Stephen raised his hand, halting the old man's declaration. "No, Mr. Harrington. We shouldn't be too hasty. Perhaps Victor should just be suspended for today." He walked closer to Victor, a glint of determination in his eyes. "I can't let you out of my sight, Victor. I'd like to see you serve me and show me the respect I deserve." Victor chuckled bitterly, his voice laced with scorn. "Respect? Is that what all this is about, Stephen? If that's what you're looking for, you'll never get it. I'll never show respect to a poor loser like you." Stephen's expression hardened. "We'll see about that." Victor stormed out of the room, his jaw clenched in frustration. Marianne hurried after him, her steps quick to catch up. As they reached the garden, Victor slumped onto a bench, his anger simmering beneath the surface. He chuckled bitterly to himself, his voice tinged with sarcasm. "I'm sure my father would be so proud of me, losing my rightful place to a loser like Stephen." Marian
The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow on Stephen as he stretched out on the bed. It had been a while since he'd slept so soundly. Standing up, he made his way to the bathroom, the routine of brushing his teeth and taking a shower bringing a sense of normalcy to his otherwise chaotic life.Dressed in a crisp suit, Stephen checked his reflection one last time before heading downstairs. He slipped into his car and drove towards the empire, the weight of his responsibilities settling on his shoulders.Upon arrival, he was greeted by the expectant faces of his colleagues. "Sorry I'm late," he said, taking his seat at the head of the table. He noticed Victor's cold stare but chose to ignore it, focusing instead on the matters at hand."We're losing miners over pay," one executive reported. "It's affecting production.""How much to bring them back?" Stephen asked, ready to solve the problem with a swift transfer of funds. “And I want all the 6 gold mine sites a
Stephen stepped out of the elevator into the top floor of the hotel, his mind inside a whirlwind of ruminations on the weird dictum of the system. He neared his penthouse door, fumbling in his pocket for his keycard. Bringing it out, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. To his surprise, Marianne was there, seated in his sofa in a striking red gown that hugged provocatively her curves. Stephen's eyebrows rose in a frown. "Marianne, what are you doing here?" he enquired, trying to keep a suspicion from springing into his voice. Marianne smiled at him carnally, her eyes shining with some kind of scheming. "I thought we could spend some time together, sweetheart," she purred, her words dripping with honeyed sweetness. Stephen's ire was continuing to burn, but he was still trying to maintain his cool. "I am not in the mood for games, Marianne," he said firmly. "What have you really come here for?" Marianne's smile flickered again, and her mask slipped. "I. wanted to see you," she ad
Enoch leaned in closer, his voice barely a whisper. "I know someone—a cybersecurity expert. They can hack into the system, remove the malicious software, but..." He hesitated, glancing around cautiously. "We'll need to keep Stephen close. Real close." Victor's brow furrowed in thought. "Stephen won't just waltz into our trap. He's too clever for that." Enoch nodded, his eyes scanning the room. "We'll have to bait him. Make him believe there's something valuable for him." Victor's mind raced with possibilities. "The company's confidential files. He's been after those for years." Enoch's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Exactly. We leak false information about a big data breach. He'll come running." Victor's expression hardened with determination. "Then we'll be waiting for him. Ready to strike." Enoch clapped a hand on Victor's shoulder. "Together, we'll take him down and reclaim what's rightfully ours." Victor nodded, a steely resolve in his eyes. "Let's do it. For our
Victor's entrance startled everyone in the room, his voice echoing with disbelief. "Marianne, what are you doing?" he demanded, his eyes searching hers for recognition. But Marianne's response left him stunned. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice tinged with confusion as she looked at him blankly. Victor's frustration bubbled to the surface, his jaw tensing. "How can you not remember me?" he exclaimed, his tone a mixture of anger and hurt. The doctor stepped in, his voice calm but firm. "Mrs. King has suffered memory loss due to her accident," he explained, his words carrying weight in the tense atmosphere. Victor's brows furrowed in frustration. "I don't care," he retorted, his gaze unwavering. "She's my wife, and she's coming home with me." But Mr. Harriganton's voice interrupted, his tone decisive. "It's Marianne's decision," he stated firmly, his gaze steady as he looked at his daughter. Victor turned to Marianne, his heart aching at the thought of her not recognizing him. "
Stephen left the room, his expression unreadable. Victor watched him go, frustration gnawing at him. As soon as Stephen was out of sight, Victor spoke into his earpod. "Was it successful?"Enoch's voice crackled through. "No, it hung at 99%. We need to stay close to Stephen to complete the decryption."Victor sighed, his anger simmering beneath the surface. "After all that effort..." He clenched his fists, struggling to contain his frustration.Victor paced the room, his mind racing. "Why did Marianne call Stephen?" he muttered to himself. "What is she up to?"Enoch's voice was calm but urgent. "We'll figure it out, but we need to be patient. Getting the decryption completed is our priority."Victor took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "Right. Patience." He forced a smile, already planning his next move. He had to get closer to Stephen, to complete the decryption and weaken his defence. But he also had to keep an eye on Marianne and understand her motives."Enoch, keep me upda
Stephen woke up the next morning with a stiff neck from sleeping on the couch. Marianne’s loud snoring had kept him awake most of the night. He sighed, feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing down on him. His stomach growled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten since yesterday.He walked to the dining table, hoping to find something to eat, but the sight made him groan. Plates and leftover food were scattered everywhere. It was a mess, clearly Marianne’s doing. He shook his head, deciding it was better to head to King’s Empire. Even the monotony of business meetings was preferable to dealing with this chaos.Stephen headed to the bathroom to freshen up. When he lifted the toilet lid, he recoiled. Marianne hadn’t flushed. The sight and smell made him gag. He flushed the toilet, muttering to himself, “This is unbelievable.”After showering and dressing, Stephen left the penthouse, escaping the mess and Marianne’s torment. He took the elevator down, the silence giving him a brief respite. As
Stephen's face tightened as he looked back and forth between Victor and Marianne, suspicion hanging in the air like a heavy fog. He didn't waste a moment before speaking with authority, "Victor, we need to talk. Now. In my office." Victor nodded, sensing the urgency in Stephen’s voice. He shot a quick glance at Marianne, hoping she wouldn’t catch onto their conversation. Following Stephen's lead, Victor trailed closely behind as they made their way to Stephen’s office, his mind already racing with anticipation of what was to come. Inside the office, tension filled the room as both men settled into their seats, their eyes locking in a serious exchange. Stephen broke the silence, his tone commanding, "Go on, Victor." Victor, who had been prepared for a different discussion, felt a flood of relief wash over him. "It’s about your brother," he began, recalling their earlier conversation about bringing Stephen’s brother back to the empire. Stephen's demeanor softened slightly as he list