Revenge Of Domenico Santoro

Chapter 7. The Plan

The limousine parked in front of a skyscraper as Roberto lightly tapped Damian. "Young master, we're here."

Damian turned to look at him, as if realizing he was on a ride. "Oh..." Damian forced a smile.

Roberto sighed as he got out of the car, taking note of his master's expression. It was obvious he was not himself. The meeting with Ravenna was taking a toll on him.

He opened the door and bowed; Damian walked out of the limo as several men in black suits, well-dressed, bowed to him immediately as he emerged.

Damian turned to look at Roberto in surprise.

"What is this, Roberto?"

"They are the staff of SN Hotel. This is one of Santoros Investments. And you, young master, are the new owner," Roberto explained.

"SN Hotels!" Damian's eyes glinted in shock. Everyone knew SN Hotel in the whole country. They were the leading one in the country; even the Kings were no match.

"Welcome, Mr. Santoro. We're glad to finally meet you," a woman walked up to him and handed him a bouquet, which Damian collected with a nervous smile.

"This is Claire. She is the Managing Director of the hotel," Roberto introduced.

"And these are the staff of the hotel, heads of most departments," Roberto gestured to the other men, mostly young men.

"Oh..." Damian nodded.

"Is the room prepared?" Roberto turned to Claire, asking her in that commanding tone Damian could not muster.

"Yes, Mr. Roberto. According to your command," Claire nodded dutifully as Roberto turned to Damian.

"Young Master... please," he stretched his hand forward, motioning him to enter the building.

Damian walked in as Roberto trailed behind him, followed by Claire and the other staff.

"Is it necessary for them to come along?" Damian whispered to Roberto, who was closer to him than the rest.

"Of course, sir. They are here to serve you to the optimum," Roberto said aloud, and Damian stopped, annoyed that Roberto had said that aloud.

"What the hell?!" He shouted, and they all bowed immediately, thinking they had done something to make him angry.

Damian widened his eyes. "Why are you…."

Roberto moved close to him. "We train our staff to be observant of every small detail," Roberto said with a smile.

"Like hell you do! They are clearly walking on their toes," Damian hissed and turned to them.

"You all can leave except Roberto," Damian said, still feeling weird exercising his newfound authority.

"Did we offend you, sir?" Claire asked, looking really scared.

"No. I'm fine. But I won't have you all lingering around me," Damian said, trying to keep his voice in check.

"Okay, sir," Claire said in an almost disappointed tone.

Roberto nodded to her as they all left.

"That is more like it!" Roberto chuckled as they all left.

Damian eyed him as Roberto composed himself.

"You can't blame them. I gave them short notice that the owner would be here in ten minutes," Roberto grumbled. "I thought you would agree to come to Rome with me, where the family's main business is concentrated. They were troubled they might have done a bad job," Roberto explained, as Damian sighed, remembering Ravenna and the insults.

"I guess things happen," Damian mumbled. "Take me to the bloody room; I am tired."

"Yeah. I guessed. You forced the doctor to discharge you because you own the hospital. You're even worse than your father," Roberto said jokingly, as Damian glared at him.

"Sorry, young master," he apologized quickly as he led the way to the room.

Situated at the top of the hotel, the suite was not what Damian could imagine. It was far from exotic.

"Send me some food and leave," Damian said.

"Alright, young master," Roberto said as Damian still surveyed the room.

"About your wife...," Roberto started again but paused immediately, then spoke again. "I mean your ex-wife issue. What do you plan to do? I figured you were thinking about it throughout the ride back, since you were quiet," Roberto said.

"About that..." Damian pressed his lips for a while.

"We'll talk after I take a nap. For now, I need to rest," Damian said and walked toward the bathroom without a backward glance, the pain from Ravenna's betrayal fresh in his heart.

**************

Damian stretched lazily on the soft king-sized bed that exuded luxury. His past few nights had been filled with excruciating pain from the beatings he received in prison and confinement in the cell. But today was different. As the sun's rays shone through the curtains onto his body, Damian knew this was a new beginning, although he still had some scores to settle or he wouldn't truly find peace.

He stood up naked from the bed, yes, because he was all alone... in his suite... in his hotel. As he made his way to the adjoining living room to get a cup of coffee, his eyes caught sight of a woman standing, staring at him as if it were alright to see him completely naked!

"What the hell!" Damian's eyes shone in shock as he rushed back to the room. "Who the hell was that?" He questioned himself. The woman didn't look like a staff member of the hotel. She appeared more sophisticated, and why did she look so...

"Young master..." Roberto knocked on the door, cutting through his thoughts. "Roberto... Who the hell is that in my bloody suite, and didn't I say I was not to be disturbed?" Damian asked angrily.

"Ughm..." Roberto stared down at Damian's torso, and Damian quickly understood. He grudgingly moved to the wardrobe and draped a robe over himself. "I'm dressed. Start talking or you fire her! I don't care who she is..." Damian's eyes shone with anger.

"Who is she?" Roberto joked. "Don't be so cheesy, Roberto. I'm not joking. She walked into my suite uninvited, saw me..." Damian paused, not knowing how to say the word because he found it embarrassing. "Whatever! Who is she?"

"Your attorney," Roberto replied. "Attorney?" Damian asked in shock. "That woman?!"

"Why?" "Oh my God, she looks like a bloody actress! Who becomes a attorney with a face like that?" Damian asked, his face flushed as he remembered the expression she had when she saw him naked. But there was no denying that she looked beautiful, too beautiful if there was such a thing.

"Are you blushing?" Roberto asked with a serious look. "What?" Damian asked with an incredulous chuckle. "No! What the hell!" He hissed as Roberto stifled a chuckle in secret.

"Are you making fun of me?" Damian asked in embarrassment. Roberto didn't reply; he just murmured to himself. "I wasn't the one who asked you to walk around naked."

"I heard that..." Damian made a pissed-off face. "Oh..." Roberto feigned a sorry face. "Quite clearly." Damian added, with a fake smile. Roberto understood that face, so he sought to change the subject quickly.

"She came here to discuss something important... please wear some clothes and come see her. Claire had the staff stick some clothes in the wardrobe."

"I saw it. Now get out." Damian said as Roberto smiled and walked away. "This is harder than being a pauper." Damian sighed and walked reluctantly to the bathroom to freshen up. A few minutes later, he was back in the living room.

"Mr. Santoro..." The lady from earlier quickly stood up, as did Roberto. "Sit. Please have a seat," Damian said. "And call me Damian, please." Damian forced a smile, trying to pretend he wasn't embarrassed in front of her.

"I—" Elena turned to look at Roberto, who shook his head. "Am I your boss or him?" Damian asked with a sarcastic smile.

"You, of course. But it wouldn't be unethical for me to call you by your first name... I'll just stick to surnames with formalities. And forgive my manners, Mr. Santoro. My name is Elena De Rossi. Your Attorney," she replied intelligently, which impressed Damian.

"Oh... I see." Damian nodded and turned to Roberto. "So, Miss Elena, you wanted to see me? Is that how we do it here? The employee asking the boss to see her?" He asked with a cunning smile, which Elena and Roberto noticed quickly.

"No, sir. Elena is here to make you familiar with the Santoro's investments and—"

"That's not the issue right now, Roberto." Damian said with a stern expression as the room fell silent.

"How about the task I assigned you?" He asked again.

"Oh, about the wedding. It will be held in a week's time." Roberto replied quickly, knowing how this matter affected his boss.

Damian cupped his face in his hand. "That's quite close." He raised it again. He stood up and walked to the window, where he had a better view of the city.

"I can't believe she agreed to marry that Carlos." He muttered to himself. "He's the judge's son. The one who obviously helped her father with the issue." Roberto said.

"Carlos Conti? The judge's son?" Elena asked, and they both turned to her. "The man infamous for being charged with rape and murder?"

"What?" Damian couldn't believe his ears. "There's no one in the legal world who doesn't know him. Do you have an issue with him?" Elena asked.

"He stole his wife. I mean, his ex-wife." Roberto quickly corrected, and Elena nodded.

Damian drew in a deep breath. "I want them to pay, but I don't know how to. The wedding is so close that I feel so tense and frustrated."

"How is that possible?" Roberto cut in. "You're Domenico Santoro. There is nothing you can't achieve; just a command from you, and everyone would do your bidding."

"It's not as simple. I want Ravenna to be shamed in a way that she would never want to show her face to the public again." Damian said.

"I think I know a way." Elena chipped in.