CHAPTER 5 : THE DEVIL'S CALCULATIONS
1073 Words
Damien's POV
The boardroom smelled of expensive leather, aged whiskey, and fear.
Floor-to-ceiling glass windows offered a god-like view of the city below —
a city that bowed to the Sterling name.
I sat at the long glass table like I owned every soul in the room.
Because I practically did.
Fear was the true currency of the Sterling Empire.
Money only made it prettier.
My father, William Sterling, stared at me with barely contained fury from across the table.
“Damien,” he said, voice low and dangerous,
“what the hell do you mean you’re buying Macas Road?”
I leaned back lazily in my chair, meeting his eyes without flinching.
“Exactly what I said."
My fingers tapped once against the armrest.
"I’m acquiring the entire property. Effective immediately.”
Murmurs instantly spread through the shareholders like a gathering storm.
One of them finally found enough courage to speak.
“But sir, we’ve already promised the public a luxury estate on that land. The press releases were sent weeks ago. suspending the project now would—”
“I don’t care,” I cut in coldly.
“I’ll trade my Fumata estate to cover the loss.”
The entire room went still.
Nobody interrupted Damien Sterling twice.
Then chaos erupted.
“You’re willing to give up Fumata?” one shareholder blurted out in disbelief
“That estate alone is worth billions."
"Prime land," another added quickly. “One of the most profitable assets under Sterling Holdings.”
A third man leaned forward greedily. “Still… financially speaking, it would be an extremely favorable trade for the company.”
More whispers followed.
More greedy calculations.
Pathetic.
My father’s expression darkened further with every passing second.
Finally, he glanced sharply toward his assistant.
“Everyone out.”
The shareholders practically scrambled from their seats.
Within seconds, the massive boardroom emptied until only the two of us remained.
William Sterling slowly rose from his chair, gripping his lion-headed walking stick tightly enough for the wood to creak beneath his hand.
“You’re bargaining away a fortune" he said quietly.
"For some worthless, crumbling apartments on Macas Road?”
His sharp eyes narrowed on me.
“What game are you playing, Damien?
I smiled faintly.
Empty.
Controlled.
“Mmm.”
His stare sharpened.
He knew me too well to believe this was random.
“You don’t make reckless moves,” he continued carefully.
“Not unless there’s something you want.”
I said nothing.
That irritated him more.
Good.
I wanted him angry.
Finally, he exhaled sharply through his nose.
“I don’t care if you want to flirt with financial ruin,” he said coldly.
“But this changes nothing about your real responsibility.”
His gaze hardened.
“I’ve already chosen a perfect wife for you.”
Vanessa Harrington.
The name alone tasted exhausting.
“The wedding is in two weeks,” he continued firmly.
“Get ready.”
I smiled again.
Colder this time.
“Perfect?” I echoed softly.
“Or just another obedient little bird you can lock away in a golden cage…”
I tilted my head slightly.
“…like Mother?”
For one dangerous second, genuine rage flashed across his face.
His grip tightened violently around the cane.
“Damien,” he warned.
He stepped closer and placed a heavy hand against my shoulder.
“I raised you to be ruthless.”
His voice dropped lower.
“To be smart.”
The pressure of his hand increased slightly.
“Don’t disappoint me now.”
Then he turned and walked away without another word.
The boardroom door slammed shut behind him.
The moment he was gone, Mavin rushed in, looking visibly nervous.
A few seconds later, Mavin entered cautiously.
“Sir…”
He hesitated visibly.
“You’re truly giving up Fumata for Macas Road?”
I ignored the question completely and turned toward the glass windows overlooking the city.
The lights below glittered beautifully.
Fragile little things.
“Have you heard from her?”
Mavin immediately understood who I meant.
Mavin shook his head. “No, sir.
"She hasn’t returned to the apartment."
A brief pause.
"Tomorrow is the final day.”
I remained silent for several seconds.
Then slowly—
Liora Vale filled my thoughts again.
The first time I saw her, she was standing alone in the pouring rain beneath one of my father’s massive billboards.
Completely motionless.
Rain soaked through her clothes, clung to every curve of her body, yet she never moved.
Never cried.
Never looked away.
She simply stared upward with pure hatred burning in her eyes.
Raw.
Violent.
Beautiful.
Most people broke when they lost everything.
But not Liora.
She looked ready to burn the entire city to the ground with her bare hands.
That was when I knew she was different.
She wasn’t just another broken girl.
She was revenge wrapped in human skin.
Most people feared the Sterlings.
Liora looked like she wanted to destroy us.
And I wanted to see how far that fire could spread before it consumed her completely.
Today only confirmed it.
Seeing her soaked in the rain…
Clutching that pathetic muddy photograph to her chest like it was the only thing keeping her alive…
Something dark had stirred inside me.
Something dangerous.
I wanted to ruin that fire in her eyes.
Slowly.
Patiently.
I wanted to watch her fight me.
Hate me.
Resist me.
And eventually—
crave me.
Because if I destroyed that fire slowly enough…
she would eventually mistake me for warmth.
She was perfect.
Beautifully damaged.
Angry enough to become useful.
Desperate enough to eventually break.
The perfect weapon against my father.
“Get the documents ready,” I ordered quietly.
Mavin shifted uneasily.
“Sir… how can you be so sure she’ll show up tomorrow?”
A slow, dark smile spread across my face.
“She’ll come.”
I turned slightly toward him.
“When a person has nothing left to lose, they always come crawling. Especially when they think they still have something to fight for.”
Mavin swallowed hard.
“And if she doesn’t?”
I walked toward the boardroom exit, my voice lowering into something colder.
Something lethal.
“Then I’ll go get her myself.”
My hand closed around the door handle.
“And when I do…”
I glanced back once, smiling faintly.
“…she’ll learn there are far worse things than losing a home.”
- Writer
