Marrying the Man in the Dark

Chapter 1079 UnwelcUltimatum Damien narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze cold as winter's frost as he addressed the man before him. "Mr. Gray, I remember our previous business encounter, which was indeed unpleasant, but that was long ago." "I fail to comprehend why Mr. Gray insists on interfering with the Lenoir affairs over a matter from the past." Jude responded with a serene smile, a façade of friendliness masking the tension brewing beneath the surface. To any casual onlookers, it appeared to be nothing more than an amicable exchange between two businessmen. Yet, unbeknownst to them, the real intensity of their interaction simmered underneath the pleasantries.

He lifted the coffee cup to his lips, taking a measured sip. "Do you truly believe that I, someone who comes from prestige and esteem, would be swayed by a minor mishap from years before?" "I've never lost sleep over losses in the tens of millions," Jude continued, his tone unwavering and devoid of emotion.

Damien's retort cswift and sharp, a reflection of the tension that crackled between them. "If Mr. Gray claims that you don't care about such small trifles," he countered, his voice laced with a hint of skepticism, "why then would you intervene with the situation that concerns Gwenn and my wife?" "Would you believeif I confessed I have romantic feelings toward Gwenn?" The clink of the porcelain cup reverberated loudly in Damien's ears as it met the surface of the table. A wry smile played across Jude's face. "Damien, it's not as though I haven't afforded you the opportunity to make a choice." "Are you genuinely prepared to allow your wife to suffer within the confines of the detention center?" Jude posed the question, his tone insistent.

"Ah, that's right; before I forget," he continued in a nonchalant tone, pressing the matter further.

With a casual shrug, Jude added, "One of my people has alertedthat Beckham Tanner is en route to the sisland that Raymond Lenoir hid himself in." "Unfortunately, he isn't as swift as I am." "Even before he left, I had already dispatched individuals to the island..." Jude's almond-shaped eyes fixed faintly on Damien. "Tis slipping away." "Do you wish to persist in fruitless discussions with the authorities here for the sake of your wife, or do you intend to save your father-in-law by traveling across the Mediterranean Sea?" Damien's icy eyes narrowed with intensity as his hands clenched tightly around the coffee cup, "What do you want exactly?" he demanded.

"That," Jude replied cryptically, "is something that will be revealed in due time." Jude's gaze shifted elegantly to his phone, where he checked the twith a casual grace. "I shall count to ten," he remarked, his voice carrying a weighty consequence, "if by then, you're still indecisive, I can only surmise that you don't consent to the proposal..." Damien felt the tension coil within his stomach.

In all of Damien's experiences until now, he found himself in unfamiliar territory, a place where his usual tactics and strategies seemed futile against the enigmatic force that was Jude Gray.

Jude Gray, a figure who typically operated from the shadows, serving as Gwenn's secret strategist and supporter, had now emerged into the open, laying bare the cards he held.

Jude harbored no fear in divulging the intricacies of his meticulously crafted plans.

For there were no vulnerabilities among them.

"One, two, three..." Jude glanced up, a smile playing upon his lips as he addressed Damien. "It seems Mr. Lenoir is reluctant to release Gwenn." "I get it," Jude remarked, his tone measured. "Just as daughters-in-law may often clash with their mothers-in-law, and many sons- in-law might harbor disdain toward their fathers-in-law." "I've provided Mr. Lenoir with a legitimate pretext to disregard Beckham's fate, and I've assisted him in eliminating a figure he found hard to manage." "It's only fair to say that Mr. Lenoir would be content with such convenient terms." With a well-practiced façade of surprise, Jude observed the tense lines on Damien's face, his eyes twinkling with a hint of amusement. "Why, Mr. Lenoir," he remarked his voice Pping with faux concern, "you should be happy! That sad face does not suit you." The corners of Damien's lips twitched, a fleeting flicker of irritation betraying his attempts at maintaining composure. "Hmm, is the reason for your sadness because I haven't concluded my count?" Jude mused, the smirk playing at the edges of his lips.

ise el.

growing more pronounced. With deliberate nonchalance, Jude stretched languidly, his movements fluid and effortless. "Well, if that's the case, let us proceed," he declared, his voice carrying a hint of boredom as he resumed his count.

"Four, five..." he intoned, each syllable resonating with a sense of inevitability as the seconds ticked by.

"I consent," Damien gritted out through clenched teeth, the words heavy with resignation as he closed his eyes.

Perhaps it was the weariness that had clouded his judgment, the fatigue of endless battles dulling his one-sharp instincts. Or perhaps it was the realization that even the strongest had moments of lov weakness. Regardless, it was too late. Deep in thought after ruminating over his circumstances, he cto a stark realization: he had overlooked a crucial detail. Why had he failed to consider that Gwenn's ally might also be present within their midst? Now, confronted with Jude's ultimatum, he found himself with no better options.

To Cherise, there was no one more significant than Beckham. He was her biological father, after all, reunited after much pain.

There was no way he could simply stand by as Beckham went all by himself to that hostile island that had sentries all pointing a target at his back.

Despite his repeated instructions for Beckham to await reinforcements...