DAMIEN
Damien stared at the contract on the desk in front of him, its ink still fresh, as if the words themselves pulsed with the promise of power. Power he'd waited years to seize. Power that came with a price.
The daughter of Charles Moranos. Amelia Moranos. She was the final piece of his plan. A pawn, yes, but a necessary one.
He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled under his chin, and let the faint hum of the city filter through the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office. His empire stretched before him, vast and untouchable, but it wasn't enough. Not yet. Not until the Moranos family was nothing more than dust beneath his feet.
And now, Amelia Moranos was his to claim.
A soft knock at the door drew his attention. "Enter," he said, his voice sharp, commanding.
His most trusted aide, Gregory, stepped inside, a file tucked under one arm. "It's done," Gregory said. "Moranos agreed to the terms. His daughter will be yours within the week."
Damien smirked, leaning forward to take the file. He flipped it open, his eyes scanning the photographs and documents inside. Amelia stared back at him from the glossy pages—a woman with striking features, dark eyes that seemed to challenge the very world, and a defiant tilt to her chin.
She was nothing like the spoiled, polished heiress he'd expected.
"She's... intriguing," Damien murmured, his fingers brushing the edge of her photo. "She doesn't look like the type to go quietly."
Gregory hesitated. "From what we've gathered, she's... difficult. Independent. She's not exactly thrilled about the arrangement."
Damien's smile widened, a glint of something dangerous flickering in his eyes. "Good. I don't want her quiet. I want her broken."
Gregory cleared his throat. "There's more. Her father's desperate, but the girl—she's sharp. Resourceful. She could be a problem."
"A problem," Damien repeated, leaning back in his chair. His mind was already working, piecing together the angles, the risks, the rewards. "Everyone is a problem until they learn how to behave."
"Still," Gregory pressed, "if she resists—"
"She won't." Damien closed the file and set it aside, his tone final. "She might fight in the beginning, but she'll come around. They always do."
He stood, buttoning his suit jacket with practiced precision, and crossed the room to stand before the window. The city sprawled below, a testament to his power and control. But control wasn't enough—not yet. He wanted destruction. Ruin. And Amelia was the key to delivering both.
"Send word to Moranos," Damien said without turning. "I want her in my office tomorrow. It's time she met her future husband."
Gregory hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding. "Understood."
The door clicked shut behind him, and Damien allowed himself a moment to think. The photograph still sat on his desk, her eyes meeting his in a silent challenge. She didn't know it yet, but her life belonged to him now.
"Let's see how long you can keep that fire," he murmured to himself.
The game had begun, and Damien Black never played to lose.
He would break her, crush her spirit, and remake her in his image. He would take everything she had, everything she was, and leave her with nothing but ashes.
And when he was done, he would walk away, leaving the ruins of the Moranos family behind him.
The thought was almost... intoxicating. Damien felt a surge of adrenaline, a sense of anticipation.
He would destroy them all, one by one, starting with Amelia.
And no one would ever be able to stop him.
It's really only a matter of time.