The Billionaire's Retribution

Chapter 11: Proposal

Davina repeatedly checked to confirm that the man standing before her was Damian. Although Davina had always found Damian's geeky appearance endearing, she had never seen him look so immaculate. A thought crossed Davina's mind – where had Damian learned such beautiful words for his proposal? Was he a natural at charming women? Ever since Damian approached her, Davina had been lost in daydreams, finding it hard to believe this situation was happening.

The proposal had also caught Atlantis and Nick off guard, leaving them just as surprised as Davina. "Davina?" Damian called out, breaking her reverie.

"Huh?" Davina snapped back to reality, only to realize that a crowd of onlookers had gathered around them.

Damian extended his hand, revealing a ring. Davina's gaze seemed to convey a silent message, questioning whether they had discussed this before. She was torn about what to do, but at the same time, she couldn't bear to let Damian stay on his knees for too long.

If Davina were to reject the proposal and run away, her face would become an instant sensation, gracing the headlines as the most embarrassing news story. On the other hand, if she accepted Damian's proposal, her face would be plastered across news outlets as the fiancée of a new CEO, creating a scandalous buzz.

"Yes, let's get married," Davina agreed to Damian's proposal, knowing the consequences awaited her.

As the employees witnessed the proposal, they cheered excitedly, except for Marcel and Camille. In just a single moment, they felt betrayed by Damian and Davina.

Damian carefully slid a diamond ring onto Davina's finger, a perfect fit. They embraced each other, symbolizing their unity.

"Do you think I'll accept you that easily? I already told you I don't want to be a part of your drama," Davina whispered during their embrace.

"I'll compensate you generously for playing your part," Damian assured, rubbing her back.

"I don't need your money," Davina replied firmly.

"I won't just pay you money. I'll also seek revenge on your fiancé," Damian vowed hushedly.

“I can handle my problem by myself.”

As their conversation turned hostile, Davina and Damian pretended to maintain a sweet embrace, deceiving the audience. Eventually, they broke apart, receiving thunderous applause from everyone who had witnessed the proposal.

"Please enjoy the party today," Damian addressed the employees, signaling their spectacle was over.

Damian then took Davina by the hand, leading her to meet Atlantis and Nick. Davina respectfully greeted Atlantis and Nick, her first impression of her future father-in-law eliciting a wry smile from Atlantis.

"Are you of Asian descent?" Atlantis inquired.

"Dad, that's not an appropriate question," Damian interjected, concerned about the possibility of racism.

"It's alright. My mother is Asian," Davina reassured.

"It seems like your mother has raised you well. You display respect when meeting others for the first time," Atlantis remarked, satisfied with his initial impression of Davina.

"My mother is an exceptional woman. She raised me with great care. Thank you for your kind words," Davina replied gracefully.

Allowing for introductions, Atlantis introduced himself and Nick. "I am Atlantis Wilson. And this is Nick, Damian's assistant."

"I'm Davina Claire. It's a pleasure to meet you," Davina said as she shook hands with Atlantis and Nick.

Damian was taken aback by Davina's composed demeanor towards Atlantis and Nick. It turned out that Davina's attitude was far better than Camille's during her first introduction to Atlantis.

"Damian, can we have a moment alone to talk?" Atlantis signaled that they should speak privately. After all, Atlantis and Nick were unaware of Damian's role in this situation.

Damian looked at Davina, seeking her approval before excusing himself to join Atlantis in a quiet room within the company building, ensuring privacy for their conversation. Meanwhile, Davina and Nick stood alone, determined to stay close to Damian, Nick, or Atlantis, preventing Marcel from pulling Davina away. Davina was using Damian's family as her protective shield.

"You don't have to pretend in front of me," Nick initiated a conversation.

"I'm sorry?" Davina was perplexed by Nick's comment.

"Tell me, what is your motive for marrying young master?" Nick's tone became protective.

Davina almost burst into laughter at Nick's absurd question. "You should ask your young master. What was his purpose in publicly proposing to me like this?"

"You truly didn't know that the young master was going to propose to you today?" Nick sounded incredulous.

Nick had noticed that the matching outfits Damian and Davina wore were a testament to their union and harmony as a couple. They were the only ones in the room donning white.

"Your young master informed me that the dress code for the company's anniversary was white. In other words, it was your young master who deceived me. I had no idea it would turn out like this," Davina revealed honestly to Nick.

After the failure of Damian's first marriage, Nick was adamant about protecting Damian more than ever. As someone who cared deeply for Damian, Nick was determined to prevent him from getting hurt due to a woman.

"Who are you? What is your relationship with Damian?" Nick inquired.

"Damian and I were classmates in high school. I'm not sure if he remembers me. We reconnected when I became Damian and Camille's divorce lawyer. Then suddenly, Damian proposed to me. Does that satisfy your curiosity about our relationship?" Davina deduced the type of people she was dealing with. Nick was Damian's personal assistant, and it seemed they had known each other for a long time. If Davina and Damian's marriage were to happen, Nick would also inevitably be involved.

Meanwhile, Atlantis was at a loss in the office addressing his son's sudden proposal.

"I had intended to surprise everyone today with your presence as my successor. I never anticipated that your proposal would garner more attention than your promotion," Atlantis expressed his frustration.

"You're right. I didn't expect the reaction to be so significant either," Damian admitted without denial.

In a fit of anger, Atlantis slammed his hand on the table. "Why didn't you inform me beforehand? Are you doing this to gain control of my shares sooner?"

"The shares are one factor but not the primary reason," Damian replied confidently.

"Then what is your main reason?"

"This is a personal matter between Davina and me. I prefer to keep you out of it," Damian asserted.

Atlantis grew increasingly irritated by Damian's persistent affirmative responses. He was well aware of his son's inherently innocent yet strong-willed character. A public proposal came as a massive shock to Atlantis.

"Didn't you just get divorced?" Atlantis questioned.

"Didn't you ask me to remarry?" Damian retorted, turning Atlantis' question around.

"I asked you to remarry, not to marry just any woman," Atlantis gestured toward the exit.

"Davina is not just any woman, and she was my schoolmate. She's also a lawyer," Damian said in defense of Davina.

"What kind of lawyer?"

"A divorce lawyer. Davina is handling my divorce case with Camille."

"You must be out of your mind. Why would you marry a lawyer who's handling your divorce case? This is the most absurd thing I've heard in the past ten years," Atlantis furrowed his brow, clearly frustrated.

"Davina is a good woman."

"You said the same thing when you married Camille three years ago."

Damian sighed, realizing that gaining Atlantis' blessing this time would take time.

"Even if you get married, I will not give you my shares. I will give them to you only when convinced that Davina is a better woman than your ex-wife. Davina must meet the criteria and conditions I will establish. Could you tell me what Davina's true identity is? I know she’s not an ordinary woman.”