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Lahat ng Kabanata ng Ruined By Mr. Cross: Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

165 Kabanata

Chapter 31

Selene’s PovThe car felt smaller with the news hitting us. I turned to Damien, still holding his hand. “The press is already at the penthouse? And Adrian filed papers saying I’m still against you? This never ends.”Damien kept driving, his grip steady. “We handle one thing at a time. Tell me what you want to do first. Go back and face the press or find somewhere quiet to talk about Helena’s threat.”“I want to talk,” I said. “About that letter she mentioned. About Dad’s last words. You said we decide together. So explain what you think it might say. I need to hear your thoughts before we face anything else.”“I think your father was reaching out for help,” Damien replied. “He knew things were bad and wanted me to look out for his family. Selene, I never saw the letter. If it exists, we read it together. No secrets. What worries you most right now?”“That everything we’ve built gets twisted again,” I answered. “But talking like this helps. You don’t shut me down when I bring up doubts

Chapter 32

Damien’s PovI stared at Selene’s phone as Adrian’s face filled the screen. The second page claim hit hard, but I kept my focus on her. “Selene, breathe. We talk about this first. Right now. What does the second page supposedly say? Ask me anything. I’ll answer like we always do.”Selene held the phone steady, her other hand still in mine. “Adrian, send the page. Damien and I will read it together. That’s how we handle things. No secrets, no rushing.”Adrian smirked on the video. “Smart. Here it is. Damien paid off two witnesses who saw the Hart collapse coming. Check your messages, Selene.”My phone buzzed with the image. I opened it and read aloud so she could follow. “The note says I authorized payments to silence people who knew about the setup. Selene, that’s not true. I paid for information to uncover the truth, not to hide it. We’ve talked about my investigation before. Remember last night? I told you I spent years digging.”Selene looked at me. “I remember. You said it helped

Chapter 33

Selene’s PovHelena’s words hung between us like smoke. I kept Damien’s hand in mine while Mom watched from the side. The press noise outside had quieted, but my mind raced.“Damien, answer her,” I said. “Did you pay anyone connected to my father’s heart attack? I need the truth from you before we decide anything about that vote.”Damien held my gaze. “No. I paid investigators to track dirty money, not to harm anyone. If one of them turned out connected, I didn’t know. We can check every record together tonight. What do you want me to do right now?”“Stay here with me,” I told him. “Let’s hear what Helena has and then talk it out. I trust hearing your side more than her threats. Mom, you stay too. This affects all of us.”Mom nodded. “I’m here. But Selene, those payments look serious. Listen carefully.”Helena’s voice came sharp through the phone. “The man you paid, Damien, arranged the stress that caused Lucas’s heart attack. Proof is in the bank transfers. Selene, come meet me alone

Chapter 34

Damien’s PovI watched Selene study the document. Her fingers tightened around the paper. “This signature looks real, Damien. Tell me exactly what this payment was for. No sugarcoating. We’ve always done this straight.”I sat back down beside her, keeping my voice even. “That was an authorization for an investigator named Reyes. He claimed he had proof linking Adrian to the dirty deals. I paid him to deliver the files. It wasn’t about silencing anyone. Selene, ask whatever you need. I’ll walk you through every line if that helps.”She looked up. “Did you ever check if Reyes was telling the truth before paying?”“I did background on him,” I answered. “He had worked with us before on smaller cases. The money was wired after he sent initial evidence. I cut contact when nothing more came through. We can pull the full transaction history tonight. What else is bothering you about it?”“The timing,” Selene said. “Right after Dad’s death. It looks bad. But I want to hear how you see it. Like

Chapter 35

Selene’s PovI held the phone tighter as the chairman’s words sank in. Damien sat right beside me on the couch, our knees touching. I looked at him first. “They want me to confirm full trust right now or they vote again tonight. Tell me what you think I should say. Honest, like we always do.”Damien kept his voice steady. “Tell them the truth we’ve built. That trust is growing through every conversation. We’re not claiming perfection, but we’re choosing to work on it together. Selene, what feels right to you?”“It feels right to say we’re committed to honesty,” I answered. “That I ask questions and you answer without hiding. That’s what makes this real for me. The slow pace. No big declarations yet. Just time and talks. Does that match how you see us?”“Yes,” he said. “Completely. I want more of those talks too. Nights where we go over the day, where you challenge me and I listen. Nothing rushed. Tell the chairman that. I’m right here with you.”I spoke into the phone. “We’re building

Chapter 36

Damien’s PovSelene stared at the document on my phone, her hand still in mine. “That meeting was the day after Dad died. Tell me what happened. Straight. No holding back. I need to hear it from you before we decide anything else.”I kept my voice steady. “I met the investigator to get updates on the money trails. He claimed he had new leads on who pushed the Hart collapse. I paid him for the files and told him to keep digging. Selene, ask me the next part. Whatever it is.”“Did you ask him about my father specifically?” she said.“Yes,” I answered. “I asked if Lucas was targeted. He said it looked like a setup but had no proof yet. I told him to focus there. That meeting lasted twenty minutes. Nothing more. We’ve talked about my investigation before. This was part of it.”Selene nodded slowly. “The timing still hurts. But you explain every time without getting upset. That’s why I keep trusting these talks with you. What did you do right after that meeting?”“I went back to the office

Chapter 37

Selene’s PovI stared at the new notes Adrian sent. The investigator mentioned Dad by name. My stomach twisted but I turned to Damien first. “These notes say the investigator discussed my father with you. Tell me what you remember from that conversation. Straight and complete. I need your words right now.”Damien kept his hand near mine on the couch. “The investigator said Lucas Hart had uncovered something big about money movement. I told him to get proof and report back. Nothing about harming your dad. Selene, ask the next question. Whatever comes up.”“Did he ever say Dad was in immediate danger?” I asked.“He hinted at risks,” Damien answered. “I told him to warn anyone involved if he could. That’s when I pushed for more details. We’ve gone over pieces of this before in our talks. I held back the full picture because I didn’t want to overwhelm you while we were still building trust. Fair?”“Fair,” I said. “I still trust how we handle these things. You answer every time without shu

Chapter 38

Damien’s PovSelene showed me Helena’s message. The investigator alive and ready to testify. I kept her hand in mine on the couch. “Selene, read it again with me. Then tell me what you want to do. We decide together, like always.”She read it out loud. “He says you gave direct orders regarding Hart. Damien, is there any truth to that? Be direct. I still want your side first before we react.”“No direct orders to harm anyone,” I said. “I told him to gather evidence on the money flows. Nothing aggressive. If he’s twisting it now, it’s because someone is paying him. Selene, ask the next question. Whatever it is. I’ll answer.”“Did you ever tell him to pressure my father’s company?” she asked.“Never,” I replied. “I told him to observe and report. That’s it. We’ve talked about my investigation in pieces before. This fits the pattern. I was trying to fix what I saw going wrong. What are you feeling right now?”“Wary but steadier hearing you explain,” Selene said. “You don’t avoid the quest

Chapter 39

Selene’s PovSecurity alarms blared through the penthouse. I stood up fast, still holding Damien’s hand. “Adrian is inside the building? After everything tonight? Damien, what do we do? Talk to me first before we move.”Damien squeezed my hand. “We stay calm and face him together. Tell me what you want to say to him. We decide the approach right now, like always.”“I want to tell him no more games,” I said. “That we review everything together and his tricks won’t break us. You add your part. Then we deal with the investigator message after. Does that work?”“Yes,” Damien replied. “We tell him the truth about our pace. Honest talks, slow progress. Nothing he says changes that. Selene, how are you feeling about that message from the investigator?”“Angry that it keeps coming back,” I answered. “But steadier when we break it down together. You explain without avoiding anything. That’s why I still want more nights like this with you. Just talking through the mess.”Security knocked on the

Chapter 40

Damien’s PovThe investigator’s voice crackled through the intercom. I kept Selene’s hand in mine. “Selene, we decide this together. Tell me what you want to do. We talk it out first, like every other time.”Selene held my gaze. “I want to hear what he has, but not alone. We go down together. Then we come back up here and break it down line by line. That’s our way now. What do you think?”“I agree,” I said. “Together. No more separation. Tell me what worries you most about meeting him.”“That he’ll say something that shakes what we’ve built,” she answered. “But I trust how we handle these things. You answer every question I ask. You don’t get defensive. That keeps me here, Damien. I still want more of these nights where we just sit and talk everything through.”“I want that too,” I replied. “More evenings like this. Your questions, my answers, planning small things afterward. Coffee talks. Quiet dinners with long conversations. Nothing rushed. You set the pace and I follow.”Security

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