Anya’s eyes were already puffy the moment she arrived at her apartment. She was emotionally and mentally exhausted, and she feel dull all over.
Sudden harsh flashes attack her eyes and she can’t help but shut them close. Then she heard a bunch of foot steps rush towards her and the moment she opened her eyes, she saw a crowd of reporters crowding around her.
“Ms. Anya you’re the owner of the Reignya right? What happened do the project?” “Is it true that your bankrupt?”
“Ms. Anya, is your studio disbanded now?”
“Ms. Anya is it true you had an affair with an employee and betrayed you out of anger?” “Ms. Anya..”
Anya was drowned with the voices and questions of the reporters around her. Hard flashes almost blinded her eyes. She didn’t why this is happening.
“Hey, that’s not allowed in here!” The voice of the guards in the basement reprimanded the reporters, but this didn’t stop them.
Anya was being mobbed by the reporters and she didn’t know what to do. The guard this scene and called back ups to the basement.
“Miss, this way!” The guards broke themselves in from the swarm of reporters and helped Anya go through. They knew Anya was a resident of the apartment, so they did their best to help.
Anya bowed her head and walked briskly when she a path opened. She hurried went in the premise.
Her heart was pounding and she found herself breathless. Turns out she hardly breathe during those situations.
She turned her back to look at the scene outside from the glass the door. She could still see the reporters trying to shove their mics and calling for her.
Anya felt her insides churn as she had too much for today. If the guards didn’t help, she wondered what might have happened?
She might break down.
With that, Anya turned to one of the guards and bowed her head.
“Thank you..” She said sincerely with trembling voice.
“No problem, ma’am. It’s our job. Please go upstairs now, these reporters won’t calm down any soon.” The guards urged.
Anya nodded as she headed to her unit.
When she entered, she was met by a cold and desolate. Very much how her life is right now. She drooped down her couch as she now felt every inch of her body was exhausted. Her heart and mind were also tired.
She looked back on the state of her life. When she let go of her studio, she felt giving away a piece of her heart, but she didn’t see it as the end. She felt that as long as she worked hard again, then she can rise back up.
What she was leaning on as well is that, as long as the people she loved will be behind her, she felt she could do anything.
But the things that happened today broke all her hopes.
Damon had thrown her away just like everyone else. She can’t be with the man she loved, and she can’t be with her son.
She now only has Marie, but she doesn’t want to drag her down to her miserable life as well. Her friend also has her own life and issues.
Anya also travelled her thoughts to what happened earlier. She didn’t think she would be mobbed by reporters. And the press was talking about awful things linked to her.
Bankrupt? A fraud? Affair?
Betrayal?
All of these was linked to her name and she doesn’t have a face to show to the world any more. ‘What do I do?’
Anya’s tears began to flow from her eyes again. ‘I just.. want to disappear.’
She felt so tired and done with everything that is happening now. She wanted to escape, to breathe, and find herself again.
When these thoughts crossed her mind, she suddenly felt determined. She wiped her face and stood up.
She went to her closet and packed her clothes. She doesn’t have a lot of things. When she left the Davidss, she only bought her clothes and things for designing.
And right now, she doesn’t have much that she couldn’t buy in another place. Just her clothes. She packed it all up and took some more things. She checked her account and saw she still had a bearable amount of savings.
When her studio was doing good, she started saving bit by bit just for security. Now that it was liquidated, all of the amount she garnered was given to pay of her debt.
She was thankful she saved earlier, and now she had the means to at least survive. When she finished, she only brought out one luggage and one big bag.
She then contacted the management.
“Hello, can I leave at the back of the apartment? It’s not appropriate for me to leave at the front.” When the management knew that it was Anya talking, she immediately understood.
“Sure ma’am. Do you need a cab?” she asked thoughtfully.
Anya said yes and thanked her sincerely. A guard then escorted her to leave from the back, and when she went outside, she already saw a cab waiting.
She thanked the guard and entered the car. She told the driver to head to the airport.
Anya had already left a message to the management that she will discuss the matter of the apartment later and might contact her friend to help her with it. It’s just she needed to leave this time.
Her heart was cold as she stared at the view outside emptily. Tonight, she was leaving. Not wanting to turn back any longer.
.
.
Currently in the United States, Damon was in the middle of a meeting. He had hurriedly flown to here just this day.
He wanted to end it as soon as possible, so even though he nearly had time for his self, he went directly to this country to finish his business.
This time, Damon had left his phone in attendance to Gabe. He wanted him to pay attention to any message in case something important would arrive. He didn’t expect he would stay here for so long, so at first he didn’t bother telling the people back home.
But know that he felt he was staying for to long, he was beginning to worry about the matters at home. So he asked Gabe to pay attention.
And right now, he is seeing his secretary briskly walking towards him, concern written in his face.
Gabe stopped beside Damon and whispered to him.
“Sir, you have a message from the young master.” Gabe reported.
Just from looking at the other’s face, Damon immediately didn’t feel good. He took the phone and read it.
‘Daddy, go home. Save Aunt Anya.’
Damon’s heart leaped as he read the message. It was vague, but there was a foreboding feeling in his heart.
He immediately stood up from his seat.
“I have heard enough. Meeting adjourned. I’ll be going back to the main company, if there are more concerns, send it to me there.” He said directly.
His words immediately did not sit well with the board of directors.
“President, you can’t do that! You’ll just going to leave like that, what kind of attitude is this?” Some raised up, clearly dissatisfied.
Voices were soon heard to second the motion. Damon clenched his jaw at this.
“Tsk. Tsk. Damon look at you, acting impulsive.” An old voice sounded loud from the crowd. The people immediately quietened.
A middle aged man stood up and reprimanded Damon. He was Mike, an uncle of Damon. “How would you act responsible and be a good example to your people as a leader? Do you think this is how a Castellano Leader run an empire?” Mike added as he acted like an elder in front of Damon.
Mike was already old, as a second degree family of the Castellano, he always carried airs. When his cousin died, as the senior left of the family, he expected to be the next leader.
But who knew this young and capable Damon Castellano, who was also the sole heir of the Castellanos Group of Companies, would suddenly soar. He was beaten by a boy a generation younger than him.
For years he held grudge. He had planned and waited for the perfect chance to bring Damon down.
And know, he was just starting. He then saw his nephew’s kind of anxious and impulsive behavior, so he used this as a leverage to earn the spotlight in the eyes of the board.
Damon only looked coldly at his uncle, and an oppressing aura immersed from him.
“I have said my words. I already visited here for a while, and I believe this is enough for all of you to function. And if not, then there is no need for you to keep your place.” Damon said domineeringly in front of them.
He turned his back and made his way out of the door. He started walking briskly, as he was anxious to go home.
He remembered Anya and the last conversation he had when he left. It was not a good one. This made him more anxious as to what might have happened back home.
‘Wait for me, I’m coming.’