Sarah's heart pounded in her chest. She knew she couldn't hide it any longer. She stammered, trying to come up with a plausible excuse. "I... I bumped into something," she lied.
Damien's eyes narrowed. He knew she was lying. He had seen the fear in her eyes just a minute ago, the way she flinched when he touched her. He remembered Johnny saying she looked frightened as she was getting out of the company.
He got up, went to his study, and reviewed the last night's security footage from Sterling Designs. His blood ran cold as he watched the scene unfold: Klein cornering Sarah, grabbing her arm, attempting to kiss her, and then the bruise—the clear evidence of his assault.
Rage, pure and unadulterated, coursed through his veins. He wouldn't tolerate anyone hurting Sarah, especially not that sleazy excuse for a manager.
He sat in the study, punching his fist on the desk. Sarah stood at the entrance, her face scared after seeing him like this. "Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded.
Sarah: "I was scared..." Tears welled up in her eyes.
Damien, seeing her in this state, placed one hand on her cheek. With his other hand, he took hers and placed it on his chest, saying, "Can you feel this?" His heart was beating loud, ready to pop out of his chest. Sarah, through tears, nodded. Damien said, "Trust me, I will protect you. I won't let anyone harm you, okay?"
Sarah: "Don't be angry, don't hurt yourself over it, it's not worth it," she replied.
"Not worth it?" A dangerous flash was in his eyes. "Are you kidding me, Sarah?"
She then said, "I'll take care of it."
"You'll take care of it?" he asked incredulously.
He grabbed her hand and walked out with her. He sat her in his car, went to the driver's seat, and sat down. He then moved closer to her, fastened her seatbelt, turned to her, and said, "What's mine, no one can touch." She felt his fierce possessiveness.
The Reckoning
They arrived at the company. She trailed after him as he stormed into Klein's office, his face a mask of fury. Klein, sitting at his desk, looked up in surprise, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Mr. Sterling," he greeted, his voice dripping with false respect. "What can I do for you?"
Damien didn't say a word. He walked over to Klein, his eyes blazing with anger. He punched him right in the face, then grabbed Klein's hand—the hand that had touched Sarah—and twisted it sharply.
Klein yelped in pain, his face contorted in agony. "Mr. Sterling, what are you doing? Let me go!" he screamed.
Damien then said, "My woman, it's not your turn to touch." The angry Damien tightened his grip, the sound of bone snapping echoing through the office. Klein's screams intensified, his face turning purple.
Damien released his hand, letting it drop to Klein's side. He looked down at the man, his eyes filled with contempt.
"Touch her again," he said, his voice low and menacing, "and I'll break every single bone in your body."
He turned and walked out of the office. The CEO, Robert Garth, appeared in front of Damien, and Damien said, "Get rid of him and send him to jail," and threw a USB stick on his desk. "I don't want to see this scum out on the street ever again." Garth just nodded and left. Damien knew he had crossed a line, that he had acted impulsively and violently when there could have been a better way to deal with the situation. But he didn't regret it. He had protected Sarah, and he would do it again, no matter the cost.
He came over to her work desk and without saying anything, he placed his hand on top of her head, gently stroking it. "Next time, when I ask you what's wrong, you better tell me the truth." She froze in the spot and nodded like an obedient child. Her colleagues saw this and looked at each other, surprised. After Damien left, Sarah was left in an awkward position.