Forbidden Desires: The Cold Billionaire

chapter 26

The executive floor was unusually quiet when Damon stepped out of the private elevator.

Employees who spotted him straightened immediately, murmuring polite greetings before returning to their work. His expression alone was enough to remind everyone that today was not the day to make mistakes.

As he strode toward his office, his secretary hurried to her feet.

"Good morning, Mr. Carson."

Damon gave a brief nod without slowing.

She quickly fell into step behind him, clutching her tablet against her chest.

"Sir... you have a visitor waiting inside your office."

Damon didn't even look at her.

"I wasn't expecting anyone."

"I know, sir." She swallowed nervously. "I tried calling the mansion to inform you before you arrived, but you had already left."

Damon stopped just outside his office door and his secretary nearly walked into his back.

"I specifically instructed you never to call my private number unless it's an emergency."

His voice wasn't loud, it didn't need to be but she immediately lowered her head.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Carson. I remembered your instructions."

"Then why mention it now?"

"I... I just wanted you to know I tried informing you."

Damon stared at her for a long moment before sighing.

"Forget it."

Relief flooded her face.

"Thank you, sir."

He pushed open the office door and the moment he stepped inside, he stopped.

Someone was stretched comfortably across the leather sofa, one ankle resting over the opposite knee, completely at ease.

His eyes were closed and one arm rested behind his head as though he owned the place.

Damon pinched the bridge of his nose.

Of course, only one person would have the audacity.

Behind him, his secretary peeked nervously into the office.

"I'm so sorry, sir. He refused to leave."

"It's fine."

She looked surprised.

"Would you like me to have security escort him out?"

"No."

She blinked.

"No?"

Damon sighed.

"He'll only come back."

"...Yes, sir."

She quietly shut the door behind her.

Silence settled over the office, the man on the couch still hadn't opened his eyes.

Damon walked behind his desk, placed his briefcase down and began removing a few files.

"You can stop pretending to be asleep."

Damon didn't bother looking up.

"If you don't open your eyes in the next five seconds, I'm having security throw you out."

A grin slowly appeared on the man's face.

"I knew you still cared."

Blue-grey eyes finally opened.

Frederick Bennett stretched lazily before sitting upright.

"I was wondering how long you'd let me nap."

"You weren't asleep."

"I was resting."

"You were waiting."

Frederick shrugged.

"Same difference."

Damon finally looked at him.

"You have an office."

"I do."

"You have employees."

"I do."

"You have a company to run."

"I do."

"So why are you here?"

Frederick stood and dusted off his expensive suit.

"Because my best friend has been avoiding every single one of my calls."

"I've been busy."

"Bull."

Damon didn't answer and Frederick folded his arms.

"You've ignored twenty-three calls. i counted."

"You need another hobby."

"I had one."

Frederick raised an eyebrow.

"Then you disappeared."

Damon walked toward the coffee machine.

"What do you want?"

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

"That's another lie."

Damon poured himself a cup of black coffee.

"You've been impossible to reach."

"I've had work."

"You love work."

"I do."

"So why have you suddenly started avoiding it?"

Damon remained silent and Frederick watched him carefully.

They had known each other for over twenty years, long enough to recognize every crack in each other's masks.

Finally...frederick asked quietly,

"...Did you find her?"

The room became still and Damon's hand froze around the coffee mug.

He didn't answer and Frederick slowly exhaled.

"So you did, When?"

"A few days ago."

"And?"

Another pause.

Frederick frowned.

"Damon."

"I brought her to the mansion."

Frederick blinked.

"You... what?"

"I brought her home."

"You kidnapped her?"

"I wouldn't call it that."

Frederick stared at him.

"You dragged her against her will."

"...Yes."

"That's kidnapping."

Damon looked away and frederick rubbed both hands over his face.

"I leave you alone for one week..."

He laughed once in disbelief.

"...and you commit a felony."

Damon's expression darkened.

"I'm not joking."

"I know."

Frederick sighed deeply and shook his head.

"What happened after you brought her there?"

Damon leaned back against his desk and for several seconds he said nothing.

Then, he began telling him everything about meeting Lana, the confrontation, Mistaking her question about debtors, losing control, grabbing her throat, locking her inside the room, keeping her in the mansion, The dinners, the arguments, the way she refused to stay and even the escape attempt.

Frederick listened without interrupting until he heard about the escape attempt

"...She climbed out of the second-story window?"

Damon nodded once.

"Using bedsheets."

Frederick blinked in disbelief

"Bedsheets?"

"She tied them together."

Frederick stared at Damon in disbelief

"...You're serious."

"Unfortunately."

"And then?"

"The rope snapped."

Frederick leaned forward, his eyes growing wide a bit

"And?"

"I caught her."

There was a short silence before Frederick burst into laughter. loud, uncontrollable laughter.

He doubled over, gripping his stomach.

"I-I'm sorry..."

He laughed harder.

"I can't..."

Another fit of laughter escaped him.

"You actually caught her?"

Damon glared at him

"It isn't funny."

"It absolutely is."

"It wasn't."

Frederick wiped tears from his eyes.

"I've known you since university."

"I know."

"I've watched grown businessmen tremble because of you."

"I know."

"And now..."

He laughed again.

"A tiny woman tied bedsheets together and nearly escaped from the most feared man in the city."

Damon's jaw tightened.

"She didn't escape."

"She almost did."

"I caught her."

"You had to catch her."

Frederick shook his head, still smiling.

"I wish I'd seen your face."

"You would've been disappointed."

"I doubt that."

Damon took a long sip of coffee.

"I wasn't amused."

"I can tell."

Frederick slowly calmed himself.

"I suppose she's stubborn."

"You have no idea."

"She sounds fearless."

"No."

Damon answered immediately.

"She's terrified."

Frederick's smile faded.

"Then why keep fighting you?"

"Because she wants to leave."

"Can you blame her?"

Damon looked away.

"No."

Another silence settled between them before finally Frederick spoke.

"Does she know?"

Damon frowned at his question

"Know what?"

"What her father did."

"No."

"Not even a little?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"I questioned her."

"And?"

"She genuinely doesn't know."

Frederick studied him.

"You believe her?"

Damon hesitated.

"...Yes."

That single word surprised even him and frederick noticed.

"So you believe she's innocent."

Damon's eyes narrowed.

"I didn't say that."

"You practically did."

"I said she doesn't know."

"There's a difference."

Frederick walked toward the large windows overlooking the city.

"So..."

He looked back.

"What now?"

Damon didn't answer and frederick waited but he said nothing.

"You don't have a plan?"

"I do."

"What is it?" he ssked but got silence as an anseer, rederick frowned.

"Damon."

"I need the document."

"And?"

"I'll find it."

"How?"

"Through her."

Frederick nodded slowly.

"And after that?"

There was another silence but it was longer this time.

"What happens once you've found whatever Nicholas left behind?"

Damon looked down at his coffee. he had asked himself that exact question countless times, but he still didn't have an answer.

Frederick watched him carefully.

"...You don't know."

"I'll decide when the time comes."

"No."

Frederick shook his head.

"You haven't thought that far."

Damon's silence confirmed it and frederick sighed.

"You've spent years chasing revenge."

"Yes."

"You finally have Nicholas's daughter."

"Yes."

"And now that she's actually there..."

He folded his arms.

"...you have absolutely no idea what you're supposed to do with her."

The words landed harder than Damon expected because they were true.

Every sleepless night...Every anonymous letter...Every photograph...Every investigation... Everything had led to one goal, to find Lana and now she was living under his roof and somehow, he felt more lost than ever.

Frederick's voice softened.

"Let me ask you something."

Damon looked up at him, his frowned deepening

"When you imagined finding Nicholas's daughter..."

He paused.

"...did you imagine someone like her?"

Damon remembered the frightened woman clutching the bedsheets and the way she devoured breakfast, the cheesecake.

he remebered the fear in her eyes and her shaking voice and the tears she tried so desperately to hide.

"...No."

The admission came quietly.

Frederick nodded.

"I thought so."

Neither of them spoke and outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city bustled with life.

Inside the office...only silence remained and for the first time since bringing Lana to the mansion... Damon allowed himself to admit a truth he had been refusing to face.

Nothing about this was going according to plan.

The revenge he had imagined for years looked nothing like the reality standing in his home.