My Lust System: I Inherited The Sin Of Lust And His Three Wives

Chapter 291: Third meeting

Three days after the politicians left his mansion, Damian received another visitor. Unlike the others, Patrick Beaumont arrived alone.

Just an old man carrying a leather briefcase.

The afternoon sun reflected against the glass walls of Damian’s Chicago residence as Loth escorted the chairman through the mansion. Patrick walked calmly, occasionally glancing around at the artwork and architecture, but unlike most visitors he showed no visible awe.

Power recognized power. The old man understood that immediately.

By the time he entered the study, Damian was already seated near the massive window overlooking his garden. A cigar rested between his fingers while several files floated around him lazily before settling onto the desk.

Patrick stopped for a moment.

Even after hearing the rumors, seeing Judge Damian Hill in person still felt strange. The young man carried himself differently now.

There was something unsettling about him.

"Chairman Beaumont." Damian nodded politely.

He had a good impression of this man so he had no reason to be rude.

"Judge Hill." Patrick took the offered seat and sat down.

Neither man spoke immediately. The silence lingered for nearly thirty seconds until Patrick eventually smiled.

"You’re making everyone nervous."

Damian chuckled. "So I’ve heard."

"I’m serious."

"I know."

The old chairman studied him carefully.

"Do you know how many phone calls I’ve received this week?"

Damian shrugged.

"More than you’d like."

Patrick laughed.

"Far more."

His smile faded shortly afterward.

"The city believes you’re about to make an example out of Victor Hale."

Damian took a drag from his cigar.

"The city is correct."

Patrick nodded slowly. At least the boy wasn’t pretending.

That was something.

"I assumed as much."

He opened his briefcase and removed a thin folder.

Damian glanced at it but made no effort to reach for it.

"The Hale family already visited."

Patrick nodded.

"I know."

"The politicians too."

"I know that as well."

Damian narrowed his eyes slightly.

"You seem very informed."

Patrick smiled. "My job is knowing things."

The old man placed the folder on the table.

"What is it?"

"My career." Patrick said.

Damian raised a brow. Now he was interested.

Patrick leaned back in his chair.

"I became a prosecutor when I was twenty seven."

He folded his hands calmly.

"I became a judge at forty one, appellate court at fifty and judicial Selection Board at fifty eight."

He paused briefly.

"Do you know how many judges I’ve seen come and go?"

Damian shook his head.

"No."

"Thousands."

The room became quiet. Patrick’s gaze remained fixed on the younger man.

"Some were brilliant, some were idiots, some were honest and some were corrupt.But they all had one thing in common." His voice remained calm.

Damian leaned forward slightly. "What?"

"They believed talent was enough. It never is." The chairman tapped the folder.

Damian’s expression didn’t change. Patrick continued anyway.

"The public thinks judges survive because they know the law but the public is wrong."

The old man sighed.

"Judges survive because they understand people."

He pointed toward the city skyline visible through the glass.

"Governors, senators, law firms, police unions, business leaders, media organizations and community groups."

His finger lowered slowly.

"Every one of them matters."

Damian listened silently. Patrick mistook the silence for interest. In reality, Damian was merely curious where this conversation was heading.

"You are becoming famous very quickly." The chairman’s voice became more serious.

"I thought fame was useful." Damian smirked.

"It is. Until it isn’t." Patrick nodded.

The old man leaned forward. "You’re treating this case like a legal battle. It isn’t."

"What is it then?"

"It’s a political event." The answer came instantly.

"The verdict doesn’t end the story. The verdict starts it."

Buzz!

Damian leaned back and took another drag. This man was coming from an another angle he had not explored, so it was only natural his interest was quickly snatched.

"Go on."

Patrick nodded.

"If Victor walks free, the public will hate you. If Victor goes to prison, powerful people will hate you."

The chairman spread his hands.

"Either way, someone loses."

Damian shrugged. "That sounds like every court case."

"No."

Patrick shook his head immediately. "This one is different because people are watching."

"You want to become more than a judge, you have political influence, public support, meedia attention and national recognition.You have a future." Then his tone softened.

"And futures are fragile."

For the first time since arriving, Patrick sounded sincere.

"You remind me of a judge I knew twenty years ago."

Damian raised a brow.

"What happened to him?"

"He was right."

Patrick answered immediately.

The response caught Damian off guard and the chairman smiled bitterly.

"He was right about everything. He followed the law and ignored politics." Patrick’s expression hardened. "And eventually they buried him."

Damian stared quietly.

"Did he take bribes?"

"No."

"Break laws?"

"No."

"Commit crimes?"

"No."

"Then how?"

Patrick laughed softly.

"Simple."

"They stopped helping him. No promotions, No support, No opportunities, No influence and when he became irrelevant and forgotten. They killed him."

Patrick leaned back with genuine concern in his eyes. He was grateful to Damian for saving his daughter, that’s why he came all the way to warn him.

"Careers aren’t built by enemies. They’re built by friends."

The room fell silent as both men stared at each other. Several moments passed before Damian finally spoke.

"What if I can tell you that the entire country would burn before anyone can lay a finger on me, would you believe me?"

The question genuinely surprised Patrick, not because of the word but because Damian sounded honest.

You would normally scream treason at such words but since it was coming from the man backed up by someone performing verified miracles worldwide, it didn’t sound so ba.

The chairman studied him carefully. After a minute of silence he closed his briefcase. For the first time since arriving, he realized this conversation had already been lost.

Damain was not doing this out of ambition, vendetta or for the public. He simply wanted to do it and as a man surrounded by power, he was curious to see if anyone can stand in his way.

As someone who has benefited from the ministry he dared not get on the bad side of the only disciple of Faceless.

"Please protect yourself and stay safe at all times. This battle you have decide to fight, is not as simple as you think." Patrick said quietly as he rose to his feet.

Eventually Patrick adjusted his suit jacket and began walking toward the exit.

Just before leaving, Damian called him out.

"I’ll give you piece of advice because I actually like you as a person."

The chairman looked back over his shoulder.

"When the fireworks start, keep your heads down, there will be too many casualties in this war." Damian chuckled.

As Patrick left the mansion, he found himself thinking the same thing every visitor before him had thought.

Victor Hale was already doomed.

The real question was what would happen afterward.