by Mara Lynne
“But he’s our friend. He’s your friend.”
“He’s not my friend, and neither yours.”
He should be warning Damien about Will. Being associated with this man will be the last thing he wants on earth. And although it was him who introduced Damien to trouble that is Will Parker, he thinks that it should also him who should draw him out of the dark as well, even if it is too late now. He’s afraid that Damien and Will have created a bond more than friendship.
Damien treats the man as though he is his own brother, and Hunter fears that when he’s not around to watch over him, Damien will turn to Will for help.
“Then who else could help me? If not Will, then who?”
Hunter sighs.
Seems like he’s left with no choice but submit to Damien’s request.
But only for a little while. Someday later, he will have to tell him the truth. Damien deserves to know his plans. He could not bear to see his beloved little brother be fooled by him. Even if Damien succeeds in managing the company, Hunter will not lose his sight from it.
“Fine. I’ll do what you say,” Hunter says. “But only when Dad approves of it.”
Deep inside him, Hunter is praying that James Etheridge will think twice and not impulsively yield to Damien.
Chapter 4 – Taking Over
No remorse.
No regrets.
He outmaneuvered the painfully cunning and smart man, his own brother, Hunter Stone. And he used the man’s soft spot for him to his advantage. Damien knows that Hunter is very fond of him. As his only brother, he was always his ally. He never disappoints when it comes to rendering his aid even though the sacrifice is worth more than his dream.
If Hunter deems him to be clueless of his plans of taking over the Etheridge family business, then he is wrong. Damien is very much aware of his brother’s intention—his motivation, as well. Since they were children, his mother, Mary, has always told him to never trust Hunter. Still fresh are the memories of Mary trying to instill that thought in his mind.
“Hunter will take everything from you. It might not be today but someday, he will. He’s going to use you to get what he wants.”
And she’s not wrong. All his life, he did not believe a word of Mary’s insecure assumptions. On top of that, he has always known that his mother does not like Hunter and that she has always been the lump in his throat for years. But it all changed that day, seven months ago, that day when he saw Angel and Hunter together, the reality of Mary’s words dawned on him.
He was hurt.
His brother is stealing away from him the woman he loves. And not too soon, he will be running away with his birthright, too.
But this morning, he succeeded. He has begun his plan, and he takes total pleasure from the outcome. And although he was gritting his teeth the whole time Hunter spoke of Angel like she was one of his paid pleasures, he had to bear the growing rage just to not to give himself in. Thinking about how he got her, he could only think of the common antics Hunter employ on girls who attracted him. He was confident that he employed these antics on Angel. And even though he would say she is different from the others, Hunter Stone will always be Hunter Stone.
He is oblivious of the future that lies ahead, but getting Angel confused is exactly what Damien wanted to happen. If only laughing could alleviate the thrill and excitement he felt seeing the two falling into his trap, he could have done that a while ago with pleasure.
Damien arrives at his parents’ house at Princeton, standing just outside his dad’s office when Philip, the butler, stops him.
“It’s good to see you, Philip,” Damien says as he taps the old man’s shoulder. “Not too busy in the mountains?”
“I have been called upon by your father.”
“For what reason? I thought you hate the city.”
Philip straightens his shoulders and stands tall before him.
“You know how I hate to leave Pine Valley, sir. But Mr. Etheridge asks for my services,” he answers. “The family will be very busy for Mr. Stone’s upcoming wedding.”
“I’ll tell Dad he does not need to burden you with Hunter’s foolishness.” Bitterness seethes from every word he mouths.
“Is marrying the woman you love foolishness for you, sir?” Philip’s question comes across to Damien as too bold. Surprisingly, Philip has unintentionally hurt his already wounded pride.
“No, Philip.” Damien responds after wetting his parched throat. “I’d do exactly the same thing.”
“Oh!”
“It’s just that Hunter’s not marrying for love.”
“Excuse me, sir?”
“Do not bother yourself about it, Philip.” And he walks past the man and heads to the grand door of his father’s office.
“I’m sorry, sir.” Philip interrupts. “But I am afraid Mr. Etheridge does not want to be disturbed. He’s meeting the stockholders.”
Philip’s intervention did not stop him.
The door flings open, and all heads turn to Damien, expressions stunned and out of words. Mary stands from her seat, aghast, her eyes wide as marbles.
“Ola!” His bright face confuses the guests even more, as well as him speaking in foreign tongue. The old, bearded, but amiable Mr. Harrison, who is sitting beside the mayor, even questions if he spoke Spanish or Latin.
“Buenos dias. Como esta usted?”
The men on the long table drop their jaws. Despite his hearing difficulties, Mr. Harrison makes out that it is Spanish he used.
The mayor holds his fist together as though sucking in the embarrassment and shock all to himself. Breathless, Philip appears.
“Forgive me, Mr. Etheridge, sir. I tried,” Philip says with his back bent forward and his hands on his knees, catching his breath.
James composedly raises his hand and gestures for Philip to exit the room. The sight of Damien winking at Mr. Philip implies a conspiracy, and this James knows.
“Don’t blame the good old butler, Dad,” Damien says as he walks toward the table where his mother and Lucifer, her fluffy pet dog, are seated. “I was just too quick for his arthritic knees.”
Eyebrows rise. Eyes turn from Damien to James, doubting the latter’s way of bringing up such an ill-mannered child.
“Oh, please proceed,” Damien adds as he comfortably plunges to the couch. “Just pretend I don’t exist, okay?”
Mary turns pale the moment she realizes how Damien has put himself in a rickety spot in front of the investors. This will not be good for the family, most especially to Damien’s claim to the family fortune. He ruined his chance by acting uneducated. Now that James only has less than a month as city mayor, they are starting to channel all their energy and attention to the family business which has been under the hands of Mr. Harrison while James focused on his political career. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have that enough time to manage it since he’s fallen ill many times already. He deems that a transfer of responsibility is soon to be in order, and he is looking for his right heir. Not really a difficult task since he got two options, only that he can’t still make up his mind. One has proven his worth, the other is still about to.
As James continues to discuss his thoughts for the company, Mary takes all the liberty to reprimand Damien in the most inconspicuous manner she knows.
“Don’t ever do that again,” she mumbles, disguising her anger in frustration and embarrassment.
But Damien naturally shrugs off his mother’s chide. Instead, he directs his interest to his dad’s friends.
“Look at them,” Damien says carefully and quietly.
They were robotic and serious like they never crossed paths with fun. They scour the pages of their documents like storm. Their eyes scrutinize every detail, every figure, like a machine. And Damien wonders if he becomes CEO of the company, will he become just like one of them?
“I don’t think they even go out at night and get laid down by random whores.”
“Hush, child!”
He smirks.
“I’m just telling the truth, Mom. I doubt if Hunter acts like this at all. He could have more time fucking his secretary than reading papers with just numbers, graphs, and lines.”
“Well, if that is true, then save your father’s business from that man. Your exhibition just did not help.”
Yes, he will. He is already doing it in the way he knows how.
“For the love of God, I don’t want whores in my family,” Mary hisses, touching her forehead with her fingertips, massaging it as pain starts to break out.
Damien discerns Mary’s remark to be offensive and uncalled for. There’s no way his Angel is a whore. Hunter could have forced her to do this or worse, threatened her and her family. She’s not just the type to be finding pleasure in…
She’s a level-headed girl, sweet, and innocent. She wouldn’t sell herself to anyone.
However, the memory of her asking him for a one-night-stand creeps into the chambers of his brain. A prickling cold sensation boils from the tip of his spine and runs along it until it reaches the back of his neck. Then a strong thud comes out of his chest.
No, she’s not a whore. He sings these words in his ears, forced to by an unwanted thought.
“Even though I dislike that brother of yours, I could live with having him bear our name, but not the girl. Who knows where he got her?”
“Enough, Mom!”
Mary falls into complete shock.
Taken aback of what he just did, Damien breathes in a ton of air to alleviate the heaviness in his chest. His voice was so loud and clear—his utter disapproval of his mother’s belief left a more striking impression, he fears, to Mary. Once again, he doesn’t fail to catch everyone else’s attention.
“Goodness!” While her face displays the fakest grin Damien has ever seen his entire existence, he thinks he has to applaud her for remaining calm, managing to keep her voice low and collected. She turns to him with that smile again. “What is the matter with you, dear child?”
James dismisses the meeting and calls for Philip to lead the guests to the balcony for lunch. Mary follows to practice her great hosting skills, but before she could leave, she bequeaths her son her famous glare, telling him that a talk is bound to happen later.
But Mary’s famous glare holds no finger against James’. The moment Damien realizes that he’s alone with his father, he knows he is in for some lecturing.
“Get your acts straight, young lad!” James starts off as he shuts the door, securing the place for themselves. “Don’t endanger your position in the eyes of everyone. You’re not the only one in the running, and they know that.”
“I’m sorry, Dad.”
“I don’t know what Mary did and said. It must be really distasteful, but what you did was neither pleasant.”
“Should I apologize to them?” As much as he hates apologizing, Damien thinks it’s the best time to lower his pride.
“You don’t have to.”
“But if I don’t, they’ll choose Hunter over me,” he reasons out. “I don’t think they’d like an arrogant, disrespectful business partner for a boss, do they, Dad?”
Whatever reason James has for not pushing Damien to apologize, the latter feels it might have to do with his father’s decision. Has he made up his mind? Has he chosen Hunter over him just because he disrupted their meeting?
James breathes out a huge ball of air.
“I am sure they will enjoy the company with their new boss, whoever he may be.”
Well, that is not a nice sign for me, he thought.
With James dodging the question it might just mean one thing. He’s seriously considering legitimizing Hunter Stone. And even though what the investors did the whole time was doubt his skills and senses, Damien feels that they are favoring the more experienced and mature Hunter.
“Then I have to really work hard,” he says, picking himself up. “With regards to that, Hunter is willing to train me. He said so himself.”
“What?”
“I asked his help. He will be helping me become the man you want me to be—be the right boss.”
“And Hunter agreed without hesitation?” Damien does not like the way James asked the question. He is noticeably showing his penchant for his brother. And no matter how he tries to act cool about this, he just could not get away with the fact that Hunter is still the better man—well, maybe now, but that won’t be too long. He knows his time is coming.
Damien nods, showing his father he is not affected at all.
“Oh, well…” It seems that James is a bit tongue-tied. “If that is what Hunter wants… and you, of course, I think will do very well. But let’s not talk about this now. We have a wedding to prepare.”
“Don’t you think Hunter and I will be very busy with the trainings and my preparation? The wedding will just be a… bother… for me and Hunter, of course. Couldn’t you just talk to Hunter and persuade him to move the wedding?”
“Nonsense! Hunter could manage his time really well,” James answers rather excitedly. “And I cannot wait to have a new member in the family.”
“You mean Angel?”
“Yes! I really like her.”
Obviously! James is fascinated by her. And he’s always wondered how an unknown girl could make such drastic changes in his son’s life. He was most stunned by Hunter’s sudden transformation.
“And I have been longing for grandchildren. I don’t think you’d give me one soon because apparently, you are so much like Hunter when he was in your age, afraid of commitments, afraid of women but not their cunts. Now tell me if you have a woman that holds your heart, and I will give you my blessing.”
He has already found her, and he will do everything to get her back.
“It won’t be hard to accept her, Dad,” Damien replies confidently.
“So, you do have a woman?” James’ eyes widen. “Who is she? Why have you not told us about her? Is she the Spanish girl your mother has been mentioning to me?”
If you only know…
Chapter 5 – The Night of the Engagement
“Are you okay?” Hunter asks as the side of his eyes catches a glimpse of Angel sitting uncomfortably on her seat. He extends his arm to reach for Angel’s fidgeting ones as his other hand maneuvers the steering wheel. They are on their way to his father’s house.
But Angel is far from okay. She will never be okay now that Damien has cemented his position back in her life. No. Not the position he used to hold in her heart. Not that.
She worries over what he can do for revenge. Even though he did not say a thing about plotting retribution, Angel can feel it in the way he looks at her, the sting of rage in his voice, and the depth of his coded messages.
Hunter gives her a reassuring smile, but it doesn’t remove the gravity of worry consuming her. How she wishes Hunter could do something about it.
“I told you already. They like you,” Hunter says, totally unaware of the real reason of her uneasiness. “And you look very lovely,” he adds.
But of course, it was Hugo who brought this Chanel knee-length dress for her. It’s a bubblegum pink halter dress that flows freely down to her knees. Her soft curls drop to her ivory white shoulders which cause a complete discomfort inside Hunter’s body. Hunter plays with the vision of ravishing her entire body with his tongue in his mind. She is mouthwateringly beautiful, and he could not wait to have her all to himself again, like last night.
For him, Angel is a goddess who walks out of her carriage on a bright summer day. And yet, she is lovelier when she has nothing on except her bare skin, her warm, sweating skin, and the sweet juices coming out of her.
“Did Damien freak you out?”
He thought it is better to talk about other things than infect his mind with lust. He knows he has very little control over it, and so he has to stop it before it worsens and he takes her inside the car.
A sudden distinct gallop—strong and loud—in her heart causes her to freeze.
Her throat runs dry.
; With Hunter’s eyes away from her, firmly set on the road, Angel could thank God alone that she is spared from the disaster of getting found out. For her, it’s divine intervention that the man failed to see her ashen face.
“Damien sometimes gets to be disturbingly intimidating. He has very odd ways of having fun,” Hunter adds. “But he’s very nice when you get to know him. Forget about this morning, okay? I’m sure it’s just Damien’s way of making himself relevant.”
Although she is quite familiar with Damien’s childish behavior, she just couldn’t shake off the feeling that he might not be playing games this time.
“Hunter,” she finally speaks. “How’s your relationship with your brother? Do you know everything about him?”
Hunter’s eyes move to the side to see her, wondering why she asked that.
“I thought you’re very close to him,” she adds as soon as she realizes that she has gained his curiosity.
“We’re best friends. Partners in crime—if that’s what you like to know. But there’s a long story behind our extraordinary brotherhood,” Hunter answers. “I love him very dearly. He’s the only family I have who took me fully as I am, and not even Mary could ruin what we have.”
“Did she try to break you apart? Mary?”
“A lot of times.”
“And have you fallen out with him without Mary doing anything?”
A tiny smile escapes Hunter’s face. He appears to be reminiscing a few things in the past.
“Quarrels are a natural thing for families. If you have a sister, fighting with her is just like waking up every day with a messy hair. Yes, there are several instances when misunderstandings happen. But as the older one, I just have to pay no attention to Damien’s temper tantrums. After all, he’s still a kid.”
Basing from Hunter’s answer, the two seem to be really close. Nevertheless, she still worries about what could happen to this precious relationship once the truth breaks out, once Damien explodes and he chooses to go against his brother. Hunter appears to be a really caring and understanding brother, and she thinks that because of his unconditional love for Damien, he might do foolish things for his brother or worse, yield to depression.