My Enemy's Son Is My Husband

Untitled Episode

By ten the following morning, Serena was beginning to wonder whether Damian had taken the previous day's work seriously after all.

They were supposed to present the supplier review to the procurement team that afternoon. Serena had finished checking the figures and organizing the supporting documents, while Damian was responsible for explaining the proposed changes to the contract.

She walked into the meeting room expecting him to be ready.

Instead, Damian was standing beside the screen, looking at a set of figures that clearly did not belong to the presentation.

"What's that?" Serena asked.

He glanced over.

"The revised supplier report."

She took the papers from him and scanned the first page.

Her stomach tightened.

"Damian, this is the old version."

He frowned.

"No, it isn't."

She turned the page and pointed to the date.

"This was issued three days ago. We received the revised figures yesterday."

Damian took the document from her and checked it himself.

For once, he didn't have a quick answer.

"Where's the new one?"

"In the folder I sent you."

He looked toward his laptop.

Serena watched him search through his files.

After a few seconds, his expression changed.

"I used the wrong report."

"The meeting is in less than an hour."

"I know."

"And the supplier's entire proposal is based on the revised numbers."

Damian looked at the screen again.

"We can still fix it."

"We can," Serena said. "But you need to do it."

He looked at her.

"You're not helping?"

"I already did my part."

His expression tightened.

"Serena."

"You were responsible for the presentation materials. I'm not taking responsibility for something I didn't do."

"I didn't ask you to take responsibility."

"You were about to ask me to fix it."

He opened his mouth, then closed it.

She knew she was right.

The old Damian would probably have called someone else, shifted the blame, or found a reason the mistake wasn't his fault.

Instead, he gathered the papers.

"Fine."

Serena watched him leave.

She wasn't sure whether she expected him to come back angry but he didn't.

An hour later, the meeting began.

Serena sat at the far end of the table while Damian stood at the front with the corrected presentation.

The procurement director looked at him.

"Mr. Blackwood, we were told the revised figures would be ready."

"They are."

The director glanced at the first slide.

"These don't match the figures we received from the supplier."

Damian didn't hesitate.

"You're right."

Serena looked up.

"I prepared the presentation using an outdated report. That's my mistake."

One of the managers exchanged a glance with another.

Damian continued.

"I've corrected the figures, and the supporting documents are included in your folders. The original report was my error, not the

supplier's."

The director looked through the documents.

"Why should we trust the revised figures?"

"Because we verified them against the supplier's original contract, payment records, and updated submission."

He answered every question without avoiding responsibility.

By the end of the meeting, the procurement team agreed to continue the negotiations.

When everyone left, Serena remained seated.

Damian closed his laptop.

"Go ahead."

She looked at him.

"Go ahead with what?"

"Tell me I almost ruined the meeting."

"You did."

He gave a quiet laugh.

"I thought you'd say that."

"You made a mistake."

"I know."

"And you could have blamed the wrong report, the supplier, or whoever uploaded the document."

"I could have."

"But you didn't."

Damian picked up his folder.

"Blaming someone else wouldn't have fixed it."

Serena studied him.

That answer was so simple that it caught her off guard.

"You're learning."

He looked at her.

"Don't sound so surprised."

"I've only known you for a short time."

"Long enough to have formed an opinion."

"Unfortunately."

He smiled.

She tried not to smile back.

Instead, she gathered the remaining documents.

They walked toward the elevators together.

"Serena."

She turned.

"Thank you."

She raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"For not fixing my mistake."

"You should be thanking me for something else."

"What?"

"For making you deal with it yourself."

Damian considered that for a moment.

"I think you're right."

The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside.

Neither of them noticed Alexander standing several feet away.

He had heard enough of the meeting to know that Damian had made a mistake and, for once, taken responsibility for it. But his

attention wasn't really on the meeting anymore.

It was on the way Damian had looked at Serena.

Alexander waited until the elevator doors closed before turning toward the executive corridor.

He stopped outside Damian's office.

A file was lying open on the desk.

The same file Alexander had asked his son about the day before.

He picked it up.

For years, he had believed there was nothing left to question about the collapse of his partnership with Richard Vale.

But one line in the old report made him stop.

The transaction date didn't match the date on the evidence that had destroyed his friendship with Richard.

Alexander read it again.

Then he reached for the phone.

"Get me the original records."

The answer came almost immediately.

"Sir, we've already checked. The original financial records aren't in the archive."

Alexander's grip tightened around the file.

"Then find out who removed them."

For the first time in years, the past no longer looked settled.

Someone had taken the records.

And Alexander had a growing suspicion that the truth about Richard Vale may not be what he thought it was.