Sensual Redamancy

Chapter 26

•DOMINIC•

"Is it true your father has always been an abusive man since you were little?"

"Were you aware of your father's abusive nature towards his wife, your stepmother?"

"Sir, we need a statement. How long has this been going on for?"

"Mr. Bernardi, has your father shown any signs of violence in the past you might need to share with the world and shed more light on events recently shared with the world?"

In the entire twenty-six and a half years of my life as a Bernardi, I'd never dealt with reporters so charged, aggressive and bloodthirsty for immediate answers.

I shielded my eyes from the flashing camera lights with my arm, weaving my way forward between suited bodyguards flanking me and protecting me from being torn to pieces by clout-chasing news channel representatives.

"Shut down the executive floor with immediate effect," I ordered with a low grunt at the head of security escorting me, "and if the need arises, engage the police."

I didn't wait for his response as I made it past the double doors of the executive floor unscathed with a deep sigh right before they were shut and bolted by security.

I loosened my necktie recklessly, popping the collar buttons open as I headed straight towards the board room, hunting for my father.

I thought I'd had horrible days in the office until today, attacked by a mob of angry reporters and discovering a scandalous video of my father had gone viral online and it had everyone who mattered talking negatively.

Bursting the door open and striding in, I met Liam instead, holding a tablet in one hand, the other pressing his phone to his ear while he spoke to someone enquiring about the scandal.

I grabbed the nearest chair I could get my hands on before plopping down onto it with a deep sigh. Liam placed the tablet before me as he summed up the call, hitting the play button.

I hadn't seen the video myself until now and the fury I'd encountered made perfect sense.

The video, though blurry and shot by someone in hiding who'd probably never held a camera before or was too terrified doing it to do a good job capturing the scenes, showed a woman I made out to be Olivia being flung across the room with one forceful grab and throw by the shoulders.

Her landing was bloody and messy, shattering a wall aquarium and leaving her reeling to the ground before she began slowly dragging herself over the broken glass towards the door.

The shirtless man with a large tattoo on his back pursued her even then, kicking her in the ribs before grabbing her up by her hair and colliding her face with the wall straight into unconsciousness.

I knew my father when I saw him despite the poor angle and quality of the video. The tattoo on his back made it even more evidential, given I knew its history and Greta and I had been present when he'd been inked.

"Our stock prices have sharply decreased since the video went viral and investors have started pulling out of our upcoming projects," Liam reported, his voice thick with tension and panic. "Articles on the video have started circulating and some associations and organisations supporting women's rights and against domestic violence are speaking up online and demanding your father's immediate arrest."

I stood up in frustration, sliding the tablet across the table while raking my hand through my hair as I paced about, deep in thought.

I couldn't take any guesses of who could have done it because all I could see was the bloodbath that would follow and probably ten times more hell for Olivia if my father managed to escape this case unscathed, something which was highly likely given his influence and wealth.