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It was the same for the Kokinos, and its cold-hearted patriarch Yehor was rumored to have suffered from a near heart attack due to rage upon finding out that his own daughter and heiress Alina had allied herself with Damen Leventis.
Her interview had been short, but it was clear for anyone to see that she had been extremely shaken upon learning of the fate that Mairi had almost suffered in the hands of Cleon Frangos.
“I am ashamed that my own family had a hand in this. If I have played any kind of role that could be attributed as a cause for Ms. Tanner’s pain or suffering, I publicly beg for her forgiveness.”
IT TOOK LESS THAN A day for the scandal to leave the continent and explode in the United States as its own network of media companies picked up the news. Tabloids, gossip websites, and TV shows – all of them did their own coverage of the controversy, and in every report Damen Leventis was painted as the big bad wolf, a heartless billionaire who had made fun of a romantic dreamer.
Damen did not feel anything as insult after insult was hurled at him by the American media. He forced himself to watch every show and read every article, and the only time he felt himself nearing the breaking point was when some of the more creative outlets would include a reenactment of what had happened between Cleon Frangos and Mairi.
Always, they would hire someone who closely resembled Mairi, and always he would be unable to breathe as he watched the events unfold, his chest constricting so tightly Damen sometimes found himself just waiting for his heart to give up from the sheer pain of it.
Every time he watched Mairi’s attack reenacted, it would not be some unknown actress’ face he would see white with fear. It would be Mairi’s. It would be Mairi he would hear crying out for help that would not come, Mairi whose sobs would break him over and over as she sought haven in a goddamn spa because she wanted to feel clean...for him.
That goddamn spa...
As more facts had been unearthed and the date of Cleon’s attack became certain, Damen had been able to connect the dots and with it, his list of sins only grew. He remembered that day with painful clarity. It had been one of the seeds that grew into doubts about Mairi’s love. He had thought her shallow and frivolous, but now he knew that particular expense was the only way Mairi could bottle up her fear inside her and not break down.
How many times had Mairi suffered to prove her love for him?
The answer to that was a bitter pill to swallow. More than she should have.
What could he do to make it up to her?
It was a question Damen feared had no answer, simply because there was no way he could make it up to her. He might just have hurt her too much.
DAMEN HAD ALWAYS KNOWN that his mother and Yehor Kokinos would strike back. The question had only been when and how, but in truth he had not really been bothered. Unfortunately, it was a mistake to underestimate the two, and a costly one at that, something he realized too late.
Damen stared coldly at the papers in front of him. His board – his own fucking board – had signed a petition to have him removed on the grounds that his actions were no longer for the better of the company.
“This is legal?”
His lawyer appeared hesitant to answer.
Damen could easily guess why. “You believe my mother either bribed or blackmailed them into signing this?”
Pippo’s voice was pained when he answered. “Yes, Mr. Leventis. I believe so. It will therefore appear legal at present and though I am confident I’ll be able to expose this as being invalid, it will take some time.” Again, his voice trailed off uncomfortably.
Damen said abruptly, “While it is still enforced, all assets I have tied to the business will be out of my reach.”
“I am sorry, Mr. Leventis, but yes, you have it correct.”
A few months ago, this would not have been a problem. His personal wealth had always been significant and independent of the assets of the family’s business empire. But with the merger between the Kokinos and Leventis not pushing through, Damen had been forced to use his own money to keep their corporation afloat while searching for new investment partners. The search had been time-consuming and difficult, for Damen had not only needed to find someone with serious wealth but also one who would not mind going against the Kokinos.
“Essentially,” Damen said flatly, “you are telling me I am temporarily broke.” He had a few thousand dollars left in his private account, but such funds would not last him forever, considering that the costs associated with searching for new business partners were significant.
