The Billionaire's Retribution

Chapter 12: Nightmare

"This feels like a nightmare. There is no way nerdy Damian could be the rightful successor of a large company. And the thought of Damian proposing to my best friend, Davina, is unimaginable." Camille pondered in the company's medical room, trying to understand what had transpired after regaining consciousness.

"No, no, it must have been a terrible dream. I have known Damian for three years of our marriage, and he has always been a geeky, ordinary guy. There's no way he could be a CEO." Camille tried to convince herself amidst the lingering confusion.

Just then, Marcel entered the medical room, his tone unkind. "How could my fiancée be involved with your husband?" he questioned.

Camille felt a shiver run down her spine, realizing it wasn't just a bad dream. "So, it wasn't a dream after all?" she whispered, the reality sinking in.

Marcel tightened his grip on Camille's hand. "Why did Damian propose to my fiancée?" he asked, enraged.

"I don't understand why you are angry with me. You saw how shocked I was, it caused me to faint. If I don't know, how could I explain it?" Camille snapped, frustration evident in her voice.

Marcel pounded his fists on the table, the loud thud echoing through the room as a stark display of his fury. While Camille could somewhat understand Marcel's anger, she also couldn't comprehend why he directed it towards her.

"That woman can't get away with betraying me. How dare she?" Marcel seethed, grinding his teeth in frustration.

It was understandable that Marcel was furious with his fiancée's explicit betrayal of their engagement. However, Marcel had no right to be angry about Davina not being loved or treated well by him in their relationship.

Marcel grasped Camille's shoulders, shaking her slightly. "Think carefully. Think about what you may have missed."

"To my knowledge, Damian and Davina only met in court. They were classmates of mine, but I distinctly remember that they had no connection. I don't know when or how they grew so close. Could they be connected through something else?" Camille mused, unable to piece it all together despite pondering it numerous times.

"You've been married to him for so many years. Are you so oblivious that you don't know your husband is the rightful heir to a major corporation?" Marcel snapped.

"Damian has been hiding his true identity from me!" Camille couldn't accept Marcel's blame when utterly unaware of the truth.

"Davina must be out of her mind. I cannot let this slide. Camille, it would be best if you found out what truly transpired between them," Marcel asserted.

Meanwhile, Davina stood beside Nick in the party room while Atlantis introduced Damian to their colleagues. It was high time for Damian to learn and adapt to socializing in his new role.

As Nick prepared to leave, Davina instinctively grabbed his arm. "Where are you going?" she asked, her voice filled with desperation.

Confused, Nick furrowed his brows. "What's wrong with you?" he inquired.

After everything that had transpired, Davina didn't want to be alone. Damian's sudden marriage proposal had left her petrified. Despite Nick's indifferent attitude towards her, his presence made Davina feel safe.

"I just need to use the restroom," Nick stated, noting Davina's nervous reaction.

"Oh, of course. Go ahead," Davina replied, attempting to cover her awkwardness by pretending to sip on her champagne. But alcohol could no longer calm her anxious mind. All she could think about was escaping from this place.

"Why should I care about Damian? I should leave as soon as possible," Davina thought, placing her champagne glass on a random table. Today's events had thrown her entirely off track. She intended to observe the spectacle, not to become a part of it.

"Am I risking a DUI by driving under the influence? How silly of me. I'm barely even tipsy. I shouldn't have had that champagne," Davina lamented, clutching her pounding head. "Wait, I came here by taxi. Darn it, I'm already drunk.”

Davina stood by the curb, waiting for a taxi to pull up. After five minutes, an empty taxi finally stopped in front of her.

"Please take me to the jazz bar," she requested, sinking into the backseat and closing her eyes. Finally, she could breathe a sigh of relief from the suffocating situation.

Meanwhile, Damian approached Nick, unaware of Davina's absence for the past hour. "Nick, where is Davina? Has she been with you this whole time?" Damian questioned.

Placing a cupcake on the table, Nick discouraged any further indulgence. "I don't know. I haven't seen her since I went to the restroom. She might have gone home."

"How could she leave? I haven't even had a chance to talk to her," Damian said in frustration.

Nick nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders, clearly displaying his dislike for Davina. It was evident that he was uninterested in her presence.

As Damian looked around, searching for Marcel or Camille, his frown deepened upon noticing Camille rejoining the party without Marcel. Something seemed off.

"Have you noticed Marcel's financial director?" Damian began to suspect something was amiss.

"I've been keeping an eye on him ever since you mentioned his involvement in the company's fund corruption. I saw him leave the party hastily half an hour ago," Nick replied.

A frustrated groan escaped Damian's lips as he muttered, "I should have noticed sooner."

Confused, Nick questioned Damian, "What's wrong?"

Knowing Nick's dislike for Davina, Damian tried to explain, "I understand you have reservations about her, but I want you to pay closer attention to her."

Perplexed, Nick asked, "What do you mean? Davina is an adult. I will prioritize your happiness above all else in my life. However, your proposal to Davina seems illogical. Given your current position, being associated with Davina doesn't bring any benefits. We don't even know anything about her background."

Nick still couldn't comprehend why Damian had proposed to Davina. Once was enough for Damian to marry someone like Camille, who seemed to have no purpose. He didn't want his friend to make the same mistake again.

"Who says Davina's background isn't beneficial to me? Her background brings significant benefits. I will explain the details to you when I have the time. Right now, I need to find Davina," Damian explained, his worry evident as he realized Davina had left the party without saying goodbye.

About to leave the party, Damian was stopped by Atlantis. "Where are you going, Damian? I haven't finished introducing you to everyone yet."

"I have to find Davina," Damian replied, anguish evident. He feared that Marcel might harm her once again.

"You can see your fiancée after the party. You are the star of the show tonight. You can't leave before the event concludes. Several investors will be coming to meet and greet you," Atlantis insisted.

With a frustrated sigh, Damian realized he couldn't disregard the company's interests. He had to remain at the party until it ended.

"Nick, could you please find Davina for me? Let me know if she's alright," Damian requested, his voice filled with concern.

Initially, Nick hesitated to fulfill his young master's request. However, seeing the worry etched on Damian's face, he changed his mind. "Alright, I'll search for her. Where does she live?"

"She resides in a penthouse apartment approximately twenty minutes away from here. Forget it. Even if you go, there's no way you could get into the jazz bar, let alone enter the penthouse apartment building. I'll go look for her immediately after this party concludes," Damian explained, realizing the difficulty of the situation. He couldn't disclose Davina's secret residence to Nick, as he had promised to keep it hidden from others.

"Damian, let's meet the investor," Atlantis instructed, beckoning him to follow.

Dutifully, Damian followed Atlantis, putting Davina's whereabouts temporarily on hold.

Upon reaching the penthouse apartment, Davina opened the door and hesitated to turn on the lights. To her surprise, Marcel sat calmly on the sofa, his composed demeanor sending chills down her spine.

"Since when have you been in my house? How did you gain access to my door's password?" Davina questioned, her voice filled with shock.

Davina just realized the proposal of marriage is a nightmare for everyone.