CHAPTER FOUR
"Damien" Lorenzo, who was Damien's best friend and roommate, called. He walked closer to Damien to wake him up but was surprised to see his battered and swollen face.
"Let's leave him to rest," Lorenzo said to the others.
"Is it really true that Damien and Kai were an item?" Kevin, a friend of Lorenzo from the other room asked.
"I don't know but I know Damien wouldn't lie about such a thing, to the point of getting into a fight," Lorenzo replied.
Lorenzo knew Damien to be one of the most truthful people he has come across, so he knew there must be an ounce of truth to Damien's statement.
"No one is a saint when it comes to pretty ladies Enzo, I am sure your best friend; Damien couldn't resist either" Kevin said in a jesting tone.
"Not everyone is like you Kevin" Lorenzo snarled, he didn't like it when they made fun of Damien. They were all richer than Damien but that doesn't give them the right to look down on him.
"Even the well behaved Damien fell for Miss beauty" Kevin said. He burst into laughter and the rest of his minions laughed.
"That's enough. You know what, I need to get some sleep" Lorenzo snapped. He wondered why he is still being friends with Kevin, when he clearly doesn't know how to be nice to people.
"Fine then, I will leave. Goodnight Mike" Kevin said to one of his minions before he left.
Lorenzo watched Mike carefully as he stood protectively in front of a sleeping Damien until Mike slid into his bed.
Lorenzo got into his bed and Damien released the breath he was holding. He couldn't face them, he couldn't stand to see the pity on Lorenzo's face.
He laid in silence as his mind wandered around until he finally found peace; falling asleep.
*****
"Brrrr"
"Brrrr."
"Brrr"
The alarm rang disruptively into Damien's ears as he slept on his bed. Since he had passed the night two days ago on the hard cold floor of the cell, he didn't want to get up and lose the warmth he was receiving from his bed.
"Argh!!" He groaned as he hesitantly jerked awake from the bed too fast making him feel pains. He stood up when he remembered he was to go to work today, his class was later in the day, he would be back in time for his class.
"Oh shut up!" He groaned as the pounding headache he felt refused to cease.
He stretched his arm to put off the equipment that was bent on making sure he was ready for the day. A necessary but yet annoying tool to keep in your home.
"Goodness I'm late" He muttered as he glanced at the time on the alarm clock, It was seven thirty pm already.
"I'm going to be super late" he kept on muttering as he dashed out of bed as fast as his injured body could carry him.
He glanced at the bed and sighed in relief both Lorenzo and Mike were fast asleep, he wished to have left before they would be up, he still hadn't had the courage to face them yet.
He got into the bathroom and he quickly put on the shower and did everything he had to do in there at the speed of light, no time to dawdle.
Damien sighed deeply as he shut the door and quickly walked in the corridor before he would run into someone who knew him or had seen the video. He was more focused on where he was going when a familiar voice stopped him.
"Good Morning Damien " Kai said. She looked pretty in her white halter neck bodycon gown she had worn.
Damien swallowed as he stared at her and his heart began to ache again.
"Good morning Kai" he finally said to her after a long silence. He wondered what would have brought her here again.
"Can we talk?" Kai asked. Kai threw him a guilty look when she noticed the look of hope on his eyes, she hadn't come to explain what had happened the other night but to end whatever it is they had. She stood nervously as she continuously threw glances around, not wanting to be seen with Damien.
It would be a huge scandal and she wasn't ready for that.
"Em Kai, I don't think we should be talking right now, it's best if you go ahead with the pretense that you don't know me" Damiem fired bitterly. He was still hurt about her rejection, she had humiliated him not only in front of her Fiance but also in front of the whole nation. If the national TV had aired the news, who wouldn't have seen the humiliating video of him.
"You don't need to worry about that, I won't be wasting your time. I just want to make sure it is clear to you that we are over, we are no longer an item, honestly I don't want you coming over to persuade me to be with you" Kai said heartlessly, she noticed the hurt expression in his face, she noticed the welled up tears in his eyes but she choose to turn a blind eye to it.
Damien was a sight for sore eyes, with just the perfect grooming, girls would troop for him. She sighed as she stared at him, he was what a woman would always dream of, but one thing was lacking, he wasn't rich, she was even richer than him and that was the problem, his family does not have anything to their name, she can't be with someone like that. She refuses to end up with such a low life when she can get a better option, she was after all not called miss beauty for nothing.
"Kai, why? I thought you loved me, you said that yourself" Damien said. He knew she had dumped him because he had no penny to his name but he really wanted to know if she had faked her feelings for him all those while.
"You are still asking why Damien? You of all people should know why, don't tell me you are this dumb. Don't worry, I will make it easier and I will tell you myself" Kai said. She looked around again when she realized she had raised her voice while she was talking to Damien.
"I loved you Damien okay, I did, but love isn't enough. I need a man who can take care of me, a man who knows what it takes to shower his money on his woman and I am sorry Damien, you lack in that department" Kai said. She was beginning to fear someone might see her here, it was just by luck she had gotten inside and no one saw her.
"You see, at a point I started asking myself what I was really doing with you, you can't maintain me, can't you see me? I am way out of your league" Kai said, she not only bruised his ego she did a twirl to show him her perfect, long toned legs as she threw him one of her dazzling smiles, the one that made him fall in love with her, she threw him the smile on purpose. Damien had told her the smile was what made him fall for her.
"So love wasn't enough?" Damien asked sadly. He had done everything to make sure Kai had seen him as the perfect boyfriend. Even when he had to go hungry some days in order to give her money to purchase her bags from her favorite store.
"It wasn't, I needed more and honestly Damien it's really embarrassing when you tell people you know me, as the soon to be wife of Parker Smith, it would be a dent to my reputation you know" Kai threw a smile at Damien and raised her fingers to his view so he could see the diamond ring perfectly fitted into her finger.
"Everything I had done wasn't enough for you" Damien whispered but Kai had heard him. She scoffed loudly, turning Damien's attention on her.
"What did you do Damien? You couldn't even get me a real Louis Vuitton bag. Stop flattering yourself okay? Honestly I wish I never got myself involved with you, this wouldn't have happened" Kai said. She walked away and left behind a heartbroken Damien standing. Tears fell down his eyes, he let it pour and he vowed this would be the last time a woman would hurt him again.
CHAPTER FIVEDamien had arrived at 'the Golden Era' on time. He sighed out in relief that he wasn't late and he wouldn't be tongue lashed by his boss about being lateHe went into the Janitors closet to get the cleaning supplies and get to work when a coworker had seen him."Damien" the co worker called. Damien turned towards the direction his name was called from."Hey Lucas," he said. Lucas winced at the sight of Damien's swollen and purple face."Who did this to you? Lucas asked. Lucas was really worried about Damien when he was taken the other day and now he had returned all beaten up."It's nothing Lucas, why did you call?" Damien asked. He didn't want to talk about his face, he didn't want to talk about what he went through in the hands of the cops."Oh the boss requested for your audience" Lucas said and Damien gave a nod in response."Thanks Lucas, I will go there as soon as possible," Damien said. Damien took the supplies he hsf carried from the janitor's closet to the kitche
CHAPTER SIXThe Alarm Damien had set for his class blared waking him up.He gently got up from the bed, even when he was exhausted and his body was in pain, he still chose to go to school, little did he know the day had a lot in store for him.Damien got to the school faster than he had imagined and he felt very elated that he hadn't missed the lecture even after the struggle and all the bustle he went through in order to board a bus.He had the intention of walking down to school in the cold but he was lucky to have found some money in his pants.He stepped into the school and he noticed the pointing and snide remarks thrown at him, although it was not made pointedly but he knew they were all talking about him. He couldn't blame them, the news had circulated with the help of the national TV. He sighed then raised his chin up as he boldly went into the school building heading to the classroom.He stepped into the classroom and murmurs roared in the air. They were all talking about hi
CHAPTER SEVENDamien had walked out of the school. He decided to leave earlier, the humiliation and pestering were driving him out of his mind. He walked out in pains and hatred at the people who were the cause of his pains and miseries. He couldn't wait behind to receive the rest of his lectures. Not in that space and also not with everyone reminding him of what a lowlife he was. He glanced down at his clothes, that were covered in all sorts of drinks and food.He was tired already, he couldn’t fathom how people who never knew him held such amount of hate for him. They decided to hate him because he wasn’t rich. He was rich like Parker. He was sure they would also have taken sides with him.Damien thoughts about his parents, he intend to just give up on school and return home. He couldn’t cope in this hellhole.He needed to go to the place where he knew he would be accepted.He noticed someone following him. 'Hasn’t his day been worst already? What more do they intend to do to him?
CHAPTER EIGHT Damien kept on walking, unknown to him, the path he had planned to take had more reporters there than the front door of the building. The reporters who had gotten tips of where ‘the unknown guy' lives all came to the campus in order to get juicy details. It was all Parker’s plan, when he had found out that Damien was in the same school as his and worst of all a scholarship student, he decided to frustrate Damien more after the humiliation he had gotten in the cafeteria. Parker want Damien to leave the school after he has received much embarrassment. Damien came out from the corner, he smiled that he had successfully escaped the bald man when the smile suddenly froze on his lips. More reporters than he had ever seen were at the front of the campus building. He was tired of everything. He stood speechless as the persistent reporters ran towards him like he was honey and they were bees. They began pressing their mics on him, trying to get him to talk. He was frea
CHAPTER NINEThe man chuckled and smiled at the younger man seated beside him."It wasn’t really hard to find you, you've become popular over night, the whole nation knows you” the man said but Damien wasn't satisfied. He decided he would hold out on the questions first until he gets out."I am very grateful for your help out there sir" Damien says appreciating the man kind gesture towards him even if he knew there was a reason behind the help the man had rendered, he was still grateful. The man had saved him from further heart wrecking questioning that he wasn't in the least ready for."I am going to stop here" Damien said. He planned to stop here and find a place to rest, then he would find a way and inform his parents about his recent decision."Oh! No, I need to take you to a place, you need to see something” the man said stopping Damien from getting out of the car."I don't even know you or where you are taking me to and you expect me to just follow you" Damien said in surprise w
CHAPTER TEN When Damien and Charles were done eating at the restaurant, it was already late into the night. Charles took Damien straight to the Silverio’s Mansion situated in one of the most prestigious villas at the heart of the city. Damien was confused as to why Charles decided to bring him here but at the same time, he couldn’t deny not enjoying the thrilling views, he began to admire the whole environment and everything that concerned it. The beauty and serenity blend well with the atmosphere. He kept basking in the beauty view, for a moment, he forgot Charles was a total stranger to him. Their car drove through a huge automated black gate. While they walked from the car park to the main building, Damien already lost count of the numbers of men dressed in black suits they had passed standing at strategic places in the compound. It was late at night but some of the domestic staff were still up, they came across a few of them and they all would stop, bow slightly in a cour
CHAPTER ELEVEN Waking up, everything felt strange! From the soft texture feel of the bedding material that Damien laid, to the spicy exotic fragrance. “Did he really sleep in a room like this for the night?” Damien wondered. Everything felt like a mirage. Damien was startled when a knock sounded on the door. “Good morning Sir Damien,'’ A lady's voice greeted from the other side of the door. "Good morning" Damien responded in a rough voice, he was still laden with sleep. When Damien noticed the person wasn't going away any time soon, he decided to let them in and put his bath and questioning on hold. “Please come in,” Damien called out. He sluggishly moved up into a sitting posture while he waited for the person to come in. The door clicked open and a young lady, nicely dressed in a black dress and a white apron came in with a tray in her hand. Damien stared at her as she placed the tray of meal on the table. "This is your breakfast sir Damien" she said and Damien nodded ton
CHAPTER 12Gabriel Silverio walked into the room with a deep frown etched on his face, he glanced at them hoping what he heard was wrong.“Whose son is he?” He repeated his question again.“Oh, Gabriel, can you believe this? We have found Jason” Don Romano turned towards his brother.“It was such a coincidence, I can’t believe after so many years, I would still see my Jason here” Mrs. Silverio said.Damien was getting uncomfortable about the discussion, it hasn’t seat well with him yet that he is the son of one of the prominent men in America. He couldn’t believe he is a Silverio, a name he has held countless times, a name that parts ways for people, he has the blood of a Silverio running through his veins.“I can’t believe this brother, we all thought Jason was dead and he is here in the flesh standing right in front of us” Gabriel said, staring at Damien, observing the uncanny resemblance between the man standing right in front of him and his brother.“I, uhm, I think I have to go