Damien and Esmery stepped into the hacking room, the air thick with tension. "Are you sure you're ready for this, Esme?" Damien asked, his eyes locked on hers.
Esmery steeled herself, her voice firm. "I need to see it, Damien. I need to know the truth. I need to see that video. I mean, don't I deserve to know the truth?"
Damien nodded, his jaw clenched, and switched on the video. The screen flickered to life, revealing a shocking scene: Diego, Esmery's fiancé, entwined with Astrid, Esmery's own sister.
Esmery's eyes widened as she watched, her face pale. But as the video ended, a strange sense of calm washed over her. "I'm more than okay," she said, a sly smile spreading across her face.
Damien's eyes narrowed, his mind racing. He had loved Esmery since high school, the moment Esmery entered their class, he fell in love with her. He first became friends with her, and gradually they became even more close and started sharing secrets together. He then one day finally confessed his love to her but Esmery rejected him saying " If we date now, we might break up later because, we are still kids who don't know what's in store for us. Not to mention the amount of people who will try to sabotage it. But if we become friends today, we will have each other backs and because we trust each other, no one will be able to break that friendship".
There and then, Damien felt relief. And gradually, he cane to realize that, the feelings, protective instincts he had for Esmery was purely platonic and there was nothing romantic about it.
Now, seeing her hurt by Diego's betrayal, Damien's protective instincts roared to life. If it weren't for the fact that, Esmery wouldn't approve, he'd have gone to Diego's house and punched the living daylight out from him. Diego was such a scumbag. A little g-string shown to him, then he is all dazed in desire following a female like a wimp.
"Okay…Now, I wan't you to send me all the videos. You know its being so long since I hacked and I'm seriously tired right now to bother and get the videos for my self. Just send it straight to the computer." Esmery said with a yawn after watching all the videos.
Another thing about Esmery was that, she had a photogenic memory. She learns fast. Which is why even though she was in school, learning a course to do with modeling, she was also taking computer science course online. She was a genius hacker. No one knows her identity since she prefers to work fromt the shadows. She has been hired by many legal companies. That is her other source of income.
"Alright I will. Let's me just vet you your favorite snack. I got it from your favorite place the other day" Damien said and made his way to the kitchen and brought out a bag of snacks.
"Oh…my…God…You really deserve to be my best friend" Esmery said, a huge grin on her face and her collected the bag and hugged it tightly like it was her long lost lover.
"Yeah…yeah…you've told me that many times. Now, let's get you home" Damien said with an eye roll.
He escorted Esmery out of the villa, his arm wrapped around her shoulders. As they parted ways, Esmery's phone rang, shrill in the silence. "Hello?" she answered, her voice husky.
"Hey, Esme baby, why the nasal tone?" Akilah asked, her voice dripping with concern.
Esmery's smile grew wider. "Just a little shock, Akilah. Diego's been cheating on me... with Astrid."
Akilah's gasp echoed through the line. "What? That little snake! I always knew Astrid was trouble. And, haven't I told you that excuse of a pathetic dick is nothing but a cheater bastard"
Esmery's laughter was low and throaty. "It gets better, Akilah. I have proof... and I'm not going to let them get away with it."
The line crackled with anticipation as Esmery's plan began to unfold...
Akilah's voice was laced with excitement. "What kind of proof, Esme? Tell me everything."
Esmery's smile grew wider. "Damien hacked into Diego's security cameras. We have videos of him and Astrid together."
Akilah's squeal was ear-piercing. "That's explosive! What are you going to do with it?"
Esmery's tone turned icy. "I'm going to make sure they pay for what they've done. Starting with Astrid. But that won't happen now. it's too early to start my revenge. Let her enjoy for a while"
Akilah's laughter was menacing. "Oh, this is going to be good. I'm so here for it."
Akilah's voice was laced with anger. "That bastard cheated on you with that bitch! I told you there was something fishy about them, but you didn't believe me."
Esmery apologized, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry for not trusting you, Aki. I'm sorry for trusting that bastard instead of you."
Akilah's expression softened. "Don't cry, baby. That bastard doesn't deserve a single tear from you. If I catch him, I'll castrate him like an animal."
Esmery's tears turned to laughter at Akilah's fierce words. "Thanks for being there for me every day," she said, hiccuping.
Akilah asked, "So, what are you going to do now?"
Esmery replied, "I'm taking a relaxing bath. I have to attend the party today."
Akilah's voice was laced with concern. "Are you sure you can handle it? Should I come with you?"
Esmery's response was confident. "I'll be alright."
Esmery got ready for the party, slipping into a stunning black evening gown that hugged her curves in all the right places. The dress was a daring, sexy number with a plunging V-neckline that showcased her cleavage. This was not how she usually dressed but today, she was dressed to impress.
The back was cut low, with delicate straps that accentuated her toned shoulders. A high slit up the side of the dress revealed a tantalizing glimpse of her long legs. Esmery curled her long hair and applied light makeup, completing her sultry look.
As she exited her room, she saw Damien leaning against one of her cars. "What are you doing here?" Esmery asked, her voice steady.
"I couldn't let you walk the red carpet alone," Damien replied, his eyes locked on hers.
Esmery smiled, and they chatted as they drove to the party.
At the party, Diego was growing impatient. Esmery was thirty minutes late, and he was starting to worry. Astrid, however, seemed calm, her eyes fixed on the entrance but with one question running in her head.
Where was Esmery?