DIAMONDS AND DECEPTION

THE HERO AND THE LIE

Chapter Four: The Hero and The Lie

Damson Harrington could not focus on his work at all. He sat in his giant office and every time he closed his eyes, he saw the girl from the club. He kept thinking about her beautiful face.

When it was night, he got into his car and drove to the club. He needed to see her again.

When he walked into the club, the music was loud.

He looked at the stage, but she wasn't there. Then, he saw her near the bar. She was dancing for a man who looked drunk.

The man was being very rude. He was touching her too much, grabbing her waist and pulling her onto his lap.

Damson saw Storm trying to pull away.

Damson got angry. He just headed to the bar. When he saw the man grab her waist roughly and try to kiss her, Damson had seen enough.

He reached out, grabbed the man by his collar, and pulled him away from Storm.

"I said, leave her alone!" Damson commanded.The drunk man stood up. "Mind your business! I paid for this!”

Damson didn't say a word. He punched the man. The man fell on the table, crashing to the floor. The music stopped as everyone's eyes were on him.

Damson grabbed Storm's hand and took her out the back door into the dark alleyway.

Storm leaned against the brick wall, breathing hard. She took off her mask.

"Why did you do that?" she asked, her voice shaking. "You could have been hurt."

"I couldn't watch him touch you like that," Damson said. "You don't belong here, Storm.

Tell me why you are doing this."Storm looked at him and realized this was her chance.

She remembered what the girls in the changing room said—he was a billionaire. She knew she had to make him feel sorry for her so he would trust her. She wanted his money, and to get it, she had to play a part.

She looked down and let a few tears fall. "I have nobody else," she whispered, making her voice sound very sad. "My mother left me for another man when I was just a kid. She didn't even say goodbye. Then my dad... he didn't want me either. After the divorce, he just walked away. I was an only child with no food and no home."She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears.

"I started stripping at sixteen because I was starving. The manager here was the only person who helped me. I hate this life.

I hate that men think they can own me just because I need to pay my rent."

She did not tell him the full truth. She didn't tell him that she loved money more than people.

She didn't tell him how she tricked men every night to empty their wallets. She just wanted to look like a poor, lonely girl who needed a hero.

Damson felt his heart break for her. He touched her cheek. "I'm so sorry, Storm.

You’ve been through so much alone."Storm leaned into his hand, acting like she was comforted. "You're the first person who has ever stood up for me. Thank you."

Damson pulled out his phone. "I want to be in touch with you. I want to help you get out of this place."

Storm took his phone and typed in her number. She gave him a sweet, shy smile—the kind she used to trick men, but she made sure it looked real for him.

"I'd like that," she said. Damson felt a strong need to protect her. He thought he was saving a girl in trouble. He had no idea that Storm was already planning how to use his trust to get exactly what she wanted.

"I’m taking you home," Damson said. His voice was firm but kind.

"I don’t want you out here alone after what happened with that man."

Storm hesitated for a second, but then she nodded. Inside, she was smiling. This was exactly what she wanted. She wanted him to see how difficult her life was so he would feel even more sorry for her. "Okay," she whispered.

"Thank you."They walked to his car. It was a very expensive, shiny black Maybach.

As Damson started the engine, he reached into the console. He pulled out a thick stack of cash."Take this," he said, handing it to her.

"It’s for the trouble tonight. That man shouldn't have put his hands on you. Consider this as compensation for a bad night at work."

Storm’s eyes went wide, but she made sure they looked watery, like she was about to cry from happiness. She took the money with trembling hands.

"I can't... this is too much," she lied. She knew it was probably a few thousand dollars, and she loved every bit of it.

"Keep it," he insisted. "I have more than I need. You need it more than I do."

"Thank you so much," she said sweetly. She leaned over and gave him a soft peck on the cheek.

"You are the only person who has ever been this nice to me."As they drove, Storm gave him directions to where she lived.

They pulled up to a building on the edge of town. It wasn't a nice apartment building; it was a motel with flickering lights and peeling paint. This was the place the manager, Miss Raine, gave the dancers to stay in. It was loud, dirty, and smelled like old carpets

Damson stopped the car and looked at the building in shock. He had grown up in mansions with gold sinks and marble floors. He didn't know people actually lived in places like this.

"You live here?" he asked, "Why? A girl like you shouldn't be in a place that looks like it’s falling apart."

Storm put on her best sad face. She looked at the motel and sighed. "It’s all I can afford. Miss Raine lets us stay here for a cheap price because we work for her. It’s not safe, and the heaters barely work, but it’s better than being on the street. Since my parents left me, I haven't had anywhere else to go."

Damson gripped the steering wheel tight. He felt angry . He hated that she was suffering.

"I don't like this," he said. "You deserve so much better than a motel room."

"I'm used to it," Storm said softly. She opened the car door and stepped out. She turned back to look at him one last time.

"Goodnight. Thank you for everything."

She walked toward the motel door, making her steps look slow and heavy, like she was a tired girl with a hard life. When she got to the door, she turned around and waved at him.

Damson waved back, watching her until she went inside and locked the door.

He was already thinking about how he could get her out of that motel. He wanted to buy her a house, a car, and anything else she wanted.

Inside the motel room, Storm threw the stack of money on the bed and laughed. She wasn't sad at all. She was happy.

She had a billionaire wrapped around her finger, and he was already giving her cash.

"Keep thinking I'm a victim, Damson," she whispered to herself as she started counting the money. "The more you pity me, the more you’ll pay me."She was winning the game, and it was even easier than she thought it would be.