Chapter Four

POV: THIRD PERSON.

It was the morning after Betty's suicide had happened.

Damon sat in his office, staring blankly at his computer screen. His head was blank.  The news had spread like wildfire, and even with the press conference he had held, it wasn't doing any good. Damon knew that any more controversy could affect the company's image. He needed to act quickly to protect it. His mind flew back to the discussion he had with his two best friends.

THE NIGHT BEFORE.

"I just think it might be a way that you can divert the press from the possibility of you being involved in the death of Betty," Lucas said and Damon relaxed in his chair.

"How?" Lou asked and folded her arm.

"Marriage."

"Are you crazy?!" Damon said looking at his Friend, like he had just suggested murder.

"Lucas, you know that is a major trigger for Damon," Lou said.

"Damon, you can't keep being like this towards marriage. Besides, this is the only thing that can divert the media's attention from the death of Betty. As you said, we let Betty's family mourn in peace, and we save the company's reputation." Lucas said and Damon shut his eyes.

"No that can't be an option. I can't get married, Lucas. I already told you." Damon said and Lucas looked at him.

"Because you can't forgive your Mother?" Lucas said and Damon's eyes narrowed.

"Stop it guys. Stop. We are all on edge at the moment, so the best thing we can all do for ourselves is to go home and catch some sleep." Lou said and Damon sighed.

BACK TO PRESENT.

Lucas entered the room, and Damon looked up at him with a worried expression. "We need to do something," Damon said, his voice trembling. Lou entered and the room was silent.

"Mr Gisueppe Alton is on his way here," Lou said and Damon shut his eyes.

"Dear Lord," Lucas said.

"Have you checked the stock prices?" Damon asked.

"The stock prices dropped by 7.5% this morning, Damon. We need to have a groundbreaking contract signing and something that can bring a positive image to the company, or else we'd be in severe trouble." Lou said.

"Have we had any investment withdrawals yet?" Damon asked and Lou shook her head.

"Alright," Damon said.

"The company is being dragged badly not because of the suicide, but because some other girls have come out to say, that you had a nightstand with them," Lou said and Damon opened his eyes and stared at her.

"Huh? Who did that?" Damon asked.

About four girls came out to state it. This is why I always warned you both about clubbing. See where it has brought us." Lou said and Damon shut his eyes.

"I have nothing to be ashamed of, but this shit needs to be handled, or else it spirals out of control," Damon said.

"I'll meet Giuseppe first and then we can discuss what can be done, to rescue the stocks from falling any further." Damon finished and sat straight.

"I just got informed that Mr Giuseppe is in the building," Lou said after reading a text she had gotten

"Let him in."

Lou nodded and walked out to usher Mr Giuseppe in. Damon arranged his suit and sat up straight.

"Mr Damon." Giuseppe Alton said as soon as he entered Damon's office.

Damon stood up and walked towards Giuseppe and held his hands out for a handshake.

"Mr. Giuseppe, it's good to see you," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

Giuseppe acknowledged him with a nod and took his hands in a handshake. "Let's get straight to the point," he said, taking his seat across from Damon. Damon swallowed hard.

Giuseppe Alton was known as a no-nonsense businessman who withdrew investments at the sight of the impending danger.

"Currently, your company has fallen into some problems," Giuseppe said and Damon sighed.

"I know. I'm working to restore sanity and normalcy to the stocks." Damon said and Giuseppe nodded.

 "I'm still willing to invest in your company, but I have to be convinced that you will not be as reckless to involve yourself in a silly scandal as this one," Giuseppe said and Damon sighed.

"I certainly did not take a person's life, Mr Giuseppe. You have no reason to worry." Damon said.

"I'm not talking of the suicide. I'm talking about the numerous one-night stand scandals." Giuseppe said.

Damon's heart sank.

"What can I do?" Damon asked, desperation creeping into his voice.

"You have to show the board that you're worthy of their trust," Giuseppe said, leaning forward in his chair. "You need to demonstrate that you've learned from your mistakes and that you're willing and able to make responsible decisions."

"I won't let you down. I will work on it and I'll make sure I don't let the company get into another scandal." Damon said, his voice surprisingly steady.

"I hope not," Giuseppe said, rising from his chair. "I'll be watching your progress closely. Don't make me regret investing in you."

Damon shook his hands and Giuseppe walked out and Lucas and Lou entered the office.

"Well?" Lucas asked and Damon broke into a wide grin.

"The Investment is confirmed," Damon said and Lucas and Lou breathed a sigh of relief.

"He says we need to prove ourselves worthy in front of the board. And I need to do something to divert the media's attention." Damon said.

Lucas nodded. "I agree. This is a huge blow to our image, and we need to take action immediately."

"What do you suggest?" Damian said.

 "We need to show that the company is taking this seriously. We need to increase security measures, and we should consider hiring a PR firm to help us navigate this crisis." Lou said and Damon nodded.

Damon nodded, feeling overwhelmed. "You're right. We need to do everything we can to protect the company's image."

"But I'm also considering the marriage idea," Damon said and Luas stared at him.

"Are you sure?" Lou asked and Damon nodded.

"Yeah."

"Do you have an idea as to who you're going to get married to? You know this is a spur-of-the-moment thing." Lou said and Damon shook his head.

"I'll find someone willing to get married with mutual benefits," Damon said and he sighed.

Lucas put a reassuring hand on Damon's shoulder. "We'll get through this, Damon. We'll come out stronger on the other side."

Damon took a deep breath, feeling slightly calmer. "Okay. Let's get to work."

Damon shook his head in disbelief as he put his phone down. He couldn't believe he was actually considering getting married. And all his random chicks were turning down the marriage proposal. He was a bit discouraged, But he knew he needed to do whatever it took to seal that deal. He just hoped he could find someone who would be willing to marry him at least for the show, to prevent Media's attention from being on his one-night stand scandals.

The coffee waitress! What was her name again? Sarah, yeah Sarah.

Perhaps she wouldn't refuse him.  As Damon made his way to the coffee shop, he couldn't help but feel a sense of uneasiness plaguing his thoughts. He ordered his usual cup of coffee and sat at the corner table facing the entrance.

   "Here you go," said Sarah as she came over with his coffee.

  Damon couldn't help but notice how miserable Sarah looked. Her normally cheery disposition was missing today. As he sipped his coffee, he overheard Sarah's boss shouting at her from the kitchen.

   "Sarah, you're so incompetent! How many times do I have to tell you to clean the tables properly?" bellowed her boss.

 Damon watched in disgust as Sarah tried to swallow her tears and continue with her work. He couldn't take it anymore, he beckoned to Sarah to come over

 "Look, I don't mean to pry but I noticed your boss treating you badly. You don't have to put up with that," said Damon as he handed her his card.

 "What's this for?" asked Sarah, bewildered.

  "It's a proposal. Marry me and I'll change your life forever. You won't have to work here anymore," Damon replied with a smirk.

 Sarah couldn't help but laugh at Damon's proposal. "You can't be serious," she said

 "I am. Think about it. This could be the opportunity of a lifetime," replied Damon.

 "That's crazy!" Sarah shouted.

  "Think about it," said Damon as he left the coffee shop.

Sarah Len stared at him like he was an alien. She wondered if he was crazy.

"Hi, Aunt Sarah." She heard her nephew walk up to her.

"Hey, Alex." She said as she hugged her nephew. Her sick nephew hugged her and she rubbed his head affectionately. She didn't want to get married for monetary reasons, but she looked more desperate.

It was gonna be for good if she married him. She could get money for Alex's heart surgery and he would benefit whatever he wanted to benefit from a contract marriage.

Sarah picked up the business card and dialled the phone number in, after putting Alex to bed. She had returned from work and after feeding Alex and having dinner, she sat at the table.

"Hello?" Sarah said and she heard his deep voice come on the phone.

"Hi, Sarah." He said.

"How'd you know it was me?" She asked and he chuckled slightly, one that made shivers run through her back.

"Well, I only gave one person my business card today. So, I presume you're calling because you've made up your mind?" He asked.

"Yeah. I need money for my little nephew to have surgery. I accept the proposal." She said and she heard Damon's sigh of relief.

"Thank you, you won't regret this. Tomorrow, I expect you in the office. I have to introduce you to the board. Good night." He said and ended the call.

It was around Ten in the Morning,

Sarah's heart was pounding as she walked into the conference room, where the shareholders of Damon's company were gathered. Her engagement to Damon had been announced just moments ago, and now she was about to come face-to-face with the investors who held the fate of his company in their hands.

As she walked down the aisle, she felt all eyes on her. She could see the scepticism on their faces, and she knew she had a lot to prove.

As she took her seat at the head of the table, she prepared to speak. She knew that her words and actions at this moment could make or break Damon's company.

"My name is Sarah, and I know that my engagement with Damon has raised some questions and concerns among you. But I want to assure you that I am fully committed to supporting him and his work and that my love for him would strengthen that commitment."

People were murmuring throughout the room, and Sarah could feel the tension building. She knew that she needed to address the elephant in the room.

"I understand that there may be doubts about my ability to contribute to the company in a meaningful way. But I want you all to know that I am not just a pretty face. I have my own experience and skills that can be valuable to Damon's work."

She went on to explain her credentials and her education. She spoke with confidence and passion, and as she was speaking, she could see the expressions on the shareholders' faces start to shift from scepticism to interest.

"I might not have experience and I might not fit into the Wealthy world Damon is used to. But I assure you that I am open to learning. I'll do my best to ensure that I work hard to protect the company's image at all times. Thank you." She said and bowed her head slightly.

When she finished speaking, the room erupted in applause. One by one, the shareholders came up to her congratulated her on her engagement and expressed their support for her and Damon.

As she walked out of the conference room, Sarah felt a wave of relief flush through her body. She knew that she had held it down in that room, and she had won over the people who mattered most to Damon's success.

"You really are full of surprises," Damon said as they both entered his office.

"Lucas, the police have just concluded their investigations. Betty's death has been ruled out as suicide. They say it looks suspicious and that is most likely Murder."