Semua Bab BILLIONAIRE'S LIES: Bab 351 - Bab 360

"Ah," Saben said in mock seriousness, "but we left out a few. important questions."Benedict nodded and stepped forward, inspecting Damian as a man inspecting blueprints for flaws. "You don't mind, do you, Damian?"Damian set the beer aside and straightened up a bit more, Eliana leaning against him like a very grumpy, very tired human shield."Of course not, sir," Damian replied softly. "Go on."Saben sat on the railing, sipping his beer as if it were popcorn at a movie. "First things first—do you have any siblings?"Damian shook his head. "Only child.""That explains the sulking," Saben complained."Do your parents live in the area still?" Benedict asked.No, sir. I lost my mother when I was twelve. My dad is in Montana now. Retired army. We chat every now and then, but not often."Eliana's eyes gradually swiveled to Damian. She spoke softly. "You never told me about your mom."He gave her a tiny, personal smile. "You never asked."Saben blinked, the teasing forgotten for an instant.

The following morning at Sabrina Ultra, the office hummed like a beehive on coffee. Not due to a product introduction. Not due to a celebrity partnership.But because Eliana Thompson, beautiful, elegant, and inaccessible heiress of BMX Holdings, Thompson Estates, and Sabrina Ultra herself. was rumored to be dating her stern, absurdly gorgeous bodyguard, Damian Wolfe.And everybody. Knew."Did you hear?" Natalie from Logistics whispered, inching her chair closer to the break room wall where the others were huddled like gossiping pigeons."I heard he slept over at the Thompson estate," Jamie from PR gasped. "My cousin brings fresh produce to their gates every Tuesday—he said he saw them together. Holding hands.""Not a chance," growled Leo from Creative. "I assumed he was assigned to guard her from afar—like a silent knight kind of thing.""He is," breathed Dani, marketing assistant. "But it seems he's also guarding her heart."A melodramatic oooooooh erupted, as half the office leaned

Evening's silence surrounded the garden in a gentle shawl.Crickets sang their lullabies, and fireflies fluttered lazily in the evening. Behind them, the large estate towered, its rooms warm with the dying embers of chandelier light.But here, they were alone.Damian and Eliana sat together on the wooden bench under the ancient fig tree, its branches above laden with stars. A gentle wind playfully tugged at the tips of her hair, and Damian reached out on instinct, touching a strand of hair behind her ear."I still don't understand they didn't evict you," Eliana breathed, half laughing, half relieved.He smiled. "They might have, if I hadn't managed to get through your father's interrogation without sweating through my shirt.""You did better than anyone would've. Saben has a tendency to scare people away before dinner even gets here."Damian laughed. "He gave it his all. I think he was a little disappointed when I didn't blink."Eliana leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm just… glad.

Damian stood there, his chest rising and falling at regular intervals. Benedict had just given him the most valuable gift—respect. It would have been enough.But Damian wasn't done.He faced around to Eliana's father, meeting him with even eyes. "One more thing, sir."Benedict's brow furrowed. "Yes?""I would like to ask your permission to wed your daughter."There was silence in the room. Even the clock on the wall ceased its ticking.Damian's voice was deep but firm. "Not yet, not now. I haven't spoken to her yet. But I will. And when I do, I want to do it in the proper way—with dignity. With your consent."Benedict looked at him for a very, very long time.Then he stood up.And for the very first time, he came around the desk—not as a CEO, not as the lion of the Thompson empire—but as a father.“You’ve got guts,” Benedict said.Damian gave a small, respectful nod. “Only when it comes to her.”After a few tense seconds, Benedict placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “You better make i

The sky was pale gold and pink as the sun slowly set into the horizon. The wind was soft and scented with saltwater and jasmine. The beach, barricaded and romantically lit with lanterns and bobbing candles in glass balloons, was otherworldly. There was a small wooden table placed upon a Persian carpet that had been stretched out on the sand, its fine silverware, a vase of fresh flowers, and a bottle of red wine that Eliana preferred most.The waves moved far away in a serene, endless motion—just like Damian Wolfe's own heart as he laid forearms upon the rim of the dying sun, tugging desperately at the cuff of his fresh white linen shirt."Eliana's nearly here," Saben came exploding out from behind a palm frond, binoculars like an absurd spy. Next to him, Benedict and Sabrina crouched down behind beach cover, and Grandma Wendy, champagne from a surreptitious flask bubbled."Hush, Saben," Sabrina crept quietly, her fist over her chest in emotion."Still think it's not too late to reques