###Jason seethed with anger after hanging up with Denera. He slammed his phone down, burning with sheer bitterness and hatred.They were all directed toward one thing: failure. It wasn’t just the phone call that had enraged him; it was the constant feeling of being belittled and used. Denera was his younger sister, and despite being the head of their House, she had always been the best. To the extent that at some point, she was seen by the rest of the family as a candidate for the next heir.Unlikely, but not impossible. She had always schemed an opportunity to treat him like a pawn, a mere errand boy in her grand schemes. Every time something went wrong, it was Jason who had to clean up the mess, while Denera got all the glory.Jason was the perfect heir in every sense, but no one wanted to see it except him. “Always me,” he muttered under his breath, pacing his cluttered office. He glared at the counterfeit documents his sister wanted with malice. “Always the one to blame. Doe
Yesterday, away from the eyes of others, Ethan called Rachel and Paul for a quick strategy meeting. They gathered in a small conference room, away from everyone else. Ethan leaned forward, his eyes intense."Listen carefully," he said. "I need you both to act like you were careless. Make it seem like you left the office in a mess and that an important document is missing. This will distract everyone and make the main suspect think everything is normal."Rachel and Paul looked at each other nervously but nodded."What’s happened is serious," Ethan continued. "We need to make sure everyone focuses on our mistakes, not on anyone else. We can't afford any errors."As they left the room, the tension was thick. Rachel felt uneasy, knowing she had to play her part in this plan. Paul, usually calm, looked visibly anxious.Meanwhile, at the press conference, Ethan spoke to the media smoothly. The crowd reacted with sympathy and support, strengthening Ethan's position. But behind the scenes,
Ethan's eyes widened. "Sean? Our Sean? Wow, that's... unexpected." Sean, the bully… Ethan would never have seen that coming. Rebecca nodded. "Yes, but things haven't been smooth. Sean's had a rough time. He lost a lot after the stocks crashed, and he's been struggling to find something stable. It’s been hard on both of us."Ethan's brow furrowed, but he didn't care. "I'm sorry to hear that. What about Shen? How's she doing?"Rebecca sighed. "Shen’s been through a lot too. She's battling some personal demons, and it’s been tough. The stocks crashed, and… she's in and out of therapy, trying to get her life back on track."Ethan felt a pang of guilt. Here he was, surrounded by success and fame, while his old classmates were struggling. They brought it upon themselves anyway. If only they were kind to him then… “Is there anything I can do to help?" he offered half-heartedly.Rebecca raised her hands, shaking her head vigorously. It was as if Ethan had offered leprosy to her. "No, but th
“You were seen with a minor named…”Ethan finally grabbed the mic. “Hold on.”The reporter refused to listen and was about to continue when Ethan gave the nod again, and Rachel signaled the media team to unplug the microphone from the reporter. The reporter continued shouting until he was surrounded by five bodyguards who were unforgiving.His mouth clamped shut then, and murmurs filled the hall as to what the hell was going on. Ethan's heart already went into an overdrive, beating furiously and wondering why this reporter would be paid to say this.How had they gotten this information? He thought the old man was on it. Ethan got up, walking towards the reporter, who had nowhere to escape. He yanked his ID card off his neck to check if he was really a reporter. “DN…” Ethan read immediately. “You are determined to be my enemy, isn't that so?” With that, he raised the ID card. “This man is an imposter! He is not affiliated with any TV station and is here to defame me!”The murmurings
Unfortunately for Ethan, the news of the misconduct in the press hall spread far and wide. It spiraled out of Ethan's control, and no matter how much he called and yelled, an article came out in the newspaper the next morning.---The sun had just risen, streaming through the large window, when Ethan, still in his pajamas, walked into his study, yawning. He had barely slept through the night. How could he?How could he sleep when the press was bent on making his life miserable? The previous day had been filled with chaos, and even his dreams were haunted. The dark bags under his eyes were clear as he sat down.All he wanted was a cup of coffee to keep him awake. Staring at the big black clock, he planned to get to the office by 10:00 a.m. The fire had given him a good excuse to stay home.Whoever started that fire did him a huge favor.Or he could just stay home. If only he could...The old man wasn't here to take his place, like other times. Ethan sighed heavily. He missed the old ma
Everyone's eyes were on the old man. He felt a chill run down his spine. Suddenly, someone shouted, "It's him!"The crowd parted, and a tall, muscular man stepped forward. He had a menacing look in his eyes. "You're not going anywhere," the man growled.The old man tried to stay calm. "I think there's been a mistake," he said, his voice steady."No mistake," the man replied, pulling out a knife. "We know why you're here."The old man took a step back, realizing it was a trap. The people who had been dancing moments ago were now closing in on him, their faces cold and hard."Get him!" the man with the knife yelled. The crowd surged forward.The old man turned and ran, pushing his way through the mob. He could hear their footsteps behind him, feel the heat of their breath on his neck. He darted through the hot club, searching for an exit."You won't escape!" someone shouted. A chair flew past his head, smashing into the wall. The old man ducked and kept moving, his heart pounding in his
Ethan sat in his study, the room dimly lit by the soft allure of the table lamp. The heavy curtains were drawn, blocking the city lights outside. The scent of rich leather from his armchair mingled with the scent of the fine gin he was sipping. When he swirled the glass, the ice cubes clinked, offering a small comfort in the silence. The room was silent except for the occasional creak of the old wooden floorboards.He had them changed recently for his peace of mind. The walls were lined with dark wood paneling, and the only light came from a flickering fire in the fireplace. Ethan’s gaze was fixed on the article spread out on the table in front of him. It detailed his confrontation with the reporter, a piece that Sandra had dismissed too lightly.However, the quiet was broken by the sudden ring of his phone. The sharp sound jolted Ethan from his thoughts. The screen showed the old man's name, and Ethan answered quickly.He grabbed the phone with both hands.The first thing he heard fr
Jason smirked at a young woman across the bar. He had been trying to get her attention for weeks, and now, finally, she had smiled at him. He stood up, ready to approach her, but then he saw something unexpected.Rhys.Jason froze, watching as Rhys talked with a woman by his side. Despite the woman’s efforts—smiling, giggling, and trying to feed him grapes—Rhys refused or spat them out.Jason saw the woman’s frustration grow. He could see her lips move as she gently scolded Rhys.“What’s wrong? Tell me, darling, and I’ll make it better.” The woman rubbed Rhys’s shoulders, trying to get his attention.Jason, focused on the scene, forgot about the woman he had been eyeing. All he could think about was how to capture this moment and use it to hurt his sister.---Rhys looked up and saw Jason approaching. He was familiar with Jason’s antics—his brother-in-law always had a smug attitude. Jason was the narcissistic, blond, and egoistic type. Rhys knew him well from their past encounters a