The purr of the luxury car's engine faded as Louis pulled up to the villa.Before his hand even reached for the doorbell, the door swung open. Victoria stood there, her face bright with a welcoming smile, clearly expecting someone else. "Vivian, you're home! Is Ben joining us for din—"Her expression soured instantly upon seeing Louis. "Oh. It's you.""Hello, Mom," Louis said politely.The word tasted bitter, a habit he now despised but continued out of mere formality.Victoria's eyes narrowed.Victoria's face twisted with contempt. "Don't you dare call me that!”“You're like a stray mutt trying to sneak back into a warm house after being kicked out."She said with disgust."I'm only here to collect my belongings," Louis explained calmly.Louis let the insult wash over him, determined not to rise to the bait. Breathe, he reminded himself. He wasn’t here for a fight.Victoria barked out a laugh. "Your belongings? What belongings? You're like a tick that's been living off my daugh
Louis Kindsor stood silently in the living room of the luxurious villa he shared with his wife, Vivian Howard.His face was a mask of calm, but his eyes betrayed a storm of emotions. In his hand, he held a tablet displaying surveillance footage that would change everything.As Vivian entered the room, her smile faltered at the sight of Louis's serious expression."What's wrong, dear?" she asked, her voice tinged with false sweetness.Without a word, Louis turned the tablet towards her. The footage showed Vivian entering a hotel with another man, their body language leaving little doubt about their intentions.Vivian's eyes widened, then narrowed. Instead of shame or remorse, her face twisted with anger. "You had someone follow me?" she hissed.Louis shook his head slowly, in disappointment."That's all you have to say? No explanation, no apology?"Vivian laughed dismissively, as if she didn’t care the least that Louis had caught her in an affair. "Why should I apologize? This is p
"Welcome back, sir," the crisp voice of Terminator X came through the phone. "It's time for you to return to your rightful place. You’ve been held back for too long."Louis leaned back in the plush leather seat, a fleeting look of desolation crossed his face. "You’re right. I’ve wasted too much time.”He then quickly adjusted his demeanor and ordered. “Forget it. Let’s talk about the current situation.""As you command, sir," Terminator X replied, “the 300 billion assets you previously invested globally have now multiplied several times, reaching 2 trillion. I’ve been overseeing them for you.” “Also, your 300 domestic companies are showing steady performance improvements.”“Now that you’re back, I can finally hand everything over to you, sound and safe.”Louis chuckled.He could feel Terminator X’s eagerness to turn in the burden, as if the weight of these assets was suffocating him. “No rush, my man, can’t you spare me a few days for relaxing? I just divorced, you know?”“I apo
And that girl was Vivian Howard.Back then, she had just graduated and was struggling to make ends meet.And that was when he decided to let go of everything and silently stand by her side.He never told Vivian about the events from over a decade ago, but he never forgot it either.He simply chose to support Vivian quietly.When she wanted to start a company, he provided the initial funding; when she wanted to expand it, he offered resources and connections from behind.However, alas, it turned out that the story didn’t end well for him.Louis gazed out the window at the city passing by. Apple City, where his journey had begun, where he had fallen in love with a girl who no longer existed. This time, when he left the villa, he didn’t take the doll with him because it was no longer necessary.It was the end of their relationship, after all.Now, it would be the stage for his return to power.Meanwhile, inside the villa, Vivian's phone rang. It was her mother, Victoria Howard."Is it
Vivian Howard paced the bedroom, the small doll clutched in her hand. Her mind raced with possibilities, a flicker of doubt crossing her face."Could Juliet and Louis be having affair behind my back?" She wondered aloud, her voice barely a whisper.But as quickly as the thought arose, she dismissed it with a shake of her head."No, that's impossible."She remembered she had never even introduced them. As for Juliet, she was the eldest daughter of the Beaumon Family—she had good looks, perfect figure, and a prestigious background.Although the Beaumon Clan wasn’t one of the four major Families, they were still an established name in Apple City.So how could Juliet possibly be interested in a lowlife like Louis?It was clear that Louis must have obtained the doll through improper means, just like some sleazy men who liked stealing women’s underwear.“Yuk! Truly disgusting!”Vivian tossed the doll back into the box, her disgust for Louis growing. She'd ask Juliet about it later, just
What the fuck?!Vivian couldn't believe what she heard. She couldn’t help but burst out laughing."Your company? Do you know that Apex Z Group is valued at 50 billion, and ranks 1st in Apple City? I bet a loser like you have no idea!” Vivian sneered loudly.“Ben, did you hear that? Louis thinks he owns Apex Z Group! That's funny!"Ben laughed too. "Wow, Louis. You're crazier than I thought. What's next? Are you going to say you're the king of Apple City?"Vivian looked disgusted. "I can't believe I was married to someone so stupid and boastful. You can't even tell what's real and what's not.""Maybe we should simply call security," Ben suggested playfully. "They'd love to meet the 'owner' of Apex Z Group. Want to give them a good laugh, Vivian?"Louis didn't say anything. He didn't look upset or angry. Their words didn't bother him at all.Louis moved to walk past Vivian and Ben, his face a mask of indifference. His didn’t want to waste another second on these two arrogant foo
Louis stood still, shocked. He just realized something big. The small doll he thought was Vivian's wasn't hers at all. This meant the kind girl who helped him years ago wasn't Vivian! All this time, he had been wrong!Louis felt many things at once - surprise, sadness, but also a bit relieved. He had spent years helping Vivian, thinking he was paying back her kindness. Now he knew it was all a mistake."What's wrong, Louis? Finally seeing how pathetic you are?" Seeing how quiet Louis was, Vivian said meanly.She thought he was finally embarrassed because she had caught him lying.This made her even angrier and more disgusted.Louis barely heard her. He was too busy thinking about what this all meant for his life.However, Vivian kept talking, and getting louder. "Why are you silent now? Weren’t you good at making up stories about knowing important people? Why not continue the play and give us a good show?"Vivian said more aggressively, her eyes filled with increased disdain.
Seeing how calm and collected Louis was, as if he was confident of victory, Vivian felt a surge of anger.She couldn’t wait to see how Louis would conjure up one million dollars for her right away.If he couldn’t, she swore she would make sure to drown him in her scorn!Louis calmly took out his phone and dialed a number. "Terminator X," he said, "I need you to send one million to the entrance of Apex Z Group now."Vivian's eyes got big. Seriously?!That Terminator X?! How could Louis be talking to him?“As you command, Sir. I’ill have John Wales, the General Manager of Apex Z Group, get the money ready.”Terminator X said on the phone.Louis ended the call and looked at Vivian. "Wait a few minutes," he said, not caring much.“Louis, how could your shame know no boundary?”Vivian's eyes widened in disbelief and mockery. "Do you even know who Terminator X is? Well, let me tell you, in case you have no idea.”“Terminator X is the richest man in the world! Do you know what that mean