Chapter 10 - THE MAN WHO THOUGHT PHOEBE WAS DAMIAN’S WEAKNESS
Nicholas DeMarco was thirty-four.
Handsome in the way family money photographs well.
He had studied in London.
Worked in private equity.
Publicly clean.
No criminal record.
No executive role in DeMarco companies.
Salvatore’s only son.
Damian described him with one sentence.
“He believes everything I have should have been his.”
Phoebe sat at her office conference table.
“Why?”
“Because his father spent thirty years helping build it.”
“And your father?”
“Was older brother.”
“Family succession.”
“Yes.”
“What do you believe?”
Damian thought.
“That none of us should inherit power over people because of last name.”
Good.
Nicholas had entered United States two months earlier.
No one flagged.
He used contractor alias? The network company had subcontractor named Nicholas Marino, but ID photo now matched with altered beard. Authorities traced.
Why break into Phoebe’s office and leave note?
Not subtle.
Intentional.
He wanted Damian to know.
Then Nicholas called Phoebe.
Unknown number.
She answered with Nadia and police recorder present.
“Miss Sullivan.”
“You have my number.”
“You have my father.”
“No.”
A pause.
“You helped.”
“I reported things involving me.”
“You turned Damian.”
Phoebe almost laughed.
“No.”
“He dismantled family because of you.”
“He made choices.”
“He was not like this before.”
“That does not make me cause.”
Nicholas’s voice chilled.
“You know what my father called you?”
“No.”
“The soft spot.”
Phoebe felt anger.
“He said Damian would trade anything to keep you.”
“That sounds like Salvatore’s mistake.”
“Does it?”
Nicholas hung up.
No demand.
Threat.
Testing.
Damian wanted Phoebe moved.
He asked.
She agreed to secure apartment temporarily.
Not with him.
Important.
Nadia arranged.
Evelyn stayed at Lakeview under increased security after surgery recovery.
Melissa family protected.
This was no longer abstract.
Nicholas sent Damian next message.
Photograph of Phoebe entering secure building.
He knew location.
Compromise.
They moved again.
Damian looked sick.
“I can put you somewhere no one can find.”
“Where?”
“One of my properties.”
“No.”
He breathed.
“Why?”
“Because if only you know, I become dependent on your secrecy.”
He understood.
“Federal witness-style contractor?”
“Independent.”
They arranged through authorities.
Good.
Nicholas’s goal emerged through financial tracing.
He had bought short positions against DeMarco Holdings.
If company value dropped dramatically, he profited.
Then he could acquire assets through outside fund.
Destroy Damian personally.
Profit financially.
Threaten Phoebe.
Make Damian retaliate illegally.
If Damian used old network against Nicholas, public reforms collapse.
Stock falls.
Nicholas wins.
Same trap as Salvatore.
But more modern.
No arranged marriage.
Market.
Damian said:
“He wants me angry.”
Phoebe looked at him.
“Are you?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
He almost smiled.
“Your answer always strange.”
“Anger isn’t crime.”
“No.”
“What you do is choice.”
He nodded.
Nicholas escalated.
He leaked old recordings of Damian threatening business rivals years earlier.
Real.
Media exploded.
REFORMED MAFIA BILLIONAIRE’S PAST RETURNS
Damian did not deny.
Issued statement acknowledging conduct and prior legal disclosures.
Stock still fell.
Nicholas profited.
Then he leaked photograph of Phoebe in maid uniform with caption:
THE WOMAN WHO CIVILIZED THE DON.
Phoebe hated it more.
Not fat insults.
Not maid.
The idea she was responsible for making man decent.
She posted one statement through her company:
Women are not rehabilitation programs for powerful men. Mr. DeMarco is responsible for his own choices, past and present. My relationship with him does not excuse, erase, or cause them.
It spread.
Damian called.
“Thank you.”
“No.”
“Right.”
He corrected.
“I appreciate what you said about your own role.”
Good.
Then:
“Also, terrifying.”
“Excellent.”
Nicholas’s final plan happened at charity warehouse? Need climax. He lured Damian using fake message that Evelyn had been taken? But need avoid easy. Could attempt on Phoebe. Maybe Nadia uncovers he has staff placement access through North Harbor. Nicholas hires a temp into Evelyn’s facility? Security catches. Better high stakes.
A Lakeview Gardens night nurse was approached with $50,000 to change Evelyn’s medication schedule and create a “medical emergency.”
The nurse reported.
No harm.
Nicholas wanted Damian pulled to hospital and photographed meeting an armed associate? Maybe too convoluted.
Instead nurse was asked to leave a phone in Evelyn’s room.
Why?
Surveillance.
Maybe to capture Phoebe private.
Then extortion.
Not enough climax.
Could kidnap Evelyn? But too repeated. Let's make Nicholas infiltrates DeMarco shareholders meeting with weapon? He wants Damian to attack him. Hmm.
Nicholas requests direct meeting at old DeMarco warehouse, saying he'll turn himself in if Damian comes alone, holding documents that can clear house staff? Damian refuses. Authorities set operation. Nicholas instead targets Phoebe's office opening event, but security catches explosives? Let's keep thriller but plausible.
Nicholas sends video of Ana, Phoebe employee, tied? Too much. Maybe kidnaps Ana believing Phoebe will come. Could be dangerous.
Let's do: Ana goes missing after placement visit. Her phone sends Phoebe location. Nicholas thinks Phoebe will come because she refuses to abandon employee. Phoebe informs police; no solo. Damian wants to go, she says no. Authorities raid, rescue Ana. Nicholas escapes, then confronts Damian at DeMarco mansion? Hmm.
We need chapter long enough. Let's continue.
Three weeks into hunt, Ana did not return from client consultation.
Phoebe noticed after twenty minutes.
Old habits.
She called.
No answer.
GPS business phone last ping warehouse district.
Then message:
SHE WORKS FOR YOU. COME GET HER. NO POLICE.
Phoebe’s blood ran cold.
Nadia called police immediately.
Damian arrived only after Phoebe asked.
He read.
“He wants you.”
“Yes.”
“I’m going.”
“No.”
“Phoebe.”
“He wrote me.”
“I know.”
“That doesn’t make you substitute.”
His face tightened.
“If you go, he gets exactly what he wants.”
“He may hurt Ana.”
“So we use police.”
“It takes time.”
“Yes.”
He looked furious.
Phoebe said:
“This is the moment.”
“What?”
“When protecting me becomes excuse to become old you.”
Silence.
“Don’t.”
Damian closed eyes.
“Okay.”
Authorities traced phone.
Abandoned print warehouse.
Tactical team went.
Phoebe waited command center.
Damian beside her.
Helpless.
Hard.
After nineteen minutes:
Ana found alive.
Bound.
Terrified.
Nicholas not there.
A laptop was.
Playing recorded message.
Nicholas appeared on screen.
“Damian.”
He smiled.
“If you’re seeing this, you finally learned not to come.”
Damian went still.
“Congratulations.”
Then:
“That makes you useless.”
His bitterness showed.
“My father built a king and you turned yourself into a shareholder.”
Damian whispered:
“No.”
Nicholas continued.
“You think law makes you clean.”
“No one did.
“You think woman makes you human.”
Phoebe’s jaw tightened.
Then Nicholas looked into camera.
“Phoebe, he will eventually resent you for everything he gave up.”
That struck.
Deep.
The video ended with coordinates.
A hotel.
Police moved.
Nicholas was there.
Not armed heavily.
One pistol.
One passport.
Cash.
He surrendered after brief standoff.
No shooting.
At arrest, he said to Damian through officers:
“She’ll leave you.”
Damian answered:
“Maybe.”
Nicholas looked shocked.
Damian continued.
“That’s her right.”
There.
Phoebe cried.
Nicholas lost.
Not because Damian proved Phoebe would stay.
Because he finally stopped building identity around making sure people could not leave.
Nicholas faced kidnapping, extortion, unlawful surveillance, market manipulation, and related charges.
Ana recovered.
Sullivan Household Partners paid trauma leave.
No expectation return.
She eventually did.
Phoebe increased employee security protocols.
No covert tracking.
Emergency check-ins chosen.
Lessons.
Then Damian made one more decision.
He resigned as chairman of DeMarco Holdings permanently.
Not forced.
Independent board accepted.
He retained shares.
No operational control.
Media called it end of dynasty.
Damian said nothing.
Phoebe asked:
“Do you regret?”
“Yes.”
Honest.
“And?”
“I feel relieved.”
Good.
“What will you do?”
“I don’t know.”
She smiled.
“Welcome.”
“To?”
“Normal uncertainty.”
He looked horrified.
Phoebe laughed.
For first time, Damian DeMarco did not have empire to hide inside.
And for first time, Phoebe did not have employer relationship, fake engagement, or threat forcing her toward him.
They were simply two adults.
One very rich.
One building her own company.
Both free.
That was when Phoebe decided they needed distance.
May you like
Damian hated it.
Still said yes.
