Chapter 74: The Three-Billion-Dollar Headquarters

Over the next five days, Damon and Isabella finalized the agency’s initial plans.

They discussed recruitment, staffing, budgets, and the procedures needed to run the business.

Isabella wanted a consistent way to evaluate applicants and organize interviews, and she kept Damon informed without asking him to approve every minor decision.

Thomas handled the search for staff and a suitable headquarters.

By the third day, he had found a lawyer with relevant professional experience and two assistants capable of handling paperwork, scheduling, correspondence, and recruitment coordination.

Isabella reviewed their qualifications and references before approving them.

The search for a headquarters took longer, but Thomas eventually found a property that met their requirements. It was large enough for the agency’s immediate needs, with room to expand as the business grew.

The price was higher than expected, coming to approximately three billion dollars.

Damon approved the purchase without hesitation.

He had no intention of building the agency around a cramped office and a handful of rented rooms. If he wanted it to grow into something substantial, the foundation needed to be strong from the beginning.

The headquarters would give the employees a permanent base, while the additional space would allow them to establish interview rooms, training areas, and other facilities as the business expanded.

Damon wasn’t interested in saving a few hundred million only to create problems for himself later. He would rather buy a property that could serve the agency for years than save money on a smaller building and have to move again later.

He also told Vivian about the new venture during one of their conversations.

Damon explained that he was establishing a talent and lifestyle agency focused on fashion, modelling, hospitality, and related fields.

He mentioned the three-billion-dollar headquarters and told her that Isabella Reed would manage its daily operations.

Vivian listened quietly, asking a few questions about the company’s plans before her attention settled on something else.

"So you’ll be bringing a lot of women into your company?" she asked.

"That’s the idea. There are plenty of talented women who need the right opportunities."

"And you chose this business because you want to meet them?"

Damon looked at her for a moment. She wasn’t asking out of casual curiosity. Her expression had grown still, and the faint warmth that usually appeared when they spoke privately had disappeared.

"That’s part of it," he answered honestly.

"I have my own reasons for starting the agency. Isabella knows what she’s been hired to manage, and the business itself will be legitimate."

Vivian lowered her eyes.

She understood what he wasn’t saying.

The agency wasn’t simply a business venture. Damon was creating a place where he could meet beautiful women, bring them into his circle, and pursue his own interests without needing to hide behind some other purpose.

And he had told her about it as casually as he might have discussed buying another property.

The realization hurt more than she wanted to admit.

She had been spending extra time with him, looking forward to their training sessions and lunches, quietly allowing herself to grow closer to him.

She had known from the beginning that she wouldn’t be his only woman in every sense of the word. Knowing it in principle, however, was different from watching him prepare to bring even more women into his life.

Anger rose alongside the sadness. Part of her wanted to ask whether the time they spent together meant anything to him at all.

But she knew that would be unfair. Damon had never promised to stop pursuing other women, and she had chosen to accept their arrangement.

"I see," she said at last.

Damon invited her to accompany him when he visited the headquarters.

Vivian declined. She kept her voice steady, though her expression remained subdued. She didn’t want to see the place or meet the people who would help him build it. Not when she was still trying to swallow the unpleasant feeling in her chest.

Damon noticed her mood but didn’t insist. He wasn’t going to force her to accompany him.

Over the next two days, Vivian missed their usual morning training sessions and stopped joining him for lunch. She needed some distance to sort through her feelings, even if she wasn’t ready to explain them to him.

Damon understood that her sudden absence wasn’t accidental. She had clearly understood more about his intentions than he had explicitly told her.

He let her have the space she wanted. If Vivian decided to confront him, he would hear her out. Until then, he had no intention of chasing after her.

Besides, The agency was ready for the next step.

On the fifth day, Damon arrived at the new headquarters with Thomas.

The building stood on a prime corner in the commercial district, towering over the surrounding offices and hotels.

Dark stone covered the lower floors, while tall glass windows stretched across the upper levels, reflecting the morning sunlight.

Broad steps led to a grand entrance framed by thick stone pillars and polished metal.

Beyond the glass doors, warm lights illuminated a spacious lobby, and the driveway curved through carefully maintained grounds toward a covered drop-off area.

The property had the scale of a major corporate headquarters, not a small agency just starting out.

Damon stepped out of the car and looked up. The building was larger than it had appeared in the photographs. Its wide frontage, multiple floors, and generous grounds gave it an imposing appearance without making it look gaudy.

Three billion dollars was a substantial price, but he could see why the property had attracted his attention.

Thomas approached him.

"The purchase is complete, sir. The building is ready for inspection, though some interior arrangements are still underway."

"How much remains?"

"Mostly finishing work and administrative preparations. Miss Reed has organized the initial setup and prepared a list of the remaining requirements."

"Good. What about the staff?"

"They’re inside, waiting for you."

Damon glanced toward the entrance. Isabella had spent the past several days organizing the operation, while the lawyer and two assistants would handle the legal and administrative work.

It was a small team, but enough to begin establishing the agency properly.

"Have they been briefed?"

"Yes, sir. Miss Reed is expecting you, and the others are ready to meet you."

Damon adjusted his jacket.

"Let’s go."

Thomas stepped forward and reached for the gate controls.

Inside, Isabella and the three new recruits were waiting for their employer.

Damon glanced up at the towering headquarters once more before turning toward the entrance.

The gates were about to open.