A Billionaire's Redemption

CHAPTER 11 The Ultimatum

Damien went downstairs, still boiling with anger. The old man was still kneeling on the ground, his head bowed in despair. Damien’s gaze flicked to Hakim, who had a sad look on his face.

Without acknowledging the old man, Damien marched over to Hakim. “Is the car done?” he asked.

“Yes, sir,” Hakim replied. He glanced briefly at the old man, then back at Damien, waiting for further instructions.

The sight of the old man still begging only fueled his anger further. “Get up!” Damien snapped. “I’ve had enough of this. Get out of my sight before I lose my patience even more.”

“Sir, I just…”

“Enough!” Damien instructed sharply. “I don’t want to see you by the time I am back.” With that, he angrily pulled the car door and slammed it shut.

The old man slowly stood up and walked miserably to his room.

Hakim occasionally glanced at Damien through the rearview mirror. His boss was always cold and distant, but rarely angry. Damien usually showed indifference, never letting his emotions slip. Seeing him like this was surprising.

Hakim finally spoke, breaking the tense silence. “Sir, there shouldn't be an excuse for Ernesto leaving your car dirty. But since you’ve never taken this car to work, you should give him another chance. He couldn’t have known you’d be using it today.”

Damien’s eyes flicked up to meet Hakim’s in the rearview mirror. His expression was still hard, “No one asked for your thoughts.” He replied

#####

Damien stormed into his office still bubbling with anger, His assistant, who had noticed his countenance didn’t say anything. She knows her boss to be cold and grumpy, but there was something about him today that was odd.

“Mr. Kingston? Is everything okay?” She finally asked.

“What’s my schedule today?” he replied

“You have a meeting with the head of departments and strategy team concerning the project with Hazel’s Corporation by 10, and there’s a board meeting with the investors by noon, after that, you need to review the documents for the new products. That would be all for today” she responded.

"Summon all the team heads and the strategic team to the boardroom. The meeting starts immediately." He said

“But sir, it’s not yet….” She stopped as soon as she saw Damien's angry gaze rose to her. She knew better than to infuriate him the more. “Okay sir” she replied

All the team heads sat quietly in the boardroom. Meetings with Mr. Kingston were something they dreaded; just being in the same room with him gave them a sense of unease, almost like PTSD.

Damien walked in gracefully minutes later accompanied by his P.A.

Everyone in the boardroom stood up to acknowledge his presence and only sat down once he was seated.

“Start!” he ordered

For a brief moment, the strategic team argued silently. None of them wanted to be the one to present. They exchanged glances, hoping someone else would volunteer to share what they had all prepared.

The silence in the boardroom grew tense as the strategic team continued to look at each other, waiting for someone to speak up.

Damien fixed them a cold stare, “One more second wasted here and you’ll be sacked” he said, his voice void of warmth.

Finally one of the team members stood up. “I’ll present”

He signals for the technical head to display his slides on the screen.

“Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for allowing us to present our proposal. Today we will be discussing a strategic partnership that aims to elevate your company to new heights. Let’s dive into our presentation.”

“Our goal is to enhance our market presence and drive sustainable growth through a targeted strategic partnership. By leveraging our expertise in technology, we will deliver innovative solutions and measurable results. We’re excited to show you how our strategy aligns perfectly with your company’s goals….” He continued

“What specific strategies or actions will you be implementing? How exactly do you plan to leverage your expertise in finance and investment?” Damien inquired curiously.

“I… we… plan. We will… The specific… The strategies…” he stammered.

“Have you suddenly gone dumb?” Damien asked, rather too calmly.

“Sir this meeting is coming at the wrong time” he replied

Everyone in the room turned their surprised gaze to him, was he planning to lose his job?

“Hmmm, I see,” Damien replied sarcastically. “Why is that?”

“Sir, with all due respect. No matter how appealing our offer seems, no investor will think twice about it. I think we need to settle the mess the internet has on you first, then we can call this meeting. No one wants to collaborate with the kind of man Miss Dianne and the media have painted you to be, sir”

The boardroom erupted in a flurry of murmurs.

“Hmmmm,” Damien mused, his voice dripping with authority. “There will be a press conference tomorrow, and I'll be fixing this whole internet scandal. But mark my words, if you don’t present a solid strategy after that, you’re fired.” He turned on his heel and strode out of the room, his P.A. quickly falling in steps behind him.

######

Meanwhile, Lila was barely recuperating from the shock of this morning, she was still in shock from all the things Damien had said to her. And each time she remembers her father is still in jail because of her, her heart stops for a few seconds.

She was sitting in the dining area, lost in thoughts, tired of staying locked up in the room feeling bored and depressed.

She noticed the old man whom Damien scolded this morning, walking dejected to what seemed like the front door, with his luggage.

“Excuse me!” she called out trying to get his attention, when she finally got it, she walked towards him. “Where are you going?” she asked.

“Home!” he said, dejected. He didn’t bother looking at her.

“Was he really serious when he said you were fired?” she asked in surprise

“Yes,” he said plainly

“That bastard” she cursed under her breath. “You don’t need to bother going home, sir. I will speak to Damien”

“You don’t need to put yourself at risk ma’am, the young master doesn’t change his mind once it’s made up and he doesn’t hesitate to hurt anyone who flaunts his orders, so I better get going”

“I am his wife and those rules don't apply to me, so please go in,” Lila said doubtfully.

The old man immediately dropped to his knees, grabbing her feet as he wept and thanked her.

Lila knew the gravity of what she had just done.

Damien was already furious with her, and her actions could only make things worse. The old man's heartfelt gratitude seemed to intensify the storm brewing inside her.