“Gina, I think it’s time we absorb the Callahan enterprise into our company, “Damien whispered into Gina’s ear as he watched her pat his chest while sitting on his lap. She had been exceptionally called us.
“As long as you’re the one making the decisions, I’m okay with it” Gina muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. “So, how do you plan on doing that?”
“Well, I don’t have to do much. The netizens and other small-scale companies are already pressuring him. I just need to gather some vulture investors who would agree to buy the shares at a low price. They can start preying on the company on our behalf” Damien explained with a mysterious smile on his face, his voice laced with excitement, his gaze lingering on Gina as she looked up to meet his eyes.
“I thought you already gathered investors and took over their shares, which other investors are you talking about?” Gina asked, her brows arched in suspicious and her words dripping with confusion.
Damien patted her head and replied, “These aren’t ordinary investors like the ones on the surface. Don’t worry, as it goes on, you’ll understand” Damien’s voice was soothing and convincing. “I already scheduled a meeting with some of them… I don’t want to waste time anymore”
“That’s great,” Gina exclaimed. “Just let me know how it turns out”
“I will” Damien replied, letting silence take over as they enjoyed each other’s company, their minds occupied with thoughts about the supposed bright future they were looking up to.
After a few minutes, Damien was the first to disrupt the silence.
“Gina” he called out gently, thinking she was asleep. It was weekend and he had decided to spend time with her at her house.
Gina stirred a little and turned to face him. “Yes, you called?”
Damien hesitated a little but thought it was strange, so he asked, “When was the last time you spoke with your daughter”
A scary glint flashed through her eyes for a fleeting moment before she replied, saying “It’s been a while. I haven’t heard anything from her. She’s matured enough to live without me”
“Haha… Your heart is frosty compared to its usual carelessness. What happened?” Damien asked, his voice laced with nervousness yet curiosity, his gaze flashing with the unknown as he patiently waited for her answer.
“I’m just following your words, Damien.. you already said pawns were meant to be used and disposed of. I’m trying to dissociate myself from her, so it wouldn’t be too hard to say goodbye” Gina emphasized, her gaze blank and strange.
She paused a moment before adding, “I want to secure a future with you and so, I have to let go of my past and Isabelle is the first person to start with” Her voice was filled with a sense of longing but Damien thought she was being Delusional. Though he cared for her he never had any plans to spend the rest of his life with her. It was only for their revenge, but he decided to ignore it.
“Well, she was abducted. That’s why I mentioned it” Damien explained himself. “Those two men have been caught, but it doesn’t affect us. They were of good use. I mean we managed to get Liam bankrupt without lifting a finger. Now, we get to keep all the benefits for ourselves while they rot in jail… Hahaha,” Damien stated as laughter erupted from his belly. “Those amateurs didn’t think things through before acting”
His laughter ceased after a while as he asked, “Shouldn’t you go see her to avoid suspicions?”
“There’s no need. I’m tired of pretending anyway” Gina responded, her voice nonchalant and dismissive.
“Alright, alright. Just be careful, we can’t afford to ruin things at this critical moment” Damien uttered with caution in his voice as he felt his heart skip a beat as a result of her response.
As soon as he uttered those words, Gina instantly clutched her head and let out a shrill scream.
“Are you okay?” Damien asked her in a panicked state, his gaze confused at the sudden change in Gina’s actions. “Gina,..”
She ignored his call and ran to the table and picked up the pills Feliz had forced her to accept. She poured it into her palm and threw the content in her mouth without checking if it was the right dosage.
“What’s going on?” Damien asked, eyeing her suspiciously as he handed her a cup of water which she drank in three gulps. “You’re acting strange”
After the pain had resided, Gina now had to think of a believable excuse that could bail her out from Damien’s scrutinizing gaze. “Erm… It’s a pain reliever. I’ve just been having headaches for the past few weeks… I’m thinking of going on a vacation after all this”
“Oh!” Damien poured his lips in realization, but deep down in his heart, he was still confused about how someone could react to a simple illness like a headache.
“I will be fine” Gina uttered with shaking hands as she stood up from the floor. “Don’t worry about me”
“Alright, if you say so” Damien shrugged his shoulders as his gaze watched her movement for anything he wasn’t told about. “I need to go now. I need to speak with some investors”
“Alright,” Gina bade him goodbye and slumped on the bed immediately she was sure he was gone. “Oh! God… That was close” she exclaimed in shock.
****
Rachael was lost in thoughts as she walked all the way home from the hospital. She had been stressed babysitting Isabelle and Penelope at the same time, though both of them didn’t get to meet because of their inability to move from their bed and the doctor’s warnings.
As she walked by the roadside, a hooting car jolted out of her thoughts as she ran forward in fear. She stopped and turned to scold the owner but for stunned when she recognized the black sports car.
Her face twitched in annoyance, and immediately the window slid down to reveal the driver’s face.
“What do you want?” She asked rudely. “I thought I asked you to give me space.
“Haven’t I granted you enough space?… It’s time we talk things out or don’t you want to know the whole truth?”