bChapter /bb41 /b

-Damon’s POV:

As they made their way over Damon, he began to feel like dark omen was approaching, like they were walking right into a lion’s den. How long had Damon been back in Banton, why hadn’t bhe /bcalled them, how had he received an invitation? All these questions were roaming in his mind as they made they bway/b. but thergest question of all, where was Rabena?

Damon was finishing a conversation with an old acquaintance when he saw his brothers approaching. A smug look on his face, he knew it was only ba /bmatter of time before they spotted him. After the man walked off, Damon walked slowly toward Daniel and Darius. Darius’s face began to darken as Damon smiled coolly at his brothers.

i“/iDamon. iJust /iwhat the hell iare /iyou idoing /iihere/ib./bb” /b

Daniel bwas /bthe bfirst /bbto /bbspeak/bb, /bclear disdain in his voice. Damon let out a light chuckle.

i“/iiHello /ibrother, it’s inice /ibto /bsee you too.b” /b

In blow /bvoice to avoid attention, Daniel’s frustration bgrew/b.

“Don’t be a wise ass iDamon/ii. /iiWhat /iare you idoing /ihere!bi” /i/b

bi“/i/bbiI /i/biwas /iiinvited /idear brotherb, /bthe same as youb./b”

Damon pulled out his invitation from his breast pocket. Daniel and Darius beyes /bgrew

b. /bNone of this made any sense. Darius needed answers.

i“/iiDamon/i, iexactly /iiHOW /iidid /iyou iget /iian /iiinvitation /ito ithis /iiball/ibi? /i/bWhere ihave /ibeen iall /iithis /iitime/ii? /iWhere is Rabenab; /biis /ishe bihere/i/bbi?/i/bbi” /i/b

Damon closed his eyes for a brief moment, Darius was asking a million questions a minute. Taking a deep breath, he finally answered.

i“/iDarius, iif /iiyou /iwant me bto /bianswer /iall iof /iithese /iquestions bI /bsuggest you stop asking so imany /iiat /ibonce/b. iWhere /iI’ve been iis /inot of iimportance/ii; /ineither is how I got here. bAs /bifor /iiRabena/ibi, /i/bshe’s no longer byour /bconcern eitherb./bb” /b

Daniel band /bDarius could feel their faces burning up, why Damon being this wayb? /bThey could feel something brewing in the air, an ufortable feeling rising. Daniel took a bstep /bcloser bto /bDamon whispering speaking within earshot.

“I don’t know what ithe /ihell is igoing /ion iDamon/i, but iif /iyou try iand /iimess /iiup /ithe ideal /iwe’ll ihave /iiwith /ibiMGT/i/bb, /byou can consider yourself no longer a Crest.”

Damon let out a smug chuckle, bto /bthink Daniel thought that was ba /bthreat.

“Daniel, I haven’t considered myself a ‘iCrest/i‘ for iquite /isome time. iSolidifying /iit would be doing me a ifavor/i.”

With that, Damon walked off leaving the two men stunned,

-Aaron’s iPOV/ii: /i

Meanwhile, Aaron decided now was the right time to sey everything into motion, he was growing tired of the Crests and Thomas being at his event. He walked up to Thomas slowly with a mischievous grin.

“Lockwood, I bsee /byou made it, as did the Crests. iI /iidon’t /iseem to see your ‘wife‘ anywhere.”

Aaron emphasized on wife, eager to hear what lie/thomas woulde up with. Feeling beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Thomas could feel the anxiety rising in his chest. Throughout the evening, he and Crests had been volunteering that his wife was sick with pneumonia Now, it was time to see if Aaron would believe him. Smiling coolly, Thomas held an apologetic expression.

bi“/i/bbiA/i/b–iActually /iChairman Michaels, she wasn’t able to make it this evening I’m afraid she’se down with pneumonia.”

Thomas stared at Aaron for what seemed like an eternity trying to decipher if he’d believed him or notb; /bhowever, Aaron left no room for expressions. Suddenly, Danielle along with her parents walked up. Sliding her arm into Thomas‘ arm, bshe /bsmiled brightly at Aaron while speaking in a bsugary /bbvoice/b.

b1/2 /bfn08fe N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on FindN()vel/fn08fe

i“/iTommy! There you are, we’ve been looking all over for you! Oh, who’s this?”

Aaron cut his beyes /bover at Danielle. ‘So, this is Danielle Crest, the one everybody seems to fawn over?‘ Aaron looked unimpressed, he didn’t understand the appeal she had over others. He could tell she relied on acting innocent as a way to manipte others. And she was cute, Rabena possessed an alluring quality that gravitated others to her. She bwas /bintelligent, braveb, /band above all kind. She didn’t need cheap tricks and lies to make people notice her. With sardonic smile, Aaron introduced himself.

i“/iPleasure to meet iyou/ii, /iI’m Chairman Michales, the host bof /bthis g.”

Danielle’s beyes /bwiden, she’d heard rumors of how handsome the chairman bof /bMGT was but seeing him in person, the rumors did not due him justice. Refere her stood a tall and handsome man with beautiful beyes /band authorized presence, much more than Thomas who often seemed whiny. Dawning her best smileb, /bDanielle introduced herself.

i“/iiOh/i, imy/ii. /iIt’s a pleasure to meet iyou /iiChairman /iMichaels. I’m iDanielle /iCrest and these bare /bmy iparents /iiDavis /ibiand /i/bAmber biCrest/i/bb./bb” /b

Aaron looked at all four bof /bthe people standing before him, with hidden disgust in his eyes, he nodded slightly. Just thenb, /bDarius and Daniel walked over with troubled looks on their facesb. /bAmber Crest suddenly turned cheerfully,

i“/iiOh/ii, /iiChairman /iMichaels, these bare /bour isons /iiDarius /iand iDaniel/ii./i”

Aaron extended his hand to shake Daniel’s and bDarius/bb‘/bb. /bHe’d notice a troubled look on their bfaces /band figured it was bbecause /bbof /bDamon.

i“/iIt’s a pleasure to meet iyou /iiChairman /iiMichaels/ii./i”

Darius said in a cool and distant tone. It was still bothering him on exactly how he knew Damon. Aaron looked back bover /bat Thomasb. /b

i“/ibiI’m /i/bbivery /i/bbisorry /i/bto hear iabout /iiyour /iiwife /iiLockwood/i, ithough /iit seems her isister /ihas been nice enough to keep iyou /iipany/ii. /iStill, I hope she’s ibeing /iiproperly /icared ifor/ibi. /i/bseeing as ito /iihow /iiher /ientire ifamily /iis ihere/ibi” /i/b

Aaron spoke in cynical tone that made everyone feel slightly ufortable, Thomas suddenly removed his arm for Danielle’s bgrip/b. A shot of panic across his face.

“W–Well yesbi, /i/bbieveryone /i/bbreceived /ban biinvitation/i/bbi, /i/bwe didn’t iwant /ito be rude iand /iimiss /iiby /inot ishowing /iiup/ii. /iiRest /iiassured /ithough; iRaby /iis ireceiving /iiaround /iithe /iiclock /icare ifrom /ithe best medical istaff /iiin /iiBanton/ibi./i/bi” /i

Thomas spoke with a nervous tone as his lied dug further. He didn’t notice the slight look of disgust at the name ‘Raby‘. Rabena had told him how the family didn’t even bother bto /bbpronounce /bher nickname Ruby correctly after Danielle called her Raby once. Regardless of her constantly correcting them, they’d continued to mispronounce her name, finally she’d stop correcting them altogether.

Amber chimed in nextb. /b

i“/iiOh/ii, /iyes. iOur /iRabena is being well taken care iof/ibi. /i/b‘iWhy /ithe hell does he care iabout /iithat /igirl iso /imuch when my Danielle iis /istanding right before himi!/ii“/ibi“/i/b.

Amber’s inner thoughts were causing her to seethe, she didn’t understand what was so great about Rabena. For her, despite being her biological daughter, she would always that poor girl from a different continent.

b“/bI see. Well, that’s good, and I’m d iyou /iiall /iable to receive my iInvitations/i.”

bChapter /bbComments /b

b3 /b