The CEO's Challenge

Chapter 15: A Night To Remember

I walk into the office, my mind still reeling from the emotional rollercoaster of the past few days. Damien's visit, our heartfelt conversation, the way he made me feel seen and valued... it's a balm to my battered soul, a reminder that maybe, just maybe, I'm worthy of love and happiness.

But as I round the corner, I freeze, my heart lodging in my throat. Damien is standing in the middle of the room, his face pale and his eyes haunted. And standing before him are two impeccably dressed strangers, their expressions stern and unyielding.

It takes me a moment to place them, to realize who they must be. Damien's father and stepmother. The very people he's been dreading facing, the ones who've been pushing him to merge Blackwood Industries with DeVille Enterprises.

"...absolutely not," Damien is saying, his voice tight with barely contained rage. "I won't do it. I won't marry Veronica, I won't merge our companies. It's not happening."

His father sneers, his lips curling in disgust. "You ungrateful little shit," he spits, his voice dripping with venom. "After everything we've done for you, everything we've sacrificed, this is how you repay us? By throwing away your inheritance, your legacy?"

Damien's stepmother chimes in, her voice saccharine and false. "Darling, think of the opportunity," she coos, like she's speaking to a child. "A marriage to Veronica would solidify our position in the industry. It's the perfect match, don't you see?"

"No," Damien grits out, his fists clenched at his sides. "I see a business arrangement masquerading as a marriage. I see two families using me as a pawn in their chess game. Well, I'm done being a pawn."

I watch from the shadows, my heart breaking for Damien. I know how much he hates the idea of merging our companies, of being forced into a marriage of convenience. But I never realized how far his parents were willing to push, how much pressure they were putting on him.

"You'll do as you're told," his father snarls, his eyes flashing with anger. "This is your duty, your responsibility to the family name. You'll marry Veronica, you'll merge the companies, and you'll like it. Or you'll be cut off. Do you hear me?"

Damien's face crumples, his shoulders shaking with suppressed emotion. "I hear you," he whispers, his voice breaking. "But I won't do it. I won't sell my soul for the sake of the family business. Not even for you."

With that, he turns on his heel and walks away, his head held high. I watch him go, my heart aching for the pain and the defiance in his eyes.

I know I should go to him, should offer him comfort and support. But something holds me back, a fear that I'll only make things worse.

So I stay where I am, my heart heavy with the weight of Damien's burden. And I pray that somehow, someway, he'll find the strength to stand up to his parents, to forge his own path, even if it means losing everything he's ever known.

Because in the end, that's the only way he'll find true happiness. And I can only hope that I'll be there to help him find his way.

As Damien storms out of the room, I'm left standing there awkwardly, not sure what to do or say. Damien's father and stepmother turn to look at me, their expressions unreadable.

And then, like a whirlwind, Veronica bursts into the room. She's all smiles and air kisses, greeting Damien's parents like they're old friends.

"Mom, Dad! What a lovely surprise!" she gushes, her voice sickeningly sweet. "I had no idea you were in town."

Damien's father grunts in response, his eyes still fixed on the door Damien disappeared through. Veronica pouts, her lower lip jutting out in a way that's supposed to be cute but just looks petulant.