RICHARD'S POVThe air was thick with tension as Alex and I faced off, the crowd's anticipation palpable. I could hear the murmurs of the onlookers, the whispered bets and the rustle of excitement. Alex smirked, his confidence evident. I could see why; he was a formidable opponent, and the club members clearly favored him. "Ready to lose, Richard?" Alex taunted, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Let's see who loses," I shot back, trying to mask my nerves with bravado. The referee called for us to begin. We began, and immediately, Alex took the upper hand. Alexander lunged first, his attack was sudden but predictable. I parried easily, our foils clashing with a sharp clang. His movements were swift, precise, leaving little room for me to counter. The crowd erupted in cheers for him and boos for me, their support a wave crashing against my resolve. "Come on, Richard! Don't make it so easy for him!" someone shouted, followed by mocking laughter. I gritted my teeth, focusing on Ale

RICHARD'S POVDebra, sensing the tension, clung to my arm again, as if trying to stake her claim. I could feel my anger boiling beneath the surface. It took all my restraint not to lash out right then and there. Instead, I forced a tight-lipped smile in response, masking the seething resentment churning within me.Jenny's eyes flicked to Debra and then back to me, a flicker of hurt and confusion crossing her face. “Well, enjoy your dinner,” she said, her tone a bit colder than before. “Alex and I need to finish our shopping.”Alex's smirk widened, and he wrapped an arm around Jenny's shoulders. "Come on, Jen. We should get going.”As they walked away, I couldn't help but watch them, my heart aching with every step they took. Jenny looked back once, her eyes meeting mine for a brief moment before she turned away, leaving me standing there with Debra's arm still wrapped around mine.Once Jenny and Alex had left, I turned to Debra, my patience wearing thin. "You need to leave me alone, D

RICHARD'S POV Steve fumbled with the files on his desk, his hands shaking. I leaned against the doorway, trying to keep my temper in check. This project was everything to me and seeing it sabotaged by some careless engineer was a bitter pill to swallow. He pulled out a binder and handed it to me. “Here, this has all the information.”I stretched my hand, but he recoiled his arm, withholding the documents.“You really think you can't trust me, Richard? After all my services? You think I'm using substandard materials?” Steve's eyes narrowed as he fixed his gaze on me, his lips curling into a sneer. “Do you realize what you are implying?”I took a deep breath, my eyes fixed on the engineer, as he tried to twist my words. "It's not about trust, Steve. I'm not implying anything, I just need to see the report. It's standard procedure." His face flushed red with anger. "Standard procedure? Don't give me that crap. This unnecessary suspicion of yours is becoming tiresome. You're questioni

RICHARD'S POVThe morning sun barely kissed the horizon when I started my day. I sat at my office desk, the mountain of evidence Steve had handed over spread out before me. Each document, photo, and note was a piece of a puzzle that painted Vincent Armitage as more than just a shrewd businessman. He was a blackmailer, a man who thrived on others' miseries. As I sifted through the damning evidence, a wave of determination washed over me. I had to stop him. But first, I needed to understand every detail, every nuance of Steve’s plight. The office was quiet, the hum of the air conditioner the only sound breaking the silence. My mind raced with thoughts of what lay ahead, about how deep Vincent's influence might go. I had to stay focused, yet a gnawing feeling in my gut told me this was going to be more complicated than I anticipated. Just then, Jenny, my PA and confidante, walked into the room with her usual grace. Her eyes, always sharp, caught my troubled expression. “Richard, you lo

RICHARD'S POV The police car screeched to a halt in front of the station. They hauled me out, the flashing lights illuminating the growing crowd of onlookers. I could hear their whispers, feel their eyes on me. Humiliation burned through me like acid. “Isn't that Richard Thorne?” “Why would he do something like this?” I kept my head down, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. Inside, they booked me, the process a blur of fingerprints and mugshots. Finally, they shoved me into a small interrogation room. I sat in the cold, metal chair, my hands cuffed to the table. The door clang shut behind me, the sound echoing in my ears. The room was dimly lit, the only light source being the fluorescent light overhead. The walls seemed to close in on me as I waited, my mind racing. How did I end up here? How did everything go so wrong? My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. I looked up to see an officer standing outside my cell, a manila folder in his h