Damien furiously tossed his phone to the passenger seat, hissing loudly as he turned on the ignition and started his car. He had no care in the world that the wind was ruffling his hair, which he hadn't even bothered to style today. He was so angry, the fury in him increasing every second and as he stepped on the gas, driving at high speed, his mind wandered away to the various issues bothering him. It was as though everything happening today was meant to frustrate him and make him furious. First, one of the maids had prepared a different coffee than the one he usually took, giving him a ten-minute allergic reaction, where he had to go to the toilet at intervals before coming to work. Next, there was no signal on his laptop back at home, and he had a project to finish, and this was why he was heading to the office this early to do it on his computer there. His car safe in the parking lot, he stood at the entrance of his large company, his mind miles away from the present. Sighing deeply, he began to make his way into the building, but then he froze in his feets, as the screeching sound of a car coming to a halt caught his attention, behind him and made him look back. When he sighted Alvarez coming out of the car after making sure the doors were locked, Damien instantly clenched his fists, as he quickly remembered the news the guard had brought to him previously. The pictures…Alvarez and Madison… Alvarez arms around her as they walked to his car and… Oh shit! His rage grew as he watched Alvarez walk towards him, a smile on his face. And he couldn't help but feel betrayed. What freaking audacity! Why would his so-called best friend do something like this to him? Going behind his back, and so something he definitely wouldn’t support? Damien watched as Alvarez raised his hand in a wave of greeting at him, but he did not return it. "Good morning.” Alvarez greeted when he finally got to where Damien was standing, "Wow, you're here early. What's the emergency?" He laughed adding still not spotting the cold stoic look Damien was giving him. "Why did you betray me?" Damien asked, his voice cold. "What are you talking abo—""Madison!" Damien hissed, rage boiling through him. He hadn't wanted to say her name in the first place, but now he did it made him angrier than he initially was, and he made a step forward as he half yelled out the words, "Oh, don’t even look like you have no idea what I’m talking about. You've been talking to her since the night of the party, haven't you? Even after everything I said… everything that went on. You knew everything that went on between the Connors and I, but you still went behind my back to see her, and talk to her! You even went to the extent of taking her to your house! You gave her comfort and shelter? What the fuck!” Alvarez's eyes widened as he staggered back in shock. For a second he did nothing but stare at Damien in shock. Obviously he hadn’t expected Damien to know, and the stark realization hurt but Damien kept his cool staring back at him defiantly. When it seemed like he had finally recovered from his shock, Alvarez faced him and asked shocked, "How…how do you know about that? You...followed me? Or better still, you had me followed? You sent your security after me?” Damien hissed, "What does it matter?” He spoke through gritted teeth, "How I found out about it does not matter. Besides your pictures with her in front of that dingy motel is all over the fucking media too! Can’t you see the media is having a field day, turning the whole to a circus, and now you are in it. They are digging deep into this case, and smearing my freaking name, but I’m not even bothered about that…” Pausing, he cleared his throat and continued, “Why would you do that? What’s your thing with Madison? What are you still doing with that stuck up betrayer? You're supposed to be my best friend for goodness sake and..." "Damien, I am your best friend." Alvarez interjected but Damien was not having any of it, "Well then start fucking acting like it. Because right now, I don't even know what the hell you think you're doing! Friends don’t do this to each other. Friends don’t go behind each other’s back! I know you have your history with Madison, but did you even put me in consideration before making your silly decisions!” His voice was loud and stark clear, echoing all through the garage and even attracting stares from the few people around them, but Damien just didn’t seem to care. He looked at Alvarez, and seeing him clench his fists as he moved closer to him, words started spewing out of his lips, "Look, I know how you must feel about all of it. And I swear to you I'm not doing any of it just to deny you or what not. You know I have always been your number one supporter, and I still am. But you have to understand…Madison is—" "Stop mentioning her fucking name! I don’t want to hear her name! Hell! I don’t want to hear the name of anyone from That damned family!” Damien yelled, his chest heaving, and fists clenching. He felt like he was going crazy at this point, and hearing her name was really not helping.It was bringing back memories he just didn’t want to recall at all, and he hated it! "Bullshit! She's my friend too, okay!” Alvarez yelled, his face red and Damien watched his countenance change all of a sudden. "Madison is my friend, and that's never going to change! Ever! We've been friends for so many years. We were friends even before I met you, and I can’t just throw away the memories I had with her, just because you have your issues with her. Do you have any idea how many times I looked for her, when I lost contact with her? I was so damn worried. Now I finally got to see her after so long, and you want me to just let her be. She’s not even a good state, and it turns out she's suffering. She's going through so much, and I couldn't just abandon her after seeing her like that, I couldn't do it. I know about the things you went through with her family, and I'll never forgive them for it either. But no, not Madison! Leave her be!” When he finished he was still breathing hard as he and Damien stared each other down. Furious, Damien backed away from his best friend. He hated the fact that Madison had come from nowhere, and somehow managed to drag his best friend over to her side as well, but at the moment he was more than pissed at Alvarez. He was thoroughly disappointed. "You have the effrontery to accommodate the woman whose family ruined my life?" He thundered, "The daughter of my greatest enemy and the woman who hurt me so much back then, and I almost plunged into an unhealthy depression? If you don't throw her out on the streets where she belongs, I'll make sure you lose your job instantly. Let's see if you'd still have a home for your friend to live in!” He spat, but it didn’t take seconds for him to utterly regret the words the moment he said them, and instantly Damien wished he could take them back. "W-what?" Alvarez asked, shock apparent on his face, "You're seriously going to fire me? Knowing fully well I have a pregnant wife and kid to support? After everything we've been through? You're going to throw away years of friendship because of this? You have the audacity to threaten me this way?" Words already left Damien’s train of thought and at the moment, he had already begun to storm off into the building so he would not answer. There was nothing he could do, than mask his utter regret and leave a still shocked Alvarez watching after him as he barged in through the glass doors. Fuck!