Novel & Cerita Damuhan Scandal

The news broke at dawn, a digital tidal wave of malice. “Amara Collins Marries Reclusive Billionaire Damian Blackwell Just days After Viral Scandal!” The headline screamed from every major entertainment outlet, splashed across every platform. Photos of her entering damian penthouse with her load tabloid had ruined—being led into a private courthouse by Damian. Both were expressionless, both impeccably dressed, a study in quiet, unapproachable power. > “Desperate bride trades scandal for billionaire sugar daddy.”

Healing. Then, suddenly, the soft ping of a phone broke the moment. Once, twice then several times in quick succession. We both pulled away, glancing toward the bed where my phone lay. The screen was lit up with notifications. I went over and picked it up, swiping across and froze. A video was playing on nearly every news channel and social feed. Damien handcuffed, surrounded by officers, his head bowed as cameras flashed. Beneath the footage, bold headlines scrolled: "Damien Laurent arrested for fraud and conspiracy against Hartwell Enterprises. More investigation undergoing,"

The whispers had started the day after TMZ broke the story: **BILLIONAIRE DAMIEN BLACKSTONE CAUGHT IN EXPLICIT SCANDAL** The video had been everywhere before the lawyers managed to suppress most copies. But the damage was done. The screenshots. The memes. The endless speculation on social media about whether her father had been drunk, whether the woman had been paid, whether this was just how powerful men behaved when they thought no one was watching. Lila slid into her usual seat in the back of Mrs. Calloway's homeroom just as the bell rang. The room was already buzzing with the usual morning chatter, but the moment she entered, the volume dropped by half. Several heads turned. A few people

Damian’s signature on those papers was a constant reminder that everything we had, had ended. My hands moved to my stomach, subconscious. Was I really infertile? Would Damian and I still have a happy home if I hadn't gone blind and gave him a child? My phone buzzed, jolting me out. I lifted it up with trembling fingers, only to see a news alert. “Hale Tower Loses Major Security Contract to Mystery Bidder. Insiders Point to Recent Divorce Scandal Accelerating Collapse.” What?

On the screen, I was surrounded by a swarm of reporters, microphones practically shoved in my face. "Mr. Moore, did you see what was blowing up online yesterday? Are the rumors true? Is your wife having an affair with rising actor Damian Keane?" "Your wife was spotted meeting Damian Keane late at night. Any comment?" ... Yesterday, footage of Gloria and Damian showing up together at a charity gala had blown up online. In the video, Damian was wearing a red suit while Gloria held onto his arm, glowing beside him in the crowd. But Gloria supposedly hated guys wearing red.

Just when I thought things could temporarily come to an end, a new crisis swept in as I had never expected. That very night, a maliciously edited video began spreading wildly online. In the video, I looked ferocious, forcibly pouring an unidentified liquid into the mouth of a pitiful pregnant woman. The pregnant woman struggled desperately, only to be violently dragged by me into a dark room. The video was paired with a headline: [Shocking Scandal! Renowned OB-GYN, Saint World’s Quinn Carter Forces Pregnant Woman to Drink Talisman Water—Brutal Methods, Total Collapse of Medical Ethics!]

A reporter shouts: "What about your relationship with Aria Holt?" Damien's jaw tightens, but his voice remains steady. "Ms. Holt and I have a complicated personal history. That's all we'll be saying about it. Today's focus should be on corporate corruption, on justice for Emily Cross and David Holt, and on ensuring this never happens to another family. Thank you." He steps back from the microphone. Henry and security immediately move forward, creating a barrier. "Mr. Cross, just one more" "Are you still romantically involved?"

He gave me a sad smile as he tucked a stray hair on my ear. “Well, I am already upset. What is there to lose?” I crossed my arms as if saying ‘I’m waiting.’ “Okay.” He said in defeat. “It’s about this morning's news.” He glanced briefly at my blank face before continuing. “It says that three men were ground to the bones inside the meat shop in Hill Street. And…and one of those three men was my friend, Caleb.” He finished panting, like the thought of his friend being dead is consuming the life out of him. My eyes widened in mocked shock and disbelief. What got my attention was the fact that he knows Caleb Salazar. But the question was, to what extent?

I followed the sound, telling myself I was going to get a glass of water from the kitchen, and stopped in the doorway. The news section was on. This was one of the entertainment -adjacent channel that seemed to blur between current affairs and the entertainment industry. This was the kind that ran a stock market ticker alongside photos of who had been seen having dinner with whom. I had watched it exactly once before, by accident, and switched it off within minutes. This was like a gossip hot channel, using this kind of scandal that happened between famous people to get more engagement on their channels. On the screen now was footage that I recognized immediately. It was my husband Damien.

She heard his friend beside him joke, "Theodore, Calla's been out there dancing for ages, and she's even touching other guys. If that were my wife, I'd have flipped the damn table by now. How are you still sitting here?" Theodore's expression didn't flicker. He simply took a calm sip of his tea and replied coldly, "She knows her limits. She won't do anything inappropriate." Those words hit Calista like a poisoned needle, striking exactly where she was most vulnerable. Calista couldn't understand what he meant by knowing her limits. She wondered if he was certain she loved him too much to actually do anything with someone else or if he simply didn't care at all. Perhaps it was both.