Digging

Damien POV

Watching Elias Carter walk away through the crowd, his posture straight but his steps just a fraction too stiff — like a man forcing himself to appear calm.

The black mask hid most of his face, but it couldn’t hide the slight tremor in his hands or the way his shoulders remained tense even after he disappeared into the sea of guests.

Interesting.

Very fucking interesting.

I swirled the whiskey in my glass, the ice clinking softly. That boy was more than just another pretty face in a family of snakes.

There was something beneath that polished, obedient surface — something resilient, and something deliciously fragile.

The way he spoke about “family” while clearly being treated like dirt… it stirred something dark and hungry in me.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Victor without hesitation. He answered on the first ring.

“Boss,” Victor’s cheerful voice boomed through the line. “How’s the little party? You regretting going yet?”

I leaned against a marble pillar, eyes still scanning the direction Elias had gone. “Shut up and listen. I need you to do something for me.”

Victor’s tone instantly sharpened. “Anything, Boss. What’s the target?”

“Elias Carter,” I said slowly, savoring the name. “The illegitimate son. I want everything on him. Birth records, school history, medical files, financial records, who he fucks, who he talks to, what he eats for breakfast. Every single detail. Leave nothing out.”

Victor whistled low. “Elias? The quiet one? Not the loudmouth Fred? That’s… unexpected. You met him tonight?”

I let out a dark chuckle. “I did more than meet him. He was sent to entertain me personally. Defends his worthless brother even while getting humiliated in public. There’s something about him… I can’t quite place it, but I want to peel him open and see what’s inside.”

Victor laughed. “You sound intrigued, Boss. That doesn’t happen often. You want me to put Luca on it too?”

“Put everyone on it,” I replied coldly. “I want a full dossier by tomorrow night. And while you’re at it, get every document you can on the entire Carter family. Bank statements, internal memos, hidden debts, who Mr. Carter is fucking behind his wife’s back, every dirty secret they’ve buried. Especially how they treat Elias. I want to know why the golden son gets everything while this one gets scraps.”

There was a brief pause on the line as Victor took notes.

“Understood,” Victor said. “I’ll have the team start digging immediately. You think the kid might be useful for cracking the Carter empire? Or is this… personal?”

I smirked behind my mask, remembering the way Elias’s voice had wavered slightly when I pressed him. “Both. The Carter Group is weak right now. Fred is bleeding their finances dry with his reckless spending. If we play this right, we can own them piece by piece. But Elias…” I paused, my voice dropping lower. “He has fire hidden under all that obedience. I want to know how much pressure it takes before he breaks. Or before he becomes useful to me.”

Victor’s grin was practically audible. “You gonna fuck him or destroy him? Or both?”

I let out a low, dangerous laugh. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. For now, just get me the information. I want to know what makes him tick. What he fears. What he wants most. And whether he is the one from the hotel.”

Victor hesitated for half a second. “You think he might be the one from the suite?”

“I don’t think. I suspect,” I corrected sharply. “The build is similar. The voice… It’s close. The way he carries tension in his body. Get me proof. If he is the same boy, then this game just became a lot more entertaining.”

“Consider it done, Boss,” Victor replied, all business now. “I’ll pull every string to get you the info. You want me to put eyes on him starting tonight?”

“Yes,” I said immediately. “Discreetly. I don’t want him to know he’s being watched yet. Let him think I’m just another wealthy guest interested in business. But keep him under surveillance. Report to me every movement.”

Victor chuckled again. “You really like this one, huh? Usually you just devour people and move on.”

I stared across the ballroom, catching a brief glimpse of Elias speaking with another guest. Even from this distance, that figure pulled at me.

“This one is different,” I admitted. “He survived me once — if it’s really him. I want to see if he can survive me again. And this time… I’ll enjoy every second of it.”

Victor let out a satisfied grunt. “I’ll get the team moving right away. Anything else?”

“Dig into the father too,” I added. “Mr. Carter seems to favor the useless son. I want to know why. And find out how much pressure the company can take before it collapses.”

“Got it, Boss. I’ll update you in a few hours with whatever we find tonight.”

“Good. Don’t disappoint me, Victor.”

I ended the call and slipped the phone back into my pocket. The party continued around me — laughter, music, meaningless conversations — but my mind was already spinning with possibilities.

Elias Carter.

If he really was the boy from that night… then fate had just delivered him back to me on a silver platter.

And this time, I wouldn’t let him slip away so easily.

I took another sip of whiskey, a slow, predatory smile forming beneath my mask.