Overbearing CEO's Contract Love
Chapter 321: Memories

Chapter 321: Memories

Damien’s thoughts drifted back to his childhood, a time before Brianna Baker and Kevin Garcia had divorced. Raised under the strict supervision of Mr. Sterling Senior, Damien had to juggle schoolwork with a rigorous schedule of social etiquette classes, language lessons, and financial management courses.

Kevin Garcia was rarely home, often staying out all night. Brianna Baker, a top-tier chef, was frequently away as well. Ryan Garcia and Logan Harrington would often sneak over to play with Damien.

Back then, Kevin Garcia was already making his mark in real estate, a young but formidable business giant with properties. In his early thirties, he was considered a rising star. Given the extensive business collaborations between Sterling Group and Garcia Enterprises, Kevin and Mr. Sterling Senior shared a close relationship. Thus, despite his personal dislike, Damien maintained a respectful distance, treating Kevin with the same deference he showed Mr. Sterling Senior.

But Kevin Garcia was a ruthless man. Damien vividly recalled a particular incident.

One summer, with Logan Harrington away on vacation, Ryan Garcia snuck over to the Sterling mansion as usual. The house staff, accustomed to his visits, paid little attention. Damien confided in Ryan about the overwhelming coursework and the oppressive expectations, which had turned him increasingly irritable. Ryan suggested they sneak off to an amusement park for a break.

Damien agreed, and they dressed a human-like doll in his clothes, positioning it at his desk to look like he was studying. He hung a "Studying, Do Not Disturb!" sign on the door, and they quietly slipped past the household staff and out of the house.

The time spent at the amusement park was perhaps the happiest of Damien’s childhood. That is, until they stepped off the Ferris wheel...

They had originally planned to play for just an hour or two, but time slipped away from them. By the time they realized, it was dusk. Sitting on the Ferris wheel, they marveled at the sky, which looked like a masterpiece painted by a grand artist.

As they stepped off the Ferris wheel, they were confronted by a crowd. Towering figures blocked their way—Mr. Sterling Senior and Kevin Garcia, flanked by numerous police officers and bodyguards in black suits. The spectacle attracted onlookers, who stood dozens of meters away, watching the unfolding drama with keen interest.

Mr. Sterling Senior, still robust from his daily exercise routine, was seething with rage. Without warning, he slapped Damien Sterling hard across the face. The sound echoed as Damien was sent sprawling to the ground. Before he could get up, Mr. Sterling Senior started shouting, dragging Damien toward the car. The two boys didn’t even have a chance to exchange a glance before Damien was forcefully taken away.

Ryan Garcia was petrified, his face drained of color. He looked at Kevin Garcia with a mix of fear and pleading. Kevin Garcia, however, stared back coldly and ordered Ryan to follow him.

Trembling, Ryan trailed behind Kevin. Once inside the car, Kevin Garcia dropped his facade, revealing his true, terrifying nature. He interrogated Ryan about everything that had happened, and then beat him savagely inside the vehicle. Kevin Garcia’s concern was solely about the potential impact on the business relationship between Garcia Enterprises and Sterling Group. After the beating, Kevin Garcia decreed that Ryan was to be confined to the house and forbidden from contacting Damien privately.

Ryan later recounted these events to Damien. According to him, Brianna Baker had returned home that day because she couldn’t reach Kevin Garcia. When she saw the battered and bruised Ryan, she was heartbroken and confronted Kevin. This altercation escalated, and Kevin turned his violence on Brianna as well. This incident was the spark that led to Brianna and Kevin’s divorce.

Ryan, terrified and alone, hid in his room, crying himself to sleep on the floor, fully clothed. No one came to check on him.

Damien didn’t fare much better upon his return home. Although Mr. Sterling Senior didn’t hit him again, he confined Damien to his room for the entire summer. Two bodyguards were stationed outside his door 24/7, and cameras were installed in his room to monitor him from every angle.

The silence in the hospital room brought Damien back to the present. He looked over at Emma Hart, who was now awake and watching him with concern. The memories had left him unsettled, but he knew he had to be strong—for Emma, for Joshua, and for the uncertain future that lay ahead.

Later, Kevin Garcia came to apologize in person. However, the two months that followed were a living nightmare for Ryan Garcia and his mother. They lived under a constant cloud of fear. During this period, Brianna Baker turned to alcohol to numb her pain, eventually developing a drinking problem. Meanwhile, Kevin Garcia brought different women home almost every night. Ryan felt guilty about this for a long time.

"Damien? Damien?" A gentle yet urgent voice pulled Damien Sterling back to the present.

Emma Hart had woken up from her sleep. Seeing Damien asleep on the sofa, she fetched a blanket to cover him. As she approached, she noticed tears streaming down his face even in his sleep.

Emma knelt beside him, gently stroking his soft hair. Seeing the sadness etched in his features, she called out to him, trying to wake him.

Damien slowly opened his tired eyes, dark circles evident. He saw Emma’s anxious face and asked, "Are you... are you okay? Why are you crying?"

Her furrowed brow sent a warm feeling through him, mixed with a twinge of guilt. Had he done something in his sleep to worry her?

"I’m fine," Damien said, sitting up and pulling Emma into a tight embrace.

"Having you here makes everything better," he murmured.

Emma was taken aback by his sudden confession but felt a wave of happiness wash over her.

"Likewise," Emma replied, patting Damien’s broad, strong back and smiling.

Outside the door, a young nurse, on her nightly rounds, couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. Even during her late-night duties, she was witnessing such heartfelt moments!