Chapter 17
“Rick…”
“I want to be alone. Just… leave.”
Damien’s lips pressed into a thin line. He stood there in silence for a second longer before turning around and stepping out of the room.
The second the door closed behind him, his entire expression darkened.
He was about to ask where Nancy had gone when she suddenly appeared in the living room, her eyes red and puffy from crying. She rushed up to him with a worried face, playing the role of a concerned angel.
“Damien, how is Rick? Is he okay now?”
Damien’s face remained cold and unreadable. He didn’t lose his temper outright… because as much as he disliked her, Nancy had once saved Rick’s life.
Back then, she was the one who had discovered the infant boy outside his front door. Without her, Rick might not have survived. Damien had even suspected her at first… wondering if it had all been a setup.
What if Nancy had hidden the boy’s mother, then placed Rick at his doorstep just to get close to him? That kind of plot was straight out of a third–rate melodrama.
But after a thorough investigation, he’d found nothing suspicious. Her discovery of Rick really had been accidental. She had nothing to do with the boy’s birth, nor with the disappearance of the mother.
So even though Damien didn’t like her, he had always treated her politely and kept her at a respectful distance.
For Rick’s sake… because the boy lacked maternal affection… Damien never stopped her from visiting. That, in turn, fueled public gossip: many assumed she was Damien ‘s lover or even Rick’s biological mother.
But those close to Damien knew the truth.
He had never given Nancy false hope.
He didn’t like her.
And he certainly didn’t love her.
As he descended the stairs with a grim face, his eyes landed on the fresh white bandage wrapped around her arm.
“My apologies,” he said flatly. “Rick injured you.”
20.22
Triplets of the Billionaire’s Secret Obsession
22.9
Chapter 17
“Oh, it’s nothing!” she said quickly, her voice soft with fake concern. “I’m just worried about Rick, The moment he saw me today, he lost his temper. Is he upset because I’ve been away filming for so long? Maybe he feels distant
from me now?”
She wore a sweet, clueless expression, pretending she had no idea what she’d done wrong.
Damien ‘s gaze sharpened. He wasn’t stupid. He knew exactly what had set Rick off… her reckless claim that they were going to get married.
He cut to the chase. “No. He’s missing his birth mother.”
At that, a flicker of bitterness passed across Nancy’s face. Her fists clenched at her sides, though she tried to mask it
behind a forced smile.
Of course. Of course it was her. Always her.
That woman was a thorn in her side… someone she couldn’t even name, let alone replace.
Nancy had been overjoyed the day she found Rick. For her, it had seemed like a miracle… a golden ticket straight
into Damien Crawford’s life.
When Damientried to repay her, she’d told him:
Children in single–parent homes suffer. For Rick’s well–being, why not let me marry you? Even if only in name.
She thought she’d played her cards perfectly.
But Damien shut her down without hesitation.
He told her bluntly that he couldn’t marry her… because he was still married.
If he remarried now, it would be bigamy.
So no, marriage wasn’t an option.
All he could offer was compensation.
The memory still made her seethe. All these years later, she still hadn’t gotten what she wanted.
Can you believe it? No love, no title, nothing! Isn’t that just the most frustrating thing in the world?
Nancy seethed internally, her resentment boiling beneath her carefully painted facade.
In her heart, she loathed three people more than anything:
Rick’s biological mother, Damien ‘s legal wife… whom no one had ever seen… and the child himself, Rick.
Dillionaira’s Secret Obsession
23.1%
Chapter 17
Every single day, she fantasized about making the three of them disappear from this world
But on the outside, she wore a pitiful, self blaming expression.
“This is all my fault,” she said gently. “I haven’t given Rick enough maternal love that’s why he dings to the idea of his real mother so desperately. It’s even making him sick…
Damien looked at her, tone icy but truthful.
“It’s not your fault. It’s normal for a child to miss his birth mother. You’re not her. No matter how hard you try, you’ll never give him the kind of love he really wants.”
Straight. Brutal. Honest.
That was just how Damien Crawford operated.
And once again, Nancy’s pride shattered into a thousand tiny pieces.
She could try everything… pretend, manipulate, guilt–trip… but there was one thing she could never change
She wasn’t Rick’s mother. And never would be.
Just as she opened her mouth to argue, Damien cut her off coldly.
“Rick’s mental state is worsening. Unless it’s an emergency, I don’t want you coming here anymore. If you have to visit, call me first.”
Nancy’s eyes widened. “What?!”
Because Rick threw a tantrum, she was being banned from the house?!
What did that make her… just another thirsty socialite trying to get close to Damien ?
She panicked. “Damien, I…”
“All decisions are based on what’s best for Rick. That’s final.”
He didn’t leave room for discussion. It was punishment for what she said to Rick earlier.
Damienhad told her point–blank he would never marry her, yet she still dared to run her mouth in front of his sc
To be honest, he’d never liked her hanging around in the first place.
Nancy was fuming inside, humiliated and bitter. But seeing how serious Damienwas, she didn’t dare defy him further. She could only leave in silence.
Afterward, Damienturned to the butler.
23.4%
Chapter 17
“From now on, if she comes, don’t let her in. Call me first.”
“Yes, sir.”
Not long after, Glenn… Damien ‘s close friend and a licensed psychiatrist… rushed in, a frown etched into his face as Damien filled him in.
After hearing the full story, Glenn sighed and said,
“If Rick reacted this strongly today, then his bipolar disorder is definitely getting worse. This isn’t looking good.”
“He’s been taking his meds regularly.”
“This isn’t just about medication,” Glenn explained. “The root cause is psychological. The boy’s obsession with his mother is too deep. If you could bring her back into his life, it might fix everything.”
Damien lit a cigarette, visibly agitated.
If finding her were that easy, would he still be here struggling?
He’d even tried hiring someone to pretend to be her based on Rick’s memories.
But Rick was sharp… he’d seen through the act instantly and threw a massive fit.
Seeing his friend so wound up, Glenn sighed.
“Okay… If you really can’t find her, then maybe it’s time to bring in a child psychologist. Someone who’s qualified to stay close to him long–term… like a live–in nanny, but with clinical credentials.
They could help him open up, get inside his head, maybe even start to heal some of the trauma.
Worst case, they can monitor him around the clock and prevent another breakdown like today.”
Damien nodded. “Do you know anyone?”
“Not right now, no,” Glenn admitted. “But if you’re okay with having a stranger living in your house, I’ll look into it.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Damien said calmly. “Rick is the only thing that matters.”
For the sake of his son, Damien would give up anything… his pride, his time, even his life. So tolerating a little ch That was nothing.
“Alright then,” Glenn nodded. “I’ll start searching as soon as I get back.”
“Mm.”
Just then, Damien ‘s phone rang.
[Chapter 17
The second he answered, a panicked voice came through the line.
“Boss… bad news! Miss Windsor escaped!”
Damien ‘s expression turned dark. “She ran?!”
“Yes, sir. The building’s fire alarm suddenly went off. People rushed out in a panic… it was chaos. That woman used the commotion to slip away.”
Damien ‘s face sank into a cold fury.
“You couldn’t even watch one woman? Useless.”
His voice was cold as ice, laced with fury. He yanked at his tie, suppressing the building pressure in his chest.
“How did the alarm get triggered?”
“Someone set off a smoke bomb in the basement. That’s what activated the system. But we couldn’t identify who it was… uh, the surveillance… it was disabled. Someone wiped the footage clean.”
A dangerous gleam flickered in Damien ‘s eyes.
Smoke bombs. Destroyed cameras. A perfectly timed escape.
She had help. And not just casual help… someone very capable.
He’d almost believed she was just a struggling single mom who brought along a mischievous kid. But clearly, he’d underestimated her.
Too soft. He’d gone too soft.
“Track her down,” Damienordered, his voice low and lethal. “I want her found and brought back.”
“Yes, sir!”