Chapter 4

Damien

The image of the mysterious girl from the hotel drifted into my mind for a second before I forced it away.

It was just a reckless night and a stupid mistake.

I should have controlled myself. But It is over now. I would never see her again. Or so I thought.

The door to my office flew open.

“Boss!”

Mike rushed in, breathing heavily. His usually calm expression had been replaced with panic.

“You need to see this.”

He came straight to my desk and placed his tablet in front of me.

My eyes narrowed the moment I saw the screen, every muscle in my body tensed.

Pictures and videos of me carrying that girl in my arms into the hotel.

From the angle they had been taken, it looked less like I was helping a drunken stranger and more like a man hopelessly in love with his woman.

Below the pictures was a bold headline.

THE STRICT CEO’S DOUBLE LIFE EXPOSED!

Damien Gonzalez spotted carrying a mysterious woman into a luxury hotel after a night of drinking. Secret girlfriend or one-night stand?

My jaw clenched. I scrolled down.

Thousands of comments flooded the post.

I knew he wasn’t as cold as he pretended to be.

Who is the lucky woman?

He might be using the poor girl.

She’s definitely after his money.

The numbers kept climbing every second.

Hundreds of thousands of views, shares and comments. The story was spreading like wildfire.

“Shit!” I slammed the tablet onto my desk.

“That gold-digging bitch!”

The words came out through gritted teeth.

I drove my fist into the desk so hard the coffee cup beside me rattled.

Mike frowned. “Which bitch?”

“The girl from last night.”

I stood abruptly and began pacing the office.

“I paid her.”

My voice was ice cold.

“We spent one night together, and that was the end of it.”

I ran an angry hand through my hair.

“So tell me…” I turned sharply toward Mike. “Why are these pictures suddenly all over the internet?”

Mike remained silent.

“She’s trying to blackmail me.”

It was the only explanation that made sense.

“She probably wasn’t satisfied with the money I gave her.”

I laughed bitterly.

“So she leaked this hoping I’d pay her even more.”

“Damn her.” I slammed my fist onto the desk again.

For years, I had kept my private life away from the media.

No scandals. No dating rumors. No unnecessary attention.

People respected me because I gave them nothing to gossip about.

Now, one careless mistake had destroyed that image overnight.

Mike folded his arms.

“Boss, before we jump to conclusions, we don’t actually know who leaked the footage.”

I shot him a cold glare. “You think it’s a coincidence?”

“I’m just saying there could be another explanation.”

“What explanation?”

“The hotel staff. Security cameras. Or even the guest that was there when you came. Someone could’ve also followed you.”

I shook my head. “No.”

I refused to believe that. That girl had to be behind it.

Who else stood to gain from this?

Before Mike could speak again, my phone rang.

The screen flashed a name I hadn’t expected.

Lucas Gonzalez.

A humorless smile crossed my lips.

He had lost the right to be called my father the day he married my late mother’s best friend only months after she died.

I answered anyway.

“What?”

A loud laugh came from the other end.

“Damien, when were you planning to introduce me to your girlfriend?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, come on.”

His amusement only irritated me more.

“The entire internet knows before I do.”

He chuckled.

“I always dreamed of seeing you settle down and start a family. I was beginning to think you’d marry your company instead.”

I closed my eyes.

“So…” he continued before I could interrupt, “is she really your girlfriend, or was it just a one-night affair like everyone keeps saying?”

Mike looked at me expectantly.

“She’s my girlfriend.”

The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

Mike’s eyes widened in disbelief.

I just said that, maybe because I wanted to end the conversation.

Maybe because I didn’t want another lecture. Or maybe because I needed this scandal buried before it ruined everything.

Lucas laughed happily. “I knew it!”

“You’ve been hiding her from me all this time.”

“I’m not sure about it yet.”

“What’s there to be sure about? Just bring her home this weekend.”

He sounded genuinely excited.

“I want to meet the woman who finally stole my son’s heart.”

I tightened my grip around the phone.

“We have a lot to talk about. And don’t forget to bring her with you.”

The call ended before I could refuse.

I stared at the blank screen.

How exactly was I supposed to introduce that gold-digging bitch as my girlfriend?

The very thought made my blood boil.

Mike cleared his throat.

“So..What do you want me to do?”

I slowly lifted my head.

Every trace of hesitation disappeared from my face.

“Find her.”

Mike waited. “I want to know everything about her.”

“Her name, her address, where she works. I want to know who she is, where she came from, and everyone she’s connected to.”

“Okay boss.”

“And when you find her, bring her to me.”

Mike studied me for a second before giving a single nod.

“Understood, Boss.”