CHAPTER 5 — The Price of Pride
CHAPTER 5 — The Price of Pride
The next morning, Damian woke up before his alarm.
That had never happened before.
For years, his schedule had been controlled by assistants, meetings, and business calls. Every minute of his day had been planned because he believed every second belonged to him.
But now…
There was nowhere he needed to be.
No board meeting.
No investors waiting.
No employees asking for his approval.
No one.
The silence was unbearable.
Damian walked downstairs into the massive kitchen of his mansion.
The same kitchen where private chefs had prepared meals for business partners.
The same place where executives had laughed at his jokes and praised his success.
Now, it felt empty.
A staff member placed a cup of coffee on the counter.
“Mr. Blackwood.”
Damian looked up.
The employee hesitated.
“Sorry… I mean, Damian.”
The correction was small.
Almost meaningless.
But it affected him more than he expected.
Because his title had always been part of his identity.
CEO.
Founder.
Billionaire.
Without those words, who was he?
His phone rang.
This time, he answered immediately.
“Hello?”
“Mr. Blackwood, this is Jonathan Pierce from legal services.”
Damian recognized the voice.
Jonathan had represented his company for years.
“What do you need?”
A pause.
“I’m calling regarding the asset review.”
Damian tightened his grip on the phone.
“And?”
“Several of your personal holdings have been frozen temporarily.”
“Temporarily?”
“Yes.”
“Who authorized this?”
Another silence.
Then Jonathan answered.
“Ms. Voss.”
Damian closed his eyes.
Of course.
Even after everything, Elena’s name followed him everywhere.
“Tell her I want a meeting.”
Jonathan sounded uncomfortable.
“I don’t think that would be possible.”
Damian’s expression changed.
“Excuse me?”
“She has already made her position clear.”
“What position?”
Jonathan lowered his voice.
“She believes you need time to understand the consequences of your actions.”
Damian laughed bitterly.
“Consequences?”
He looked around the mansion.
“I’ve already lost everything.”
“No,” Jonathan replied.
“You lost control.”
Damian became silent.
The words sounded familiar.
Because Elena had said something similar.
And hearing it from someone else made it worse.
Across the city, Elena attended the emergency board meeting.
Unlike Damian’s meetings, there was no shouting.
No ego.
No competition.
Everyone in the room understood the seriousness of the situation.
Richard presented the latest report.
“Blackwood Enterprises is no longer under Damian’s control. All major financial risks have been contained.”
A board member nodded.
“And his remaining personal assets?”
“Under review.”
Another executive looked toward Elena.
“Do you want us to proceed with full liquidation?”
The room became quiet.
Everyone waited.
Elena looked at the documents in front of her.
A few months ago, the answer might have been simple.
But she wasn’t interested in revenge.
She was interested in correction.
“No.”
The board members looked surprised.
“No?”
Elena shook her head.
“Liquidating everything would only create chaos.”
Richard studied her.
“Then what do you suggest?”
Elena closed the file.
“Let him keep what he earned honestly.”
A pause.
“But everything built through manipulation, deception, or abuse of power must be returned.”
The room remained silent.
Then one board member nodded.
“That is fair.”
Elena looked down.
Fair.
A word Damian had misunderstood.
That afternoon, Damian received another message.
Meeting confirmed.
He stared at the screen.
For the first time in days, he felt something close to hope.
Maybe Elena had changed her mind.
Maybe she wanted to negotiate.
Maybe there was still a way back.
He arrived at Voss Global Holdings an hour later.
But this time, he wasn’t greeted as a powerful businessman.
He wasn’t escorted to the executive floor.
He waited in the lobby.
Just like everyone else.
When Elena finally appeared, she walked toward him calmly.
“You came.”
Damian stood.
“I need my company back.”
Elena looked at him.
“No.”
The answer came instantly.
His face hardened.
“You don’t even have to think about it?”
“I already did.”
“You can’t just take years of my work away.”
Elena looked at him carefully.
“Your work?”
She handed him a folder.
Inside were records.
Investment documents.
Ownership agreements.
Original funding contracts.
Damian flipped through them.
His expression slowly changed.
“This…”
“Yes.”
Elena nodded.
“The money that saved your company came from Voss Global Holdings.”
Damian looked up.
“But I built it.”
“You managed it.”
She corrected him.
“There is a difference.”
The words hurt because they were true.
“You had talent,” Elena continued.
“You had ambition.”
She paused.
“But you forgot something important.”
“What?”
She looked directly at him.
“Success is not just about knowing how to rise.”
A moment of silence.
“It’s about knowing who helped you get there.”
Damian looked down at the documents.
For the first time, he saw the story differently.
The company he had bragged about.
The empire he claimed was created by his genius.
The success he used to look down on others.
It was never completely his.
A quiet woman had been standing beside him the entire time.
Supporting him.
Protecting him.
Building with him.
And he had repaid her by humiliating her.
Before leaving, Damian stopped at the door.
“Why did you help me for so long?”
Elena didn’t answer immediately.
Then she said:
“Because I believed you could become someone better.”
Damian turned.
“And now?”
Elena looked at him.
“Now I believe you have to choose.”
“Choose what?”
“Whether you want to become better…”
She paused.
“Or whether you only miss being powerful.”
Damian left without another word.
But for the first time in his life…
He wasn’t angry.
May you like
He was forced to think.
And that was something money had never been able to buy.
