Chapter 862

Damian was hungry and tired. He’d lost count of how many times he’d shouted; his mouth was dry, his throat raw. Then, the door opened.

The iron gate shrieked. The sound of leather shoes on the stone floor felt like a death knell. Damian’s heart hammered. Exhausted, he still forced his eyes open to see a figure approaching slowly, carrying a tray.

Tall and dark, the figure’s face was indistinct, yet Damian felt a chilling smile. The sensation made him shudder.

“Who… are you?” he asked, instinctively recoiling. Trapped against the wall, his eyes darted frantically.

“You don’t recognize me anymore, Mr. Damian?” The figure stood before him, looking down with a cold smile and even colder eyes. “It’s me!”

Damian’s eyes widened in surprise as he finally saw the face clearly. He sat upright, but the sharp movement tore at his wounds, eliciting a pained grimace.

“It’s you! Why did you kidnap me? Do you want money? My dad can have you killed!” he cursed, but the man remained impassive, utterly fearless.

The man chuckled, a mocking sound. “I doubt that!” He squatted, the faint light revealing his face—Nathaniel.

“Y-You…”

“Don’t you recall your situation, Mr. Damian? Remember what preceded this?” Nathaniel’s tone was surprisingly gentle.

Damian was stunned. He thought back to the perfume scandal, his public downfall, his status as a pariah. Arianna was poised to seize the Tanner family fortune.

“It was you!” he accused, pointing a trembling finger. “You set me up! The perfume project, the perfumer, the model—all you! Why? Who ordered you? That b*tch, Arianna? What are you both planning?!”

Nathaniel, chin resting on his hand, laughed. “Come now, Mr. Damian. Overthinking. Do you really believe we harbor such intense hatred? That I’d orchestrate such an elaborate scheme just to frame you?”

Damian was speechless. “So, it was all Arianna?”

Nathaniel sighed, regarding Damian with the pity one might show a child. “You and Arianna are half-siblings. Did you never consider what she’d do if you took everything?” Damian, he implied, was naive and sheltered.

“Hmph, I knew she was scheming, but I didn’t expect such cruelty! The project was a trap from the start. She baited me, didn’t she?” Damian realized he’d fallen prey to a devastating scheme.