Betrayed Again by Love.
The next day, Eric Tristan and Damian Lopez walked into a high-profile business summit. The room buzzed with ambition, it was a grand bidding event for a monumental international contract.
Damian scanned the crowd and his eyes narrowed the moment he spotted Victor Lawson on the sidelines with his team. Victor stood tall, deliberating with his men, but when his eyes met Damian's, he scoffed with a smirk that dripped with arrogance. That mocking challenge in his expression made Damian's blood stir, but he forced himself to look away.
He wasn't here for petty rivalries. His proposal was ironclad, visionary. He had no doubt it would crush the competition. Success itself was the only reply he ever gave to men like Victor. So, he treated him like air and walked calmly to his seat beside Eric.
One by one, different companies came forward to pitch their projects. When it was finally Victor's turn, he gave Damian another smug glance before striding gallantly to the front. The lights dimmed, the presentation screen came alive, and in that instant, Damian felt like lightning had split his chest open.
It was his work.
The slides, the diagrams, the technical blueprint, it was the same project he had painstakingly built. He recognized the structure at first glance.
On the screen, Victor began presenting smoothly:
"Today, our team proposes Helios NetCore, an adaptive cloud-infrastructure framework designed to integrate AI-driven cybersecurity with quantum-encryption protocols. With this system, we can reduce enterprise-level cyber breaches by up to 87%, while increasing server efficiency by 42%. The framework leverages a multi-layer zero-trust architecture and real-time anomaly detection, ensuring bulletproof protection for global financial transactions..."
Damian's jaw tightened. That was his terminology. His calculations. His innovation.
He ground his teeth so hard he almost snapped one.
Beside him, Eric stiffened, his voice trembling. "Sir... isn't that our design? That's our work!"
"I know, Eric," Damian said, his voice low and dangerous.
"But_ how, sir? How the hell did it get into his hands? This is sabotage. A spy. Someone's betrayed us!" Eric hissed, horrified.
Damian hushed him sharply, never taking his eyes off the screen. His anger was ice-cold now, coiled and patient.
He would find out who dared betray him. And when he did... there would be no mercy.
Once Victor finished his presentation, the hall erupted in thunderous applause. He soaked it in like a king, smiling smugly as he returned to his seat. The next presenter was called, and the program rolled on smoothly_until it was Damian Lopez's turn.
Everyone in the hall leaned forward, anticipation thick in the air. The entire tech world had come expecting to witness Damian's genius, to see what masterpiece the infamous CEO had brought to the table. But Damian stood tall, face unreadable, and announced coolly:
"I came as a spectator today. I won't be submitting my report."
Gasps spread across the room like wildfire. Whispers shot through the audience. The organizers tried to mask their disappointment, urging him to at least consider sending in his proposal later if he changed his mind. Damian only gave a polite nod before sitting back, his poker face betraying nothing of the storm raging within him.
When the summit finally concluded, Damian made his way to the underground garage. He was halfway to his car when he froze.
Victor Lawson was there, leaning casually against his sleek black Lamborghini, his sleeves rolled up, hair disheveled, a cigarette dangling between his fingers. He looked nothing like the polished businessman from earlier; he looked like a tout and the street predator he truly was.
When Victor noticed Damian, he straightened, his lips curling into a sly, poisonous smile.
"Tsk. Mr. CEO," he drawled mockingly, flicking ash to the floor. "I bet you're wondering what went wrong, huh? Wondering how your perfect little project landed in my hands? Think no more Mr, it is exactly as you've suspected.Yes she did. My baby gave it to me."
He smiled smugly, his grin widening. "This should remind you, money can buy almost everything, Mr. Lopez. But not love. Never love."
Damian's expression didn't waver. He stood cold, unreadable, but his silence only encouraged Victor to continue.
"You may have her in your house, but I have her heart. Don't think I didn't notice your little trick, the way you pulled her over to your side. Clever. I'll give you that. But I don't agree." Victor stepped closer, smoke curling between them. "So here's a deal. Hand her back to me, and I'll wire every cent you loaned her. With interest. Walk away, and you'll never have to look over your shoulder again. What do you say?"
Damian finally scoffed, his voice cutting like steel.
"I don't know what you're talking about. But if this is about Eva Lopez, my wife, then you're even more stupid than I gave you credit for, imagining you can buy her with your filthy money. Maybe you snatched today's applause, but tomorrow? Tomorrow belongs to me. That contract means nothing compared to what I already own. And the bottom line is simple, Lawson, in this game, you will be the one losing."
Victor let out a cold laugh. Then he gasps as he stands gallantly before Damien who just stares at him with a poker face.
"Lose? You really think so? Keep holding onto my possession, Mr. CEO, and I'll burn your empire to the ground with it. This little stunt was just the beginning. Brace yourself, and I assure you, you're going to lose everything for a woman who isn't even worth the trouble."
Damian's voice dropped, low and deliberate. "Point of correction, Eva Lopez is worth all the trouble. And I've been in this game long enough to know a treasure when I see one. She's a gem, and I'm keeping her!"
Victor smirked, tilting his head. "Eva? Eva Lopez. Nice name. But, are you sure that's who she really is?"
Damian frowned deeply. Something in Victor's tone unsettled him, a hidden taunt that felt too personal. He hated the sensation, it made him feel like Victor knew something he didn't. And Damian Lopez never liked being the one in the dark.
Victor leaned in slightly, voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Here's a little advice. Love is beautiful, until all you get back is theft and betrayal. Sometimes, women aren't worth the empire you're ready to burn for them. Think about it."
With that, he stubbed out his cigarette, tossed it aside, and slid into his Lamborghini. The engine roared to life, and within seconds, Victor was gone, leaving only the stench of smoke and venom behind.
Damian stood frozen, Victor's last words gnawing at him like acid. The way he'd said it, too sharp, too pointed, it pierced right through his armor. Memories clawed at him. Tyler. Her betrayal. The way she had vanished after robbing him blind. No one knew that truth beyond his family. How could Victor?
Damian's fists clenched, his jaw tight. He hated this feeling clawing at him, hated how it hollowed his chest and set his thoughts spiraling. He couldn't even bring himself to picture Eva's face right now, not without that sting in his gut, that ache of betrayal gnawing at him. And though he despised the thought, Victor's words had landed like a brutal blow, cutting deeper than he wanted to admit.
The idea that another woman he loved had yet again stolen from him, handing his trust, his heart, over to yet another criminal, made his stomach twist until he felt sick. Rage pulsed through him; every nerve screamed to explode, to tear the world apart, to fight back with fire and fury. But he couldn't. Not recklessly. Not this time. Because Eva was involved. And when it came to her, he had to move like a man walking a battlefield in the dark, every step cautious, calculated.
Then Tyler's ghost surged back into his mind. The memory of her sudden disappearance, her betrayal still burning like salt in an open wound, sent fear slicing through him. His chest tightened. Not again. The thought alone was enough to unravel him more than anything else that had happened today.
And for the first time in years, fear slid icy fingers around his chest. The thought of history repeating itself, Eva disappearing the way Tyler had, made his stomach churn violently
With trembling fingers, he dragged his phone from his suit pocket. His breath was unsteady, his patience frayed. He jabbed at the screen, dialing a number with urgency, as if the call could anchor him before the past swallowed him whole.
"Gina," he rasped when the line connected. "Where is my wife?"
There was a startled pause. "She's in her room, sir."
"Go check. Now." His voice was sharp, urgent, almost broken.
Alarmed, Gina hurried up the stairs to Damian's room. She knocked, once, twice. No answer.
"Alert the security at once_!" Damian barked through the phone.
Panicked, Gina shoved the door open, and froze. There, lying peacefully on the bed, was Eva. Asleep. Breathing softly, her face calm, utterly unaware of the storm around her.
"Sir, please... calm down_" Gina began carefully.
"Don't you dare tell me to calm down!" Damien roared, his voice cracking under the weight of fear. His chest tightened painfully as memories of Tyler, of searching endlessly, finding nothing but shadows, flooded back to him. His throat constricted; he could barely breathe. "I don't care about the projects, or what was stolen from me. I just want my wife back! Do you hear me? Inform security immediately, they must find her at all costs!" His voice trembled, breaking into desperation.
Gina blinked in confusion. Wife? Stolen projects? Her gaze darted back to the bed, to Eva, still sleeping soundly, undisturbed, as though none of this chaos belonged to her.
"Sir," she said hesitantly, "I think there must be some, misunderstanding. Miss Eva_ she's here. She's in your room. Sleeping."
Damien froze. For a moment, his heart simply... stopped. It was as if a heavy veil had been ripped from his eyes. Slowly, he blinked, trying to process her words.
"What did you say?" His voice dropped, calm but dangerously quiet.
"She's in your room, sir. Sleeping."
Damien's throat worked as he swallowed hard, his eyes closing tightly. Relief and fury tangled inside him until it was unbearable. "Keep an eye on her," he ground out, irritation lacing every word. "I'm on my way." He said, his voice hard as iron though his hands still trembled. He ended the call, his stride long and purposeful as he stormed toward his car, determination blazing in his eyes.
This wasn't over.