26Serena met his gaze, her voice firm. "We hire someone. A professional. If someone hacked us, we’ll find out how and expose them."Derek stared at her for a long moment before he finally nodded, his expression grim. "Fine. I’ll make some calls. But if we don’t get to the bottom of this, Allvar wins."Serena gave him a small, determined smile. "We won’t let that happen."But what neither of them knew was that Allvar’s hacker had already infiltrated their computer, collecting far more than just deleted posts. The real damage was yet to come.As Allvar sat at his desk, the glow from his computer screen casting shadows on his face, his fingers moved deftly over the keyboard. The hacker had done more than simply take down Derek's post. They had left behind a trail of digital breadcrumbs leading straight to Derek and Serena's darkest secrets.Allvar leaned back in his chair, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. The evidence of his ex-girlfriend's infidelity—texts, photos, and email
27After Allvar hit "publish," he leaned back, watching the notifications light up his screen. It didn’t take long for the post to spread across campus like wildfire. The comments began flooding in, each one harsher than the last.“Yo, did you see this?” a student in the Ridgeway University common room exclaimed, his eyes glued to his phone screen. “Allvar just exposed Serena and Derek!”His friend, Chloe, leaned over to get a better look. “No way. What did they do?”“Dude, read it. Serena’s been cheating on him with Derek, and turned out it was them who posted that anonymous post about him being a gigolo, and there’s actual proof. He posted everything—texts, photos, emails. It’s brutal.”Chloe gasped, her hand flying to her mouth as she skimmed through the post. “Oh my God. Everyone’s gonna see this.”Across campus, phones buzzed as students read the post. Groups huddled together, whispering and laughing at the scandal that was unfolding right before their eyes.“Did you hear about S
28Serena couldn’t believe what was happening. The whispers, the stares, the judgmental glares—she felt suffocated. It was more than a nightmare come true; it was a living hell. Her phone buzzed constantly with cruel messages, and everywhere she went, people seemed to turn their backs on her.As she walked through the quad, a group of girls nearby snickered loudly. One of them, a tall brunette with piercing blue eyes, caught her attention."Look who it is," the girl said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Serena, the campus slut. I didn’t think you'd actually have the nerve to show your face today."Serena froze, her chest tightening. "Excuse me?""Oh, don’t act all innocent," another girl chimed in, flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder. "We all saw the post. Cheating on Allvar with Derek? And what's more plotting against him? First with corrupting companies then with that stupid anonymous post. Pathetic.""I didn’t—" Serena started, her voice shaking, but they cut her off."Sav
29Allvar tossed his phone aside, a smug grin stretching across his face as he leaned back against his pillows. He felt a rush of satisfaction course through him, the kind of vindication he'd been craving for months. 'Serena is finally paying for everything,' he thought, his fingers drumming against the bedframe. Every lie, every betrayal—it was all coming back to bite her.He stood up and paced the room, unable to contain his excitement. His mind raced with memories of all the sacrifices he’d made for Serena. He’d given her everything: his time, his love, his loyalty. And how did she repay him? By plotting against him with Derek, dragging his name through the mud, and humiliating him in front of the entire campus. But now, she was the one in the spotlight, and it wasn’t flattering. The entire campus was laughing at her now.“Ungrateful bitch,” he muttered under his breath, his jaw tightening. Allvar thought back to the late nights he spent waiting for her, the arguments they had wh
30Derek ran a hand through his hair in frustration, pacing back and forth in the grand office as his father, Victor Hawthorne, sat behind his massive mahogany desk, watching him with a cold, calculating gaze. The silence between them stretched on until Victor finally broke it.“You’re getting sloppy, Derek,” Victor said, his voice low but sharp enough to cut through the tension in the room. “I told you before, we don’t move until the plan is airtight. Now look at the mess you’ve created.”Derek spun around, his expression defiant. “I had everything under control. Allvar was supposed to be dealt with. If it wasn’t for Tom screwing up—"Victor slammed his hand on the desk, cutting Derek off mid-sentence. “Enough with the excuses! You think you can pin this on Tom? This disaster is your responsibility, and now our family’s reputation is hanging by a thread.”Derek’s fists clenched at his sides. “Allvar had it coming! He’s been undermining us for months, playing everyone like fools. I co
31The next day, Allvar arrived at Waterfall Corporation, still shaken by the events of the last time he has been there. Marcus Vale's dismissal. He entered the sleek, modern building, feeling the weight of the rumors swirling around him. As he stepped into the elevator, he straightened his jacket, trying to focus on what lay ahead.When he reached the executive floor, Eleanor was already waiting for him in her office. She motioned for him to sit across from her. Her sharp eyes studied him closely, though there was a touch of warmth in her voice.“Mr. Falck,” she began, “I’ve been thinking about where you’ll fit best in this company. What kind of role do you see yourself in?”Allvar hesitated. “I don’t want anything too big, Ms. Westwood. Just something where I can contribute and grow, nothing that draws too much attention.”Eleanor raised an eyebrow. “Not too big? You’re selling yourself short.”He shifted uncomfortably. “I think it’s best, given... well, the circumstances. I don’t
32The room fell silent as Eleanor’s words sank in. A few board members exchanged glances, some raising their eyebrows in surprise, while others kept their expressions carefully neutral. Allvar could sense the tension in the air, but he stood tall, determined not to let it show.One of the older board members, a man with silver hair and a sharp gaze, was the first to speak. "Mr. Falck," he said, his tone even but edged with skepticism, "you’ve been with us for—what? A few days? And now you’re heading our most critical project?"Allvar cleared his throat, meeting the man's eyes. "Yes, sir. I understand this might seem sudden, but I assure you I’m up for the challenge.""Challenge?" A woman with a sharp voice interjected from the other side of the table. She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "This isn’t just any project, Mr. Falck. It’s the cornerstone of our future growth. We need more than assurances. We need results."Eleanor stepped in, her voice calm but firm. "You’ll get results
33A week later,As Allvar walked down the sleek, glass-paneled hallways of Waterfall Corporation, he couldn’t help but notice the sudden hush that seemed to follow him. Small groups of employees, gathered near the water cooler or in break areas, would go quiet the moment they saw him approach, only for the whispers to pick up again once he passed. He didn’t have to strain his ears to catch snippets of the conversation—it was loud enough.“Can you believe it?” one woman muttered, her voice dripping with disbelief. “The guy’s only been here for what, a week? And now he’s heading our biggest project?”Her colleague, a tall man with a heavy sigh, shook his head. “Yeah, and did you hear about Marcus Vale? Fired because of some ‘ethics violation’? Rumor has it, Allvar had something to do with that.”“No surprise there,” another voice chimed in, a touch more bitter. “The CEO practically fawns over him. It’s like he’s her new golden boy.”Allvar’s grip on the files in his hand tightened as