SILENCE(Damien's POV)I sat at the head table like a statue, my hands folded in my lap, my face a mask of indifference that I had practiced in the mirror for hours. Around me, the dinner party continued with all the elegance and cruelty that defined Eleanor's social gatherings.When Serena walked into the room carrying Isabella, I felt my carefully constructed composure crack. She looked beautiful in her simple black dress, but I could see the tension in her shoulders, the way she held her head a little too high to compensate for the whispers following her.Isabella was sleeping in her carrier, tiny and perfect and completely unaware that she was being brought into a den of wolves.Eleanor moved through the crowd like a shark sensing blood in the water, positioning herself for maximum damage. When she raised her glass to make her speech, I knew exactly what was coming."Tonight we celebrate not just my grandson's appointment as CEO, but also his wisdom in choosing family loyalty over
THE HUMILIATION(Serena's POV)Saturday evening came too quickly. I stood in front of my bedroom mirror, adjusting the simple black dress I had chosen for Eleanor's party. It was one of the few nice dresses I still owned that hadn't been sold to pay bills. Isabella sat in her carrier beside me, wearing a tiny white dress that made her look like an angel."Are you sure about bringing her?" Elena asked from behind me. She was wearing a navy blue dress that looked professional and dignified."I'm sure," I said, picking up Isabella's carrier. "If they want to humiliate me, they can do it in front of my daughter. Maybe seeing her will remind someone in that room that I'm a human being."Jason, Adrian, and Lucas were waiting in the living room, all of them dressed in their best suits. They looked like they were going to a funeral instead of a party."Last chance to change your mind," Adrian said as we headed to the car."No," I said firmly. "We're doing this."The drive to the Blackwood est
THE INVITATION(Serena's POV)I was sitting in what remained of our office, holding Isabella in my arms while trying to make sense of the financial reports spread across my desk. Most of our furniture had already been repossessed, leaving the space feeling hollow and abandoned. Only a few chairs remained, along with a folding table that served as our makeshift command center.Isabella was unusually fussy today, as if she could sense the stress and chaos surrounding us. But when she looked up at me with her bright eyes and gave me one of her toothless smiles, I felt a moment of peace despite everything falling apart around us."At least one of us is still smiling," I whispered to her, kissing her forehead.Elena was at the folding table with Jason, both of them hunched over laptops trying to salvage what they could from our remaining accounts. Lucas had been working nonstop to trace Eleanor's financial manipulation, surviving on energy drinks and determination.Adrian walked in looking
THE FAILURE (Damien's POV) Dinner at the Blackwood mansion that evening felt like a funeral where everyone was pretending to celebrate. Eleanor sat at the head of the massive dining table, practically glowing with satisfaction as she cut into her perfectly prepared steak. Victoria was still buzzing with excitement, scrolling through social media posts about my interview. "The response has been overwhelmingly positive," Victoria announced, holding up her phone. "Everyone's praising you for taking responsibility and distancing yourself from that woman." I pushed food around my plate without eating. The interview kept replaying in my head, each word I had spoken feeling like another betrayal of everything I actually believed. My father Richard sat across from me, nursing his third glass of wine. He had been quiet throughout dinner, but I could see him watching me with those sad, knowing eyes. He recognized the look of a man who had just sold his soul. "Damien looks upset," Richard
THE INTERVIEW(Damien's POV)The morning of the interview Eleanor had arranged for me felt like the morning of my execution. I sat at the breakfast table, staring at food I couldn't eat while Eleanor briefed me on exactly what I was supposed to say to the cameras."You deeply regret the poor judgment you showed in getting involved with that woman," Eleanor said, reading from notes she had prepared. "You acknowledge that your actions reflected poorly on the Blackwood name and family values. You confirm that the relationship is completely over and that you're focusing on your responsibilities to the company."Victoria sat beside her, practically bouncing with excitement. "Oh, this is going to be perfect," she said. "The final nail in Serena's coffin. When people see Damien publicly disowning her, it will complete her humiliation."I felt sick. "What if I refuse?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.Eleanor's smile was cold. "We've been through this, Damien. You won't refuse. Becau
THE FINAL STAND(Serena's POV)Three days had passed since our decision to fight back, and those three days felt like three years. I had barely slept, barely eaten, barely left the office as we worked around the clock to gather evidence against Eleanor and try to save what remained of my company.Lucas had been our lifeline, digging through financial records, tracing money transfers, following digital breadcrumbs that might lead us to proof of Eleanor's corporate misconduct. His laptop never seemed to shut down, and his eyes were permanently bloodshot from staring at screens."I found something," he said suddenly, his voice cutting through the exhausted silence of our makeshift war room.We all rushed to his desk. Elena brought coffee that had gone cold hours ago, Jason abandoned his spreadsheets, and Adrian stopped pacing long enough to look over Lucas's shoulder."What is it?" I asked, my heart pounding with desperate hope.Lucas pointed to his screen, which showed a complex web of