Damien's heart stopped. The world seemed to spiral out of control, the weight of the news crashing into him like a tidal wave, threatening to drown him.
His head spun violently, and for a brief moment, he was sure he would lose his sanity.
He reached for the edge of his desk, gripping it tightly for support, but it wasn't enough.
His knees buckled, and darkness consumed him as he collapsed onto the floor.
When he finally regained consciousness, the sharp chill of the floor beneath him jolted him back to reality.
Elliott was kneeling beside him, concern etched across his features. "Damien, man, are you okay?" he asked, his voice tight with worry.
Damien slowly sat up, his head pounding and his heart still racing.
He turned to look at Elliott, his eyes burning red with unspoken fury. "Are you sure about this?" he whispered, his voice low and dangerous, laced with barely-contained anger.
Elliott nodded solemnly, his face grim. "Triple checked everything," he replied, his voice quiet but firm.
"Ethan Grey was the CEO of Game Co. When you took over, things went south for him. He couldn't provide for his family, and they were forced to move back to the countryside. It was during that time he made a trip back to the city—and that's when he kidnapped your son."
Damien clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white.
His mind was racing, trying to process the horrifying information that was unraveling before him.
But it was more than that.
Damien's thoughts twisted painfully as the realization hit him like a sledgehammer.
Elena… Elena Grey… the woman who had made him feel alive again after years of grief, the woman he was falling for deeply, passionately… was the daughter of the man who had destroyed his life.
What kind of cruel joke was this? What kind of twisted fate had led him to fall in love with her?
A bitter chuckle escaped Damien's lips, one filled with pain, disbelief, and fury.
His vision blurred with unshed tears as he fought to hold them back.
He could barely breathe under the weight of this unbearable irony. His entire body trembled with the force of his emotions.
"Leave. I want to be alone," he ordered, his voice hardening.
Elliott nodded, concern still lingering in his gaze, before quietly exiting the room, leaving Damien alone in the deafening silence.
For a long time, Damien sat there, staring blankly at the floor, his mind in turmoil. He wanted to scream, to break something, to destroy the very universe that had led him to this moment.
But instead, he picked up his phone, his hands shaking as he dialed Elena's number.
She answered almost immediately, her voice light and filled with warmth. "Hey," she greeted.
Damien closed his eyes, biting down on the bitterness welling up inside him.
How could she be so sweet, so innocent, when her very existence now represented everything that had ruined his life? He didn't deserve her. He couldn't love her. Not now.
"Hi," he replied, his voice hollow.
"Guess what?" Elena continued, oblivious to the storm brewing on his end. "I'm cooking something special for you to celebrate your divorce. Can you guess what it is?"
Damien swallowed hard, his throat dry.
She was trying to make him happy, and here he was, preparing to shatter everything between them. "What?" he asked, forcing himself to sound somewhat normal.
She laughed softly, the sound like a knife twisting in his chest. "Can't tell you. You'll just have to come over and find out for yourself."
Damien turned to look out of his office window, the cityscape sprawling before him, distant and cold.
His heart ached as the tears he had been holding back finally welled up in his eyes. How had it come to this? He was at a crossroads, his heart torn in two.
He could continue down this path, let himself love her despite everything, or he could end it now and save them both from the inevitable heartbreak.
After what felt like an eternity of silence, Damien finally spoke. His voice was quiet, almost a whisper. "Ms. Grey… I'm sorry, but I can't make it tonight."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Oh… that's okay. Maybe another—"
He cut her off, his heart breaking with every word. "I'm sorry for getting you involved with someone like me. I think it's best… if we never see each other again."
The line went silent. He could hear her soft breath on the other side, stunned into speechlessness.
And then, just like that, he ended the call.
Damien dropped his phone on the desk, his hands trembling as he let out a shaky breath.
The tears that had been threatening to fall finally spilled over, and he let them. His chest heaved with quiet sobs, the pain almost unbearable.
He had just broken things off with the woman he was falling in love with—the one person who had brought light back into his dark, desolate world.
And why? Because she was the daughter of his son's murderer.
It was a truth too cruel to accept, a fate too tragic to ignore.
Elena stood frozen in her kitchen, the phone still clutched in her hand.
Damien's words echoed in her head. "It's best if we never see each other again". What had just happened? Why was he doing this? She had no warning, no explanation—nothing.
Just a sudden, cold end to whatever beautiful thing had been growing between them.
The smell of burning food snapped her out of her daze, and the smoke detector blared overhead.
"Shit!" she cursed, rushing to the stove.
The pan was ruined, the contents burnt beyond recognition.
She turned off the burner and ran the pan under the tap, steam rising up and filling the air, thick and suffocating.
Elena stepped back, coughing, her mind still reeling. What did Damien mean? Why had he pushed her away so suddenly?
As she tried to compose herself, her phone buzzed on the counter.
She glanced at it, her heart sinking even further when she saw the notification.
Lawson Enterprises has posted an update.
Her fingers trembled as she opened the post, her breath catching in her throat when she read the words.
"We would like to clarify that CEO and President Damien Lawson will not be separating from his wife. He has acknowledged his mistakes, and the two have reconciled."
Elena felt her knees weaken, her heart pounding painfully in her chest.
Her mind raced with questions, confusion, and betrayal.
The post confirmed her worst fears. Something had happened—something significant that had driven Damien to cut ties with her without explanation.
She dialed his number, her fingers moving on their own, desperate for answers.
But as the line rang, it didn't connect. She tried again. And again.
Finally, it hit her. She was blocked.