Zendaya arrived at her penthouse with her parents already in the living room. She showed them the video on how the girl named Hazel Francisco badmouth Agatha without knowing that Agatha was almost got gang-raped and saved by Dmitri and the scandal on the internet was the one that is edited. There's also Demi's face on it but Asher and Kade already washed it out and deleted it and few people had watched it.

At that Saturday night, their parents are awake and even her Uncle Stanley and Steven who is already bankrupting the Francisco Company and the people who are involved in that incident. They are working on it overnight and Zachary refuses to see anyone.

​​

"They just put dirt in our family name." Andy murmured. "Oh, this little film is getting viral. It's good that Asher and Kade aren't deleting it. Wow, the comments… I like it."

There are comments like:

This is a bluff. The Dragon Empire and The Phoenix Empire give a lot of work to people.

Screw the person who made this!

Their Empire always showered the orphanages with donations!

They also helped the people in our village and boys who can't even go to school? They take them and train them and give full scholarships. My brother is one of it and this is our new house *sent with a photo*

"Yeah, although our empire had saved the world and helping people, there are still people who would die just to turn us down," Zendaya mumbled.

Then there's a video of how Hazel talked about their family and Demetria slapped Hazel and then Hazel did something more. She's groaning of killing Demetria. It was deleted immediately and then now, she wondered what's happening in Dmitri's house.

****

Demi is standing in the middle of her father's study room. He looked so angry yet quiet as he leaned on his antique desk. Christian is eight steps away from them and he has his hands in front and his head down.

Dmitri refused to stare at her daughter's bruised faced but he stepped forward and checked it one-by-one although it was covered with few band-aids. He exhaled and he turned back trying to hold his anger. He faced her again and crossed his arms.

"Why did you let her hit you?" He asked coldly.

Demi also crossed his arms and didn't answer him.

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't protect her well." Christian said crisply.

"Don't speak, Christian," Dmitri ordered.

"I hit her!" Demi speaks when she didn't like how her father would put it all in Christian. It was her fault though it was all because of Christian. The girl is crazy over her lover. "I let her hit me so if she'll file a complaint, I have something to fight for."

"Why?! I don't care if you hit her! But why? Is it because of Christian?" He asked. His heart seemed to be uncontrollable and just blurted it all out. However, he wanted to confront them badly.

"Yes!" She answered back. "I don't care if it because of him!" She said strongly as she gritted her teeth.

"Demetria!" Dmitri shouted out of anger. "Our reputation is important!"

"It'll be useless." She said calmly as her mother would deal with. Calm yet cold. She turned back from him.

"Don't turn back on me young lady!" he smacked the table loudly. Christian expected it but still, he's afraid of Dmitri's rage.

She turned back on him with murderous eyes.

"She called my mother a whore! Deranged!" She screamed at him. "She said that our family is evil because we kill Lebedov. But I don't care about if we kill Christian's family. But that bitch just called my mother a whore and I can't stand it." She sipped the air. "I can't let anyone badmouth my mother, my brothers, or you in front of me. I could kill her in front of people."

She turned back as tears rolled down her cheeks as she left the study room to her room. Agatha is standing on the left door and Demi didn't saw her because she's busy hiding her tears. She remained standing there as she watched her daughter went downstairs to the east wing where her room is.

Christian kept his head down.

"I'm sorry, punish me from my wrongdoings."

"Does that include going on the with the flow and slept with my daughter?" Dmitri asked coldly as he went to his mini-bar and took out a whiskey and two martini glass. He took out ice and put three cubes on each glass and poured half amount on it. Then he approached Christian and gave it to him.

Christian took it with two hands and nodded at him.

"I'm sorry that I betray you. But I love your daughter and I was too mesmerized by her."

Dmitri scoffed.

"I can't control my daughter. She's her own persona." He sipped on his whiskey as it burns down his throat. "I already expected that she would do it with you. She's uncontrollable. I also expected that you would give in. She's beautiful, alluring, men like her physically." He finished his whiskey.

"I love your daughter. And I accept any punishment that you'll give."

"If I tell you to break it off with my daughter, would you do it?"

"I—" Christian hesitate. Leaving her? Breaking it off? It will break his heart but if Dmitri—

"Even if I told you so, my daughter would keep insisting. So, it'll be useless." He approached the bar and took the bottle with him as he approached the window. "My daughter would do twisted things just to be with you."

Christian doesn't know what to say. He's doomed.

"Just be with her, Christian. Demi will be in a rage, but I want you to be responsible for everything."

Christian froze and sink it all in his head and then he drank the whiskey and looked at him puzzled. Dmitri laughed and approached him and poured him another.

"I don't want to fight with my dear daughter. She's territorial." Dmitri looked at Demi's baby photos. "I remember when I am carrying her and she's two years old and five months. I was checking out Zendaya since her father needs to go to the bathroom. But she smacked my chest and frowned at me. So, if you were with her, make sure to put all of your attention. She'll be hitting people if you don't."

"I—I understand."

"I want you to expand your café and if Demi approved to be part of the corporation, then congratulations to you. I want you to have your own house and with maids and butlers to serve you. If you can't afford such maids and butlers, then just serve her." He sipped on his martini glass. "She's spoiled but she's independent. But with regards to you? She'll be very dependent. You started spoiling her, and so, she's too dependent on you."

Christian smiled despite the bad things that happened tonight.

****

Demetria stayed in the bathtub, waiting for Christian. But it's been two hours and he hasn't come down to her room. She texted him and kept calling him. She screamed and throw her phone across the wall. She stood and put her robe on. She opened the door and stopped seeing him entering her room.

"Did you just throw your phone?" He asked and he looked so flushed. He started unbuttoning his shirt and she approached him and smacked his chest.

"What took you so long?" She started tearing as she kept hitting his chest and arm. He pulled her into his arms and let her cry. She couldn't cry last time.

"I'm here now." He murmured and kissed her top head. "No one is going to hurt you, ever again."

He looked up to refuse those tears to let go. Hearing her cry breaks him more.

****

When Christian leave the study room, he greeted her since she's been staying outside listening to them. He kissed her temple and hugged her like she was his mother. She entered the room and she saw her husband sitting on the swivel chair finishing the whiskey. She removed her slippers and walked toward him and sat on his lap and cuddle to his chest.

Dmitri gently stroke her long hair and pressed his lips on top of her head.

"I'm sorry, my love."

"What are you sorry about?" She asked and lean her forehead to his neck.

"I don't know. Because Demi got hurt?"

"It's fine. People get hurt and she wanted to feel how to get hurt. It would make her stronger." She unbuttoned his shirt using one hand.

"But that girl just badmouths you in front of our daughter." He sighed and leaned his chin over her head.

"You know what to do." She looked up at him and kissed his chin. "Her father once badmouthed our son, Christian. It's now time for them to pay."

"Okay." He kissed her nose. "Should we do it here in the table, again?" He grinned at her.

"I like this antique table." She giggled.