Marrying the Man in the Dark (Damien and Cherise) novel Chapter 1079

Chapter 1079 Unwelcome Ultimatum
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 came swift 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 believe me if 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 alerted me that Beckham Tanner is en route to the same island 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. "Time is 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 time with 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.