82Ethan licked his lips nervously. “Waterfall Corporation has been awarded the contract. Allvar sealed the deal.”The words hung in the air for a second, Derek staring at Ethan as if he’d grown two heads. His mouth dropped open, disbelief and fury crashing over him.“What did you just say?” Derek’s voice trembled with barely controlled anger.Ethan winced, his hands shaking slightly as he repeated himself. “The Henleys...they gave him the contract. It’s done.”For a moment, Derek said nothing. He just stood there, his body taut like a spring ready to snap. His mind raced, trying to process what he had just heard. It couldn’t be true.“No...no, you must be mistaken,” Derek said slowly, his voice rising. “How could they—after all the meetings, the promises—they gave it to him?”Ethan took a step back, as if preparing for the explosion he knew was coming. “I double-checked everything. The papers are signed. The deal’s finalized.”“No…” he whispered, shaking his head. “No, this can’t be

84Allvar sat at his desk, the dim light from his lamp casting long shadows across the office. It was late—far later than he usually stayed—but there was still too much to do. The Henley deal, the fallout with Derek, and Marcus’s removal had left the company in a state of transition, and he wasn’t about to leave any loose ends.He rubbed his temples, glancing at the clock. Nearly 9 p.m. The rest of the office had long since emptied, leaving only the hum of the air conditioning and the quiet tapping of his keyboard to fill the silence.A soft knock on the door caught his attention. He looked up to see Clarabelle, his secretary, standing in the doorway. She was stunning, as always—her deep red hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, and her bright blue eyes sparkled even in the dull office light. She wore a fitted black pencil skirt that hugged her curves perfectly, paired with a white blouse, unbuttoned just enough to draw the eye but remain professional. Her high heels clicked so

86Allvar’s mind raced. Who were they? And what did they want? He had enemies, sure. But no one would dare make such a blatant move against him, right?His phone buzzed in his pocket, snapping him out of his thoughts. He fumbled to retrieve it, hoping for a distraction, maybe a message or a call that would make this nightmare disappear. But when he saw the unknown number flashing on the screen, a sinking feeling set in.He hesitated before answering. "Hello?" His voice wavered, despite his attempt to sound composed.A cold, gravelly voice responded, dripping with menace. “Mr. Falck, it seems you’ve been playing a dangerous game.”Allvar’s heart dropped. “Who the hell is this?”The voice chuckled darkly. “Someone who doesn’t appreciate being underestimated."Allvar’s heart pounded in his chest as he gripped the phone tighter, the silence in his car thick and oppressive.“Who the hell is this?” His voice trembled despite his best efforts to keep it steady.A dark chuckle came from the o

88“I warned you,” the leader hissed, his tone cold and dangerous. “You don’t get to make the rules here, Falck.”Allvar straightened, though every muscle in his body screamed in protest. “Enough with the games,” he bit out, glaring at the man in front of him. “This has gone on long enough.”The men surrounding him erupted into laughter, their mocking voices filling the night air.“Oh, now he thinks he’s calling the shots!” one of them taunted, his laughter cutting like a knife.“Yeah, all of a sudden, he’s in charge!” another chimed in, shaking his head in disbelief.The leader’s eyes gleamed with sadistic delight as he watched Allvar struggle to maintain his defiance. “You’ve got spirit,” he admitted, “but you’re still going to do as I say.”Allvar wiped the blood from his mouth, his gaze burning with hatred. He knew he was outnumbered, but there was no way he was going to let them see him break.“You think you’ve won?” he snarled, his voice low and venomous. “This isn’t over.”The

90Allvar stood over the fallen leader, his foot resting lightly on the man’s side. He cracked his neck, then squatted down, his face just inches from the groaning thug.“So,” Allvar began, voice calm and almost conversational, “who sent you?”The leader gritted his teeth, refusing to meet Allvar’s gaze. “I’m not saying shit,” he spat.Allvar chuckled, shaking his head as if amused. “Of course you aren’t. Tough guy, huh?”The thug on the ground remained silent, glaring up at him. Allvar straightened up and glanced around at the unconscious bodies littering the alley. He scratched his chin thoughtfully before leaning back down, his tone casual but with an unmistakable edge of danger.“Let me guess,” Allvar said, tilting his head slightly. “You think by keeping quiet, you’re saving yourself from something worse later on, right?”The leader shifted uncomfortably but remained silent.“Trust me,” Allvar continued, his voice low and mocking, “whatever you think is going to happen if you tal