"It had been a long time, I thought you had disappeared from this world, N!" Damien typed with his eyes staring at the screen with a gentle smile now. His hand hovered near the mouse as he waited, brows furrowed not from anger now but from anticipation.
He stared at the blinking cursor long enough to forget everything else. Evelyn, the argument, the looming threat of divorce disappeared instantly as his heart hammered in his chest. His chest no longer burned with rage but with something else entirely.
For what it felt like an eternity, a reply finally appeared on the screen,
"Yes, I was busy with my new company."
Damien leaned forward with a subtle smile creeping over his lips. It was softer than before, almost boyish. His fingers moved quickly as if he was afraid that the girl would left due to late reply,
"You have started a new company? I thought you were working for someone! You have gained a lot in these few years, That's impressive. What is the name? Maybe I have heard of it."
But the next message came without the detail he was hoping for:
"I am sure you have not, it's only emerging recently and I want to keep it private for now."
He hesitated. A flicker of disappointment crossed his face, but he didn't push further. Instead, he sent another message.
"Then meet me sometime. It's been years since we have started talking but you never showed up whenever I asked you, N."
This time, the wait was longer. His heart beat faster than he would ever admit, watching the little indicator that she was typing. Was it another long message when she would find every reason to refuse him? Somewhere he was preparing for it. But he was shocked when he read the reply.
"Yes, it feels like a lifetime has passed. Let's meet on this New Year. I will message you the place and time when the time comes." His eyes widened. For a moment, he wasn't Damien Albrecht, the cold and feared heir to power. He was just a man stunned by the word on his screen.
"Really?" he typed quickly. "You have always refused in the past. Have you finally decided to give me a chance?"
But no reply came. Her status flipped to offline just as the message was sent. He stared at the screen in disbelief before letting out a quiet breath. The silence settled again, but it didn't feel suffocating this time. He leaned back in the chair, exhaling slowly. His hand hovered over the mouse as if hoping she would come back online.But she didn't.
Still, he smiled softly with a nostalgic look on his face. His eyes lingered on the last message like it was a small treasure he had been waiting for far too long. After closing the screen, he finally started working on the files. That night, he did not sleep.
Damien worked through the night to finish the work early and leave the house before Evelyn could wake up. Finally his mood had improved and he did not want to ruin it. The calm that had settled over him after N's message lingered in the air like a fragile thread, one he didn't dare disturb.
He revised layouts, rechecked numbers, made annotations on architectural renderings. The fairytale-themed park was a project he had personally designed from the ground up, it was his vision and his pride. For the first time in weeks, he worked without snapping at anyone, without distraction or irritation. His mind stayed focused as he memorized every blueprint, every corner of the design calculated for magic and awe.
By morning, he didn't bother returning to his room change. He took a quick bath in the guest room and left the house for the site directly. the winter wind brushing against his face as he stepped out of the car onto the gravel-covered grounds.
The park's skeleton was rising with metal frames, foundation work. He watched as his rough sketches came to life. His team of engineers and planners were already on-site. Some greeted him cautiously, unsure of his mood, but were surprised when he only nodded and asked for an update.
"All progressing as scheduled, sir," the lead engineer informed him. "Except… we have still got an issue with that one plot. Lot 27—the house right near the northern border. It is the last one holding up the complete land acquisition."
Damien's brows furrowed instantly. "Didn't I tell you to offer twice the sum? If he wants more, we can still discuss the deal."
"No, sir. The owner hasn't responded to our last three offers, even though they were above market value. I do not think it is about money, sir. There must be other reasons for his silence."
Damien nodded sharply and walked toward the edge of the property. It didn't take long to find it. It was a solitary, old, ivy-covered house nestled between budding construction zones. The garden was overgrown and the windows were dusty. The wooden panels were worn and chipped.
He stepped up to the locked gate, inspecting the house with narrowed eyes. It was clearly uninhabited. He rattled the rusted gate once, then tried knocking on the old door. But even after waiting there for a long time, he did not hear any reply.
"Has anyone seen the owner?" he asked one of the nearby workers.
"Yes, sir. We checked with the neighbors. Apparently, the owner hasn't lived here in years. He keeps the place but doesn't visit. He had not hired any tenants either," the man explained. "It's basically empty. But whenever someone makes an offer, his lawyer declines it without any explanation given."
Damien's jaw tensed.
"Get me the lawyer's contact. I want a meeting set up today," he ordered, already pulling his phone out to notify his assistant.
He took one last look at the house and the crooked mailbox, the shuttered windows, the ivy crawling over the roof like it had claimed the place as its own.
"And find the details of the owner, i want to know who this person is!"