Eric's POV
I felt like I was floating as I walked into my office. I had woken up this morning to discover the mess a blogger had created, alleging I was gay. That hadn't moved me, although I knew my father was going to bring down the roof. Damien hadn't called me, even though I was sure as hell he had seen the headlines.
What made me furiously angry was the state I was in when they took those photos. I was at the peak of pain from the betrayal I had suffered from a woman, and they called me gay? Since when did gay men get broken because of the opposite gender?
I had sent my investigator to gather more information about the blogger. Once they had gathered the information, I would make her life hell for what she did. But why did she decide to post about me? Some other businessmen and celebrities were gay but had never been targeted by blogs.
After all, it was their private life. It could only mean several things: she did it to increase traffic to her blog page, or one of my competitors hated me so much that they wanted to ruin me. Could it be a strategy from Damien's father's opponent to reduce his chances of being elected for a second term as prime minister?
Whatever it was, I would get to the root of it when I apprehended the blogger.
Walking into my office, I could hear hushed whispers about me. I would normally have shouted at them and told them to get back to work, but I let them be. After all, what is life without gossip? The only problem was that they didn't know how it affected me.
When I reached my office, my investigator, Tyler, was waiting for me. He was a longtime friend and had always been loyal. Tyler narrowed his eyes, studying me.
"You've grown thinner. Have you been eating?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.
"What can I say, friend? My girlfriend cheated on me with my business rival. While trying to recover from that, a blogger decides to declare me gay," I replied and sat down. "Do you know how much damage this news is going to cause to everyone involved? To Damien and his father? To me and my career?" I let a moment of silence pass before continuing. "I'm too worried to care about eating."
There was no need to lie and keep up the tough billionaire facade. If there was anything I had discovered within the past week, it was this: love and rumors could break a man more than anything.
Tyler heaved a sigh and nodded in understanding. "I understand, but I've gotten everything you asked for," he said and handed me his tablet as I scrolled through the file. He turned on the television and began recounting the girl's entire background.
"Did you find the reason she did it? I mean, did you check her call logs, her bank account, and things like that?"
"I did, and there was no trace. No money was paid into her account. No suspicious calls. I think she did this on purpose," Tyler concluded.
I nodded at him. "She wasn't under any duress; she did this for her own selfish reasons. So, what do we do?" I asked.
"Well, I think—"
A loud bang on the door interrupted our discussion. I shut my eyes in anger for a moment as a familiar cologne filled the room.
My father walked in, his face stern. He threw a copy of a magazine with mine and Damien's photos on the cover at me. I grew more furious seeing the caption.
He sat across from me, leaned back slightly in the chair with his hands clasped together, his chin resting on them.
He glared at me. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the magazine.
Scoffing, I replied, "It's just some blogger snooping around. I'll take care of it," and with that, I tossed the magazine back to him.
"My question is: why would Eric Sloan, son of Landon Sloan, future heir to the Sloan Group of Companies, be found at a bar with his friend in this position?"
I shrugged. "I was drunk."
"Why?" he asked, his expression growing more serious.
"I wanted to relieve some stress. Besides, why do you seem to care? You know it's a lie," I replied. My father didn't know the reason why Bella and I had broken up. No one did, except Damien and Tyler.
He slammed his fist on my desk. "You do not relieve stress by getting drunk! I raised you better than that!" His nostrils flared as he shouted.
"Did you forget who you are? So many of our investors will question your capability. Is that what you wanted? To be referred to as a failure?" he demanded.
I closed my eyes as I tried to control my anger. Who said being gay made someone incompetent?
"I'll fix it," I assured him.
He stood up and buttoned his suit. "You'd better! The world doesn't need to know you're a coward," he said sternly and left.
Tyler stood there, his mouth agape. He was shocked by my father's outburst.
Damien entered a few minutes later and shook hands with me as if he wasn't aware of what had happened. "We need to do something about this blogger's post," he said, facing me. Tyler sat beside him.
"The political party is beginning to question my dad because he said I was straight. I mean, I campaigned for him as a straight man, and then this news comes out that I'm gay," Damien explained, his voice low, his eyes red with worry.
"Let's not forget Bella, my ex-girlfriend. People are asking questions, and I'm not trying to blame you, but it's your fault!" I glared at him.
"Don't look at me like that. You could have gotten drunk at a more expensive restaurant where your privacy would have been better protected, or even at one of your own hotels."
I knew what he was saying was true. I should have gone to my own restaurant or an upscale establishment. But then again, I was too devastated to think clearly. "I know, but I'm confused. I don't—"
"We have to figure this out before it destroys everything," Damien cut me off before I could finish.
Tyler suddenly turned up the volume on the TV. We stared at him. Why would he be concerned about television at a time like this? He pointed toward the screen. "That's the blogger. That's Laura," he said.
We listened to her with rapt attention. "Yeah, I was an eyewitness to that photo I posted. Even his former girlfriend approached me after I published it. She thanked me for being able to do what she couldn't do. This confirms the entire situation—that they are both gay."
I clenched my hands into fists.
"What the hell!" Damien shouted. He glanced at me, then at her on the screen. "She needs to be taught a lesson," he said.
I nodded in agreement. "An unforgettable lesson!"