Insane

Just a Business Plan

"Chloe!" Stella says as she runs towards her and pulls her into an embrace. "Thank god, you're okay!" she says as she squeezes her in relief.

Chloe hugs her back just as tightly and sends a silent prayer of thanks.

When Stella had called a few minutes ago to ask what was taking Chloe so long in the bathroom, she admitted she sneaked out to meet Jack. As soon as she blurted out the fact that he was drunk and violent, Stella started panicking and told her not to move a single inch before she goes down to see her.

Pulling back from the embrace, Stella asks, "Why in the world would you go down to see him, Chloe?"

After hearing the details of what happened, Stella looks back with the same expression of horror Chloe had on her face minutes ago. "You are kidding, right? I mean, h-how is that even possible? We all knew how madly in love he was with you..." Her voice trails off as she notices Chloe's troubled expression.

"I know," Chloe says looking down. "I didn't see it coming either."

"Come on, he didn't deserve you anyway. You are perfect in every way, way too good for him" Stella says, trying to uplift her mood. "You will meet the one you are meant to be with soon. And when you do, you won't remember any of this because of how happy he will make you feel. You will feel at home..." Stella's eyes drift off far, as a peaceful smile slowly makes it's way to her lips.

"I'm really happy for you. I think you and Alex make a great pair," Chloe says, squeezing Stella's hands.

"Oh, forget about me. Tell me more about the superhero who came to your rescue today. Did you get his name?" Stella asks excitedly.

Realization hits Chloe as she thinks back to her interaction with the man in the suit earlier. They barely spoke any words and she doesn't even know his name. While she was next to him, it felt as if she was in a trance, unable to do anything.  All she remembers is his stormy grey eyes and the way he was looking at her so intensely.

"Are you okay?" Stella snaps her back into reality.

"No. I mean, yes! Yes, I am okay. No, I didn't get his name," she answers quickly, trying to hide her flustered thoughts.

"Hmm. So... was he cute?" Stella asks playfully with a grin.

"Seriously?" Chloe rolls her eyes. "That'd be the last thing on my mind."

"But you're not denying it..." Stella softly elbows her.

"Shut up" Chloe rolls her eyes again and they both laugh.

                                          ***

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Lorenzo asks after Damien reveals his true plans to him. 

After finding out Chloe had broken up with her former boyfriend, Damien instantly thought of using this chance to slowly destruct everything Bruce has. He knew his daughter was his only other weakness besides money. 

"I'm not questioning the success rate of it, but there will be complications if you get your feelings involved in this," Lorenzo says, concerned.  

"Feelings?" Damien asks with the slightest bit of humor in his voice. "She is the daughter of the man I hate the most. For years, I had struggled to make my way up to where I am now. There's nothing that can mess this up." He cocks his head slightly to the left and says "This is nothing more than a business plan. Exactly four weeks from now, she will be in the palm of my hands and I will be one step closer to bringing down Bruce Williams."

"Alright. But, I must remind you. Chloe did get cheated on recently by that Jack Hughes guy, so she might not be looking for a love interest any time soon. It might be hard to get her on this."

"Hard, but not impossible," Damien says, casually but determined. "Continue keeping an eye on her and giving me every detail about her whereabouts."

"You got it."

Lorenzo gets up from his chair and leaves the office room. Once the door shuts close, Damien leans back in his leather chair and thinks back to the incident with Chloe from last night.

He had been informed by Lorenzo about Chloe's plans of celebrating Fourth of July on the rooftop bar and made a reservation for himself.

He sat by the bar counter and took slow sips of his gin and tonic, as he waited for her to arrive. Once the elevator door opened, voices erupted from inside and a group of people made their way to the open roof section. 

Damien turned his head slightly to look over his shoulder and spotted Chloe seating herself across her so-called friend Stella. 

His gaze lingered on her for a second more before it returned to the half-empty glass before him. Not too long after he noticed Chloe walking out to the elevator area and talking to someone on the phone. She seemed rather uneasy from what he could make out. 

After she went into the elevator, Damien waited a couple of moments before throwing a fifty dollar bill on the counter and following her.

When he got to the entrance of the building, he noticed Chloe being dragged away by who he later learned was her ex-boyfriend, Jack Hughes. 

"You're hurting me. Let me go!" He heard Chloe struggle under his grip.

Damien swiftly made his way to them and shoved Jack on to the ground.

"She. Said. To. Let. Go." Damien said in his chilling tone. 

"Who the fuck are you? Mind your own business," he spat.

Soon enough, Damien's fist was on Jack's jaw and he was bleeding.

"Stay away from her. Or next time... there won't be a next time." 

Sensing Chloe tense up, Damien tried to keep his cool and get back to his cool composure. Turning to her, he asked, "Are you okay?"

She looked up at him with her hazel, brown eyes and fell into her thoughts. This was exactly the kind of effect he wanted to have on her. In trance, under his control. 

Snapping back into reality, she said "Y-yes. I am fine... Thank you."

After a short while, Damien walked Chloe back to the building. He could sense her nervousness as she thanked him and tucked in her hair behind her ear. To leave an effect, he intentionally let his eyes roam around her entire body. 

Not bad, he thought to himself as his eyes scanned her hourglass figure, curvy in all the right places. 

Not too long after, her phone rang and she excused herself to receive it. He could tell she was definitely flustered, from the way her cheeks turned a rosy pink colour. 

Having accomplished his goal for the night, he nodded at her and left with a subtle smirk on his face. 

If she had reacted that way with just his eyes on her, this plan of his was going to be a piece of cake.