A Painful Reminder
877 Words
Among the most influential people in the city, including CEOs, investors, and kings in their own right, the auction hall was a hive of activity. One factor that brought everyone together was the **Lancaster-Foxworth deal**.
Damien was supposed to **win without competition** this contract.
That was before **me, ** though.
I sat close to the front, crossing my legs and running my fingertips around the lip of my champagne glass. I accepted it even though the weight of all the looks in the room felt oppressive.
After **five years in the dark,** I would **enter the light—and rob him of it—tonight.**
I noticed him out of the corner of my eye.
Sitting three rows behind me, Damien exuded an implicit authority. He didn't have his eyes on me. He hadn't since I entered.
However, I knew that **he sensed me here**
Well done.
The auctioneer moved forward, and the room became silent.
"We are offering a unique opportunity tonight: an exclusive arrangement with Foxworth Industries that gives us complete control over its expansion into South America. A starting bid of **twenty million dollars** is made.
The ensuing muttering was scarcely audible to me. One item occupied my attention.
The guy behind me.
With so much prey in the room, Damien Lancaster was a wolf. Everyone in this room understood that he **took what he wanted**.
Up until now.
"Twenty million," Damien's slick voice pierced the atmosphere.
I raised my head a little. So it starts.
"Twenty-five million," yelled a voice across the room.
"Thirty," Damien immediately shot back.
It was pointless for others to try to keep up. The figures quickly increased—40, 50, 60 million—until they all disappeared one by one.
Everyone but me.
"Seventy million," I stated steadily.
A shock wave swept through the crowd.
Damien leaned slowly forward. **He was giving attention now.**
It was "seventy-five," he said.
"Eight-five," I responded without thinking.
A gasp was heard.
Damien's jaw became tense. He c****d his head, looking directly into my eyes for the first time this evening.
His words were, "One hundred,"
The room became quiet.
"I think I won," he said. That nobody would dare go farther, especially not **me**.
Allowing him to **breathe in his victory**, I allowed the moment to linger.
I grinned after that.
"One hundred and twenty million dollars."
From somewhere in the audience came a sudden intake of breath.
While Damien's countenance remained unchanged, I noticed the spark of disbelief.**
**I cornered him** for the first time.
But the auctioneer paused. "Mister Lancaster, do you—"
A tiny curl formed between Damien's fingertips and the armrest. He continued to stare at me. The air **burned** between us.
Next—
"Sold to Miss Serena Hayes."
I only spotted him as the cameras flashed and the applause erupted.
Just now, the unbeaten king, Damien Lancaster, had lost.
For me.
As I made my way to the exit with my champagne glass still in hand, I got congratulations from a variety of guests. Like electricity, the adrenaline throbbed beneath my skin.
It was me.
Nevertheless, I understood that **this wasn't over.**
Before I could even reach the corridor, a hand tightened around my wrist and pulled me into an empty lounge.
It slammed the door.
After that, Damien appeared in front of me.
I did not recoil. I wouldn't allow him to see how quickly my heart beats.
"Enjoying yourself?" There was **dangerous calmness** in his voice.
I had a grin. "Very much."
He clenched his jaw. "You had no business going after that deal."
My head c****d. "And yet, here we are."
With a quick exhale, he moved closer. "You just made a very expensive mistake."
It's funny. I was considering you in the same way.
He darkened his eyes. "Tell me, Serena—why are you doing this?"
At him, I blinked. "Because I can."
Stillness.
I was barely able to digest it when Damien **snatched the champagne glass out of my hand and smashed it against the wall. **
Through the room came the crisp **crack**.
However, I didn't wince.
I grinned instead. **since I had prevailed.**
"You don’t like losing, do you?" I pondered.
Slowly, he let out a breath, regaining control. "Losing?" He pursed his lips. "No, dear. We're not losing."
My eyebrows went up. "Then what is it?"
The air **thickened** between us as he took a step closer— **too close.**
He said, "This is me realizing that you want my attention."
I laughed. "I don’t want anything from you."
A lazy, sly smile. "Lying to yourself again, Serena?"
I felt a chill go down my spine when he mentioned my name.
He added, "You're in over your head," in a gentler but more menacing tone. "Alexander won't keep you safe from me. No one will.
I looked him square in the eyes.
"I don’t need protection."
After examining me for a considerable amount of time, Damien grinned. **
Not in a comforting way.
The kind that made the promise of **war**
He muttered, "We'll see about that."
Without saying another word, he turned and left.
My heartbeat slammed into my ribs as I exhaled slowly.
I had prevailed.
But the conflict?
**This was just the beginning.**
- Writer
