FORBIDDEN LOVE

CHAPTER 2

Both of them were gazing intently at the door as footsteps approached. Seconds later, it swung open, and it the nurse that called out to Mr. Damian, followed by Amanda, Angela, and Desmond.

As they entered the room, Desmond turned to the nurse and said, "Thank you." The nurse nodded and left, closing the door behind her.

Anita's question was cut short as Amanda chuckled and approached her. "Did she just call him Mr. Damian?" Anita asked, her curiosity evident.

Amanda wrapped Anita in a warm hug. "There's a crowd at reception, so I told the nurse Desmond was Mr. Damian. It got us in here faster." Desmond shot Amanda a look, amusement dancing in his eyes.

Anita's eyes widened in concern. "You could get in trouble for that!" Amanda just chuckled. "Trouble for what? There are millions of people named Damian out there." Desmond interjected, "Actually, I'd be the one who'd get in trouble for answering to the chairman's name." Amanda grinned mischievously.

The group's laughter filled the room, but Angela stood apart, her gaze fixed on Anita with a mix of concern and pity as she leaned against the wall, her expression somber.

"Hey, Ange, how are you?" Anita asked softly, concern etched on her face. "Sorry I'm late. Come here." Angela approached, and Anita enveloped her in a warm, reassuring hug. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine," she whispered.

"How did you find us?" Collins asked. Amanda smiled. "I asked around, worried sick about my best friend. I found out the director brought her here. Thanks for getting her here so quickly, by the way – you didn't even wait for the ambulance."

Collins shook his head. "That's nothing, I just did what needed to be done. But you still haven't answered my question – how did you know we were here?"

Amanda pulled out her phone, the tracking app still open on the screen. Anita's eyes widened in surprise as she leaned in close. "You can't do that," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Collins, standing nearby, chuckled and shook his head, a mix of amusement and mock disappointment on his face.

Amanda's voice was barely audible as she leaned in close. "I know you guys used to date, but I don't trust the Lukas family. I've got my eyes on you, always."

Amanda punctuated her response with a deliberate hand gesture, forming a V-shape with her fingers and pointing them first at her eyes, then at Anita's, implying a sense of mutual understanding or warning.

Anita regarded her with a mixture of amusement and incredulity; she shook her head as if dismissing the absurdity of the conversation.

After a while, Collins suggested it was time to head home, reminding them that the doctor had advised Anita to rest.

He also briefed Amanda and Desmond on the tasks they'd be covering at the office the next day—projects Anita had been handling that would now be on hold while she recovered.

As they left, Collins followed them out, but seconds later, he returned, his eyes locking onto Anita's. Before she could ask if he'd forgotten something, he leaned in, his lips brushing against hers in a soft, passionate kiss. "We'll discuss the separation matter when I pick you up tomorrow," he whispered. Anita's lips curved into a smile as she bid him goodbye.

Damian hosted a meeting in his conference hall. As the meeting wrapped up and the directors began to file out, Damian's gaze lingered, his eyes narrowing slightly as he noticed Collins's empty chair.

He said nothing, but once the room had nearly cleared, he beckoned Gerald over with a discreet gesture.

Gerald took a seat beside him, and Damian wasted no time. "Where's your brother?" he asked. Gerald's expression turned slightly concerned. "I've been trying to reach him, but he's not answering my calls."

Stephanie's eyes narrowed as she watched Damian and Gerald conferring, sensing the tension. She approached them, her voice low with concern. "Dad, is everything okay?"

Damian's gaze shifted to her, his expression tight. "It's Collins. He's not answering his phone, and he missed the meeting."

Just as Damian was responding to Stephanie, one of the directors, lingering near the exit, turned back and chimed in. "Actually, I think I know where Collins might be. I saw him leaving with one of our staff members who slumped in her office – he was taking her to the hospital."

Damian's eyes snapped to Gerald, his voice low but laced with fury. "You're the Assistant Chairman, and you didn't know what was going on?"

Gerald nodded curtly and swiftly exited the conference hall, leaving Stephanie to slide into the seat beside her father. She offered a calming presence, saying nothing, but her presence seemed to speak volumes.

A short while later, Gerald returned, his expression apologetic. "It's about the staff member who fainted in her office," he explained. "Collins took her to the hospital." Damian's anger seemed to dissipate slightly, replaced by a look of contemplation.

His eyebrow shot up. "You said 'her'?" Gerald nodded discreetly, his gaze flicking to Stephanie before returning to his father, aware that Damian's reaction would be intense if he discovered the woman in question was Anita.

Stephanie caught the brief exchange and her mind quickly pieced together the likely scenario. She knew her father's reaction would be intense if he found out Collins had been with Anita.

Swiftly, she intervened, steering the conversation towards the upcoming company event to deflect Damian's attention.

Damian deliberately shifted his focus to Stephanie's conversation, laughing along with her and letting the topic of Collins drift into the background, though his expression hinted that the matter wasn't quite closed.

With Stephanie successfully distracting Damian, Gerald seized the opportunity to excuse himself, citing work obligations.

As he headed to his office, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He answered, and Collins's voice came through the line.

Gerald's expression turned cautious as he answered the call. "Where are you? Dad's been asking about you." Collins's response was laced with a hint of resignation. "I took Anita to the hospital. She fainted at work."

Gerald's voice softened with concern. "Is she okay?" Collins's reassurance came through. "She's alright. The doctor says she just needs rest."

Gerald's tone turned serious. "You need to get home quickly. Dad's been looking for you." After a brief moment, Collins asked about the meeting, and with a few quick exchanges, they wrapped up the call.

As Stephanie chatted with Damian, he discreetly called his driver to meet him at the conference hall. When the driver arrived, Damian turned to Stephanie with a gentle smile. "I need to take care of something, sweetie. Why don't you head home? I'll see you later."

With Stephanie gone, Damian's demeanor shifted to one of purpose. The driver fell into step behind him, portfolio in hand, as they made their way to the elevator, the soft hum of the corporate floor giving way to the sleek efficiency of the lift.

Once settled in the car, Damian's voice was low and deliberate. "Gideon, I want Collins and that young woman I gave a note for – the one in his office – tailed.

Find out if they're still involved." Gideon's response was immediate. "I'll see to it right away, sir." With that, the car smoothly pulled away from the curb.

A few days after Anita's discharge, Collins whisked her away to the Opera, just as they'd planned before their impending breakup.

The next day, they continued their farewell tour, savoring a lavish spread of food and drinks at a posh restaurant.

As they laughed and enjoyed each other's company, a discreet photographer, hired by Gideon, captured intimate moments of the couple – their smiles, their laughter, and the tender touches as they held hands over a meal.

The photographer handed Gideon the prints, who in turn delivered them to Damian's office. Damian's expression darkened as he scanned the photos.

His anger boiled over, and with a sudden sweep of his arm, he sent bottles of wine, laptops, and documents crashing to the floor.

Damian's fury was palpable, forcing Gideon to take two steps back. The air hung heavy with tension before Damian finally exhaled, his voice low and menacing.

"Get rid of that girl before sunrise. Make sure no harm comes to my son." Gideon's response was immediate and respectful. "Yes, sir."

As Gideon turned to leave, Damian's voice stopped him. "Make sure there are no witnesses." Gideon's reply was curt. "Consider it done." With that, he exited the room, leaving Damian's anger to simmer.