ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED TO THE BILLIONAIRE SINGLE DAD (Gabrielle and Damon) novel Chapter 144

CHAPTER 144

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CHAPTER 144

DAMON’S POV

SIX MONTHS AFTER MY EIGHTEENTH BIRTHDAY

One hundred and twelve.

That was the number of people I’d killed in the fighting ring. True to Father’s words, pain was an excellent teacher.

He would know.

He was the one who made me this way.

“Wow,” Rocco said, whistling as he looked down at the body. “You did it again, Gravari.”

He refused to call me Stench for some reason. Everyone else did–except Father. So to them, I was Gravari.

My first kill had taken a toll on me, especially since I had to do it with my bare hands instead of a gun.

It was gory.

But unlike my trainer, they weren’t owned by Father. In the ring, I had to kill or be killed.

I had done it so many times now that I no longer felt guilt when I looked at their lifeless bodies.

Only anxiety remained–an ever–present fear that I would have to keep killing until the day someone finally killed me.

“Can I stay out of the fight tomorrow?” I asked, looking up at him. “Please.”

Rocco shook his head and gestured for his men to carry the body out.

“You’re my best fighter, boy. In just six months, you’ve made more money than most of my fighters have in years. Surely you must understand.”

He pulled a wad of cash from his desk drawer and started counting it.

I was expecting him to refuse.

But I asked him anyway because he was still a better option than Father.

“I need to check for a lump in my head,” I lied. “I’m taking the day off for medical reasons. You won’t make money if I’m dead.”

His head snapped up.

“Then why didn’t you say so?” he asked immediately. “You can take the day off tomorrow. I’ll tell your father I decided it.”

Relief spread through my chest so suddenly that it almost made my knees weak.

“Thank you,” I said.

Rocco waved me off like it was nothing. “Just don’t die on me after making me all this money. You still have more to make.”

His eyes softened.

“I’ve spoken to your father about when you leave for good,” he continued. “He didn’t seem like it was anytime soon. So you need to get even stronger to keep yourself alive until he decides.”

A cold knot formed in my stomach.

I was exhausted from always being in a state of fight or flight mode.

My anxiety and depression had worsened over time, and trying to suppress them was starting to affect my memory.

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“How much stronger?” I asked.

Rocco didn’t answer immediately.

He leaned back in his chair, studying me in a way that made me uncomfortable.

“Stronger than the men he’ll eventually throw you against,” he said finally. “There’s a lot of responsibility and curses that come with your name. Your father is preparing you for that, but I don’t believe in his method.”

Something similar to hope rose in my chest, despite my better judgment.

“You’re a fine weapon, boy,” he added. “It would be better if he treated you like a partner and not a prisoner. I know I would.”

That got my attention.

“Can you save me from him?” I asked. “I don’t want to live like this anymore.”

He stared at me for a moment, then laughed dryly. “I could. But there is only one way to save you. And that’s waiting for your

Father to die.”

The hope that rose in my chest died immediately.

My heart squeezed painfully. “He’s still too young to die.”

“Naturally,” Rocco emphasized. “Someone could, let’s say… push him off the building or bury a bullet in his chest.”

The thought of Father dying knocked the air out of my lungs. It hurt more than I expected. For some reason, I didn’t want anything to happen to him.

He tilted his head. “But if I do, you’ll have to start working for me. As a respected partner, of course.”

I didn’t even give it a second thought. “No,” I said, turning to walk out. “If you try to kill my father, I will kill you.”

Then I left.

The smell of blood hit me the moment I stepped back into the corridor.

I walked to my bedroom, and two women were standing by the door waiting for me.

One was a redhead, and the other was a blonde.

Even though my memories were getting mixed up, I remembered their faces perfectly.

During one of my blacked–out moments with the women, I’d woken up one time to the blonde lady riding me, and the redhead injected something into my veins before I could even completely regain consciousness.

My fist clenched by my side.

“Oh, it’s the Gravari boy,” the redhead cooed. “Our favourite.”

The blonde one just stared at me lustfully.

I walked past them, opened my door, and shut it in their faces before they could follow me.

I made myself a promise to kill them both one day.

A letter was on my bed when I stepped in.

I picked it up, checking for the sender’s address details, but there were none. With a tired sigh, I added it to the collection of love letters on the desk.

Apparently, I had a lot of female fans. I thought it was just another fan letter until a photo slipped out of the envelope.

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I picked it up slowly.

It was the photo of Rhys taken during his stay with us. My heart started racing as I searched the envelope for the letter.

‘I know the guilt must have been eating you up. But this is to let you know I’m alive, and Father would never be able to find me. I am your biggest fan, by the way. I tell everyone who cares to listen that you’re my brother. But please, leave the fighting ring or you’ll die soon. Goodbye for now. You’ll always be my brother.‘

The letter slipped from my fingers.

I stood there staring at the photograph like it might disappear if I blinked,

Rhys was alive.

My chest tightened so violently it hurt to breathe. I picked the letter up again, gripping it so hard the edges bent between my fingers.

He said the guilt must have been eating me up.

If only he knew.

I sank onto the edge of the bed and read the letter again.

And again.

And again.

But the relief I felt didn’t last long.

The door pushed open and Father walked in. I moved to hide the letter but it was too late.

His eyes narrowed as he snatched it out of my grip. “Let me see that.”

My heart dropped. “Father-”

But he had already unfolded the letter.

Silence filled the room as his eyes moved across the page, his face completely unreadable.

I sat frozen where I was.

My pulse thundered in my ears, and every second felt like a blade pressing deeper into my chest.

Finally, he lowered the letter and his gaze lifted to mine. “He says I would never be able to find him.”

My stomach twisted.

A quiet chuckle left his throat as he turned to the letter again. “He clearly doesn’t know his father very well.”

“Please,” I said before I could stop myself.

Father’s gaze snapped to me immediately, and silence stretched between us.

I had never begged him before, not even to spare myself. But I didn’t hesitate to beg for Rhys knowing the risks.

“You’re pleading for him?” he asked, disappointed in me. “You’ll always be weak with this softness of yours, no matter how strong you are.”

I swallowed.

“He’s gone,” I said quickly. “He’s not coming back. He’s not a threat to you.”

Father folded the letter neatly. “You’re right. He isn’t a threat to me. You’ll write back to him and tell him to run as fast as he

CHAPTER 144

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can. Do you know why?”

I swallowed, shaking my head. “No.”

A thin smile appeared on his lips. “Because he’s going to be your first hunt. And when you capture him, you’re going to slit his

throat in front of me.”

I froze, my ears ringing so loud they didn’t even register when he left the room.

The world narrowed and the room suddenly felt strangely quiet.

I stared at the door long after he left, trying to process what he had just said. My mind kept repeating the words, but they didn’t make sense.

I could never kill Rhys, but I knew Father wasn’t bluffing.

My legs moved and before I knew it, I was standing outside Rocco’s office..

I didn’t bother knocking.

I pushed the door open and stepped in.

He raised his head, a line of white powder still on his nose. “Have you forgotten how to knock, boy?”

I shut the door behind me. “I can’t take it anymore. I want you to kill my father.”

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