191“Hey, show some respect!” an elderly man leaning on a cane shouted, shaking his head. “You don’t get to talk to people like that.”Lucas turned sharply, his expression hardening as he spotted the speaker. The elderly man, stooped and fragile, stood with a firm glare, his hands clutching his cane with intensity. “Respect? For this guy?” Lucas laughed bitterly, pointing a mocking finger at Allvar. “He’s driving a tin can and thinks he’s someone important. Newsflash, grandpa: respect is earned. And you,” he gestured at Allvar, “haven’t earned a dime of it.”The crowd shifted uncomfortably, murmurs of discontent rising from the spectators.“You can’t talk to an elder like that!” a woman snapped, her voice tinged with anger.“Leave him alone, man,” someone else said, stepping closer, clearly agitated. “You’re the one causing trouble here. Quit being a jerk.”But Lucas wasn’t done. He looked directly at the dissenters, sneering as his eyes scanned them one by one. “Oh, please. You lot a

193The crowd thinned out, their murmurs fading into the distance as people reluctantly returned to their routines. Allvar exhaled deeply, letting the tension seep out of his body as he glanced at his car. Miraculously, despite Lucas’s earlier mockery, the vehicle stood unscathed—a testament to its sturdy engineering and, perhaps, a touch of luck. He was about to climb into the driver's seat when the soft, determined sound of approaching footsteps made him pause. “Hey,” came a voice, and Allvar turned to see the young woman who had stood up to Lucas earlier. She was taller than he’d initially noticed, her posture straight, her gaze direct. “You okay?” He blinked, caught off guard. “I... I think so. Thanks to you, I guess.” She smiled faintly, folding her arms. “Don’t mention it. Someone had to say something, and you looked like you could use the backup.” Allvar chuckled dryly. “Yeah, I appreciate that. Not many people would’ve done what you did.” He extended a hand. “Allvar Fa

195As the afternoon sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the towering glass building, Allvar remained in his office, scrolling through a series of reports. His focus, however, was intermittently broken by the memory of Mrs. Abbott’s smug smile and Jake’s condescending remarks. The trio had pushed him today, but he knew they wouldn’t stop there.A knock at the door jolted him from his thoughts. Clarabelle peeked in, her expression uncharacteristically serious.“Mr. Falck,” she began, stepping inside and lowering her voice. “You should know—I overheard something while delivering coffee to the conference room.”Allvar straightened. “Go on.”“It’s Mrs. Abbott and the others,” Clarabelle continued, her tone tense. “They were discussing a potential vote of no confidence. They’re planning to bring it up at the board meeting you just scheduled.”Allvar’s jaw tightened. “A vote of no confidence? That’s bold, even for them.”“They mentioned a new investor backing their proposal,” she

197Allvar sat at his desk long after returning from the cryptic meeting at the Grand Pavilion Nightclub. The woman’s words and the damning evidence on the flash drive swirled through his mind, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to the story. Why had she reached out? Why now? Her final words echoed in his head: Are you willing to play dirty?The thought unsettled him. Allvar prided himself on his ability to stay composed and strategic, but the prospect of dealing with someone like Lucas Radcliffe and the conniving trio was forcing him into unfamiliar territory. Feeling the weight of exhaustion creep in, he decided to call it a night. Maybe a few hours of sleep would clear his head.---The following morning, sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Falck estate’s dining room. Allvar walked in, still groggy from the restless night. He was dressed in a crisp shirt and trousers but hadn’t yet summoned the energy to put on his usual sharp suit jacke

199Allvar arrived at Waterfall Corporation with the weight of the morning’s conversation with his father still pressing on his shoulders. The towering glass building loomed ahead, reflecting the city skyline in its polished surface. As he stepped into the lobby, the buzz of activity and hum of conversations briefly grounded him. “Good morning, Mr. Falck,” Clarabelle greeted him as he walked into his office. As always, she was impeccably dressed in a tailored emerald-green dress that accentuated her sharp features. Her dark hair was swept into a sleek bun, and her heels clicked with precision against the tiled floor. “Morning, Clarabelle,” Allvar replied with a small nod, loosening his tie as he settled into his chair. She approached his desk, carrying a leather-bound planner and a tablet. “Here’s the list for today. You’ve got a team meeting at 10, followed by a one-on-one with Mr. Keating at noon. He also mentioned he’d like an update on the cybersecurity project.” She set the