Everyone in the company was now talking about what happened. The boss protecting a junior designer from being harassed by the company's manager was the talk of the entire company. Sarah felt all eyes on her. Her colleague Monica asked her, "What's your relationship with the big boss?"
Sarah didn't say anything. Monica continued, "I saw the way he was looking at you. Are you dating Mr. Sterling?"
Sarah then spoke, "I'm not. I..." But she didn't even know what she was. A girlfriend? But Damien never called her that. His roommate? Her face fell.
Damien was sitting in his office and looking at Sarah on the company surveillance. He saw her expression and noticed people talking about her at every turn, so he called Garth and told him to deal with it.
Garth entered and called everyone to gather. "I want to thank Miss Walker, on my behalf, on behalf of the company, and on behalf of Mr. Sterling, for uncovering manager Klein's dirty deeds and actions toward a number of female colleagues. His actions are a blow to our company's reputation that Mr. Sterling had to come and defend personally. Because of one bad person in power in the company, a lot of people were afraid to speak up about the injustice they've suffered. In the future, I want everyone to follow Miss Walker's lead and report any inappropriate behaviour immediately. Mr. Sterling and I will personally listen and solve it right away. At Sterling Design, we are all a big family, and every member of our family is equally important, no matter the position they're holding."
Now everyone understood the situation a little better. "Miss Walker is so brave to turn to the boss and speak up against injustice; we should all be like her," one colleague said. Another added, "Beautiful and brave." Her colleague Monica said, "I'm sorry for my questions about your relationship with Mr. Sterling. Now I understand he wasn't doing this solely for you but also for our company." Another colleague added, "Mr. Sterling is so handsome, he would protect all of us"...
And so the gossip died and the things have calmed down by the end of a day. But the news of the incident at Sterling Designs reached Don Sterling's ears swiftly, carried by the hushed whispers of loyal employees. One of the senior managers, a man who had remained faithful to Don through the years, felt it his duty to inform the patriarch.
Don listened intently, his aged face creased with a mixture of anger and curiosity. He thought, Why would Damien defend this nobody in the company? Is she the woman he said he loves? This little junior designer will hear me. He was furious at Damien's rash actions, his disregard for the company's reputation. He was also intrigued by this woman, this Sarah, who had provoked such a fierce response from his normally controlled grandson. Who is this one for Damien to react this way to her? He wondered. He suspected a romantic entanglement, a complication that threatened his carefully laid plans for Damien's future.
He decided to take matters into his own hands. The next day, he summoned his driver and instructed him to take him to Sterling Designs. After that, he would go to the headquarters and there he would confront Damien, put an end to this… distraction. He was prepared to offer the woman a substantial sum to disappear from Damien's life, to remove her from the company, and to kick her out of Damien's life would be his goal.
Upon arriving at Sterling Designs, he settled into Damien's empty office, the familiar surroundings doing little to soothe his agitated mind. His grandson was at the headquarters, so he sat down with a piece of mind. He wanted to know more about this Sarah. He instructed the head secretary, Jung, the one that's worked with him for 20 years, to bring Sarah into the office, but before that, he asked her about all the details of yesterday's confrontation. When she told him, he asked about Sarah Walker.
Secretary Jung: "Miss Walker is a talented young designer in our company. She's also the newest member of the design department, but upon arriving, she's managed to leave a good impression on several of our clients. She's hardworking and has great ability."
Sarah, still reeling from the aftermath of the incident with Klein, was surprised by the summons. She felt a mix of gratitude and guilt. She knew Damien had acted to protect her, but she also feared the consequences of his actions and how that would impact him and the company. This would be the first time for her to meet Don Sterling, Damien's only relative, and she was afraid of leaving a bad impression.
She entered Damien's office hesitantly, her heart pounding in her chest. She saw Don Sterling sitting behind a big desk, his presence commanding, his gaze piercing. He was older than she had imagined, his face lined with age and authority.
"You're Sarah?" he asked, his voice firm while looking at the picture on the desk.
"Yes, Mr. Sterling," she replied, her voice barely a whisper.
He looked up from the picture and gestured for her to sit. He studied her carefully, his eyes scrutinizing her features. He was prepared to offer her a deal, a way out of this mess, a way to protect Damien from further scandal. He was ready to offer her a lot of money to leave, to disappear from Damien's life.
But then, he saw her face. He saw the delicate curve of her jaw, the shape of her eyes, the way her hair fell around her shoulders. And a memory, long buried, surfaced in his mind. A face, a name, a connection he had almost forgotten. Rose. His old friend, Rose, from his youth.
The blood drained from his face. He stared at Sarah, his mind reeling. The resemblance was uncanny. It was as if Rose was sitting before him, young and vibrant, her spirit reincarnated in this woman he had intended to dismiss.
He couldn't speak, his carefully prepared speech dissolving into the shock of recognition. He saw not a temptress, a gold digger, but a reflection of a past he had cherished, a past he had thought lost forever. He saw… a connection. A possibility. A truth that made his old hands shake and lips tremble.
The silence in the office stretched, thick with unspoken questions and the weight of a shared past. Don Sterling, his mind still reeling from the shock of recognition, finally found his voice.
"You… your grandmother," he began, his voice raspy, "was she… was she named Rose?"
Sarah looked at him, her brow furrowed in confusion. "I… I don't know," she replied softly. "I don't remember my grandmother. I don't even know my mother's name. I grew up in the orphanage."
Don's aged hand trembled as he reached out, almost instinctively, towards Sarah. He stopped himself, realizing the impropriety of the gesture. "You don't have any family?" he asked, his voice laced with a deep sadness.
"No, my adoptive father passed away and my adoptive mother and sister are in prison." Sarah said, her voice barely a whisper. "I… I don't know my biological parents."
Don nodded slowly, his gaze still fixed on her face, searching for any trace of Rose, any echo of their shared history. He saw it in her eyes, in the gentle curve of her lips, in the quiet strength that radiated from her. It was uncanny.
He shifted in his chair awkwardly, his mind already calculating, strategizing. He needed to know the extent of her relationship with Damien. "How… how close are you to my grandson?" he asked, his voice carefully neutral.
Sarah's cheeks flushed slightly. "Damien… he's been very kind to me," she said, her voice warm. "He's… he's my saviour."
Don's jaw tightened. "Saviour"... The word echoed in his mind, confirming his suspicions. This was more than just a passing fancy. Damien cared for this woman, deeply. But it didn't matter, he told himself. He had a plan.
Don: "How did you two meet?"
Sarah: "He saved my life in a car accident."
Don suddenly realized, the accident his grandson was in was the same accident this girl was in. They've known each other since. Damien was looking after this girl all this time. He felt dizzy and reached for a glass of water and drank the whole thing. Then he said "It doesn't matter," he said, his voice regaining its usual firmness. "There's something you need to know, Sarah. Something… important."
He paused, gathering his thoughts. "There's a marriage arrangement," he continued, his gaze unwavering. "Between the Sterling family and the Wellingtons. Damien… Damien will marry Penelope Wellington in two months, they have already gotten engaged and in two days our families will hold a press conference to announce Damien's and Penelope's love publicly."
Sarah's heart plummeted. The news hit her like a physical blow, a sharp pain in her chest. She had suspected something like this, had sensed the distance, the unspoken obligations that weighed on Damien. His reluctance in holding her, kissing her... But hearing it confirmed, hearing it from his grandfather, made it real, made it final. She thought "I am such a fool..."
Don watched her reaction carefully, his eyes searching for any sign of weakness, any hint of desperation. He was prepared to offer her a way out, a way to save herself from the inevitable heartbreak.
"I don't know the extent of your relationship with my grandson, and I don't want to know. I just want you to leave Damien," he said, his voice low and firm.
Sarah looked at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of sadness and resolve. "You want me to leave him?" she repeated, her voice barely audible.
"Yes," Don said. "I'm prepared to… compensate you for your time. A generous sum. Enough to start a new life, far away from here."
Sarah: "I think you misunderstood our relationship, we are not..." Don stopped her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a check book. He uncapped his pen, ready to write her a check, a way to buy her silence, her absence.