence hanging between them for a moment before Damien spoke again. "Yes," he replied. "Very serious."
Elena let out a soft hum of approval. "What about the company? It's going to take a hit, you know."
Damien chuckled darkly. "This is nothing. The company will survive."
They talked for a long time after that, their conversation drifting from business to more personal matters.
Elena's laughter filled the room more than once, and Damien's deep chuckles followed.
Despite the chaos surrounding them, their bond was growing stronger, their connection deepening with each word exchanged.
After ending his call with Elena, Damien sat back in his chair, his mind racing.
He barely had time to collect his thoughts before the door to his office opened, and Elliott Blue stepped inside.
Elliott, a man of few words, walked straight to Damien's desk and placed a thick file in front of him.
He didn't say anything at first, just watched Damien with a serious expression.
Damien's pulse quickened. He knew what this was.
"This is him," Elliott said quietly, his voice heavy with meaning. "The man behind your son's death."
Damien's hands shook as he reached for the file, his heart pounding in his chest. He had been waiting for this moment for five long years.
Five years of searching, hunting, and waiting for justice. And now, it was finally within his grasp.
He opened the file slowly, his breath catching in his throat as he stared down at the page in front of him.
There it was—the name, the face, the details of the man who had destroyed his life, who had taken his son from him.
NAME: Ethan Grey
WIFE: Alice Grey
DAUGHTER: Elena Grey.