43The butler remained silent for a moment, watching his employer carefully. "And if he 'is' ready? If he succeeds in spite of everything?"Leonard's eyes darkened as he stared past Lorentz, his mind clearly elsewhere. "Then we’ll have our answer." He paused, his tone softening slightly, though the edge remained. "He’ll have earned his place by fire, and no one—not the board, not his so-called colleagues—will question his right to lead."Lorentz shifted on his feet, his hands clasped behind his back. "And you, sir? Will you... be proud of him?"Leonard's jaw tightened, the question hanging heavy in the air. He turned his back to Lorentz, walking toward the window, the weight of the world seemingly pressing down on his broad shoulders. "I’ve never given my son anything, Lorentz. Not without him earning it. If he survives this, if he proves himself worthy... then maybe."The silence stretched between them, the air thick with unspoken tension. Lorentz cleared his throat, his voice barel
44Serena’s heart pounded in her chest as she marched up to him, her fists balled at her sides. The sight of Allvar casually leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone as if nothing was wrong, ignited a fury she hadn’t known she was capable of.“Allvar!” she shouted, her voice cutting through the stillness of the hallway.He looked up slowly, raising an eyebrow. When his eyes met hers, a lazy smirk spread across his lips. “Well, well, if it isn’t Serena.”“You piece of shit!” Serena spat, her steps quickening until she was just a foot away from him. Her entire body vibrated with anger. “What the hell is wrong with you?”Allvar’s expression remained infuriatingly calm as he slipped his phone into his pocket. “What’s wrong with 'me'? I think you should be asking yourself that question, Serena.” His tone was mocking, and Serena could feel her pulse in her ears.“You’ve ruined everything!” she shouted, her voice cracking. “I can’t even walk around campus without people laughing
45Serena’s hands trembled, her fury barely contained. “I swear, if you don’t take that post down—”“You’ll what?” Allvar interrupted, his voice dripping with mockery. “Threaten me some more? Go on, I’m all ears. But let me tell you something, Serena—nothing you say or do will change anything. You’re done. Face it.”Serena’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I’m not threatening you,” she hissed, her voice low and dangerous now. “I’m 'promising' you. You haven’t seen the last of me, Allvar. I’ll make sure you regret ever messing with me.”“Promising me, huh?” Allvar cocked his head, amusement glinting in his eyes. “And what exactly are you promising, Serena? That you’ll stomp your feet and throw a tantrum? Real terrifying.”Serena stepped closer, her eyes narrowing. “You think this is a joke? You think I’m just going to sit back while you destroy everything I’ve worked for? You’ve got no idea who you’re messing with.”Allvar raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the wall with a satisfi
46Allvar’s smirk returned, calm and unwavering. “Oh, but I have. I mean, look at you—desperate, cornered, lashing out. It’s almost too easy. But hey, if you want to keep fighting, go ahead. I’m always up for some entertainment.”“You won’t be laughing when this is all over,” Serena said, her voice quivering with fury. “I’ll make sure of it.”He glanced at her hands, still trembling. “You sure you can handle it, though? You’re shaking like a leaf.”Serena’s breath hitched, but she glared at him, refusing to show weakness. “I can handle 'anything' you throw at me. And when I come out on top, I’ll make sure everyone knows what kind of a monster you are.”Allvar’s eyes darkened, just for a second, before his grin returned. “You know what’s funny? You still think you have a chance. But from where I’m standing, it looks like you’ve already lost.”“Keep thinking that,” Serena shot back. “Because the only thing that’s going to be remembered from all of this is how hard you fell.” Allvar lau
47Serena’s heart skipped a beat at the confidence in his voice, but she waved it off, certain he was bluffing. “Good,” she said, a triumphant smile on her lips. “Now show me.”Without a word, Allvar reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek black card, handing it to her.Serena grabbed it and squinted at the embossed letters. Her eyes widened as she read the name and title: ''Allvar Falck, Head of International Expansion, Waterfall Corporation''.She blinked, reading it again. "No way," she muttered under her breath, her mind reeling from shock. Allvar just stood there, watching her with that maddening grin, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Told you,” he said, his voice light and smug.Serena’s mouth opened, but no words came out at first. She snapped her gaze back to the card, then up to him. “You… you actually work there?” she asked, incredulity dripping from her voice.“Yup.” Allvar leaned back against his car, arms folded, looking completely at ease, as though this was n
48Serena couldn’t believe what she had just learned as she stormed away from Allvar. The shock, anger, and frustration bubbled inside her, threatening to spill over. 'How could this be possible?' She fumed, her heart racing. Her hands trembled as she pulled out her phone, desperately dialing Derek’s number. He needed to know this immediately.The phone rang once. Twice. Then five times. Each ring grated on her already frayed nerves. By the tenth ring, Serena was practically seething.Finally, Derek answered, his voice sharp and irritated. “What now, Serena? You can’t keep calling me every time someone says something you don’t like!”Serena’s jaw tightened. “Derek, listen—”“No! I’m sick of this!” he cut her off, his voice rising with pent-up frustration. “Every single time, you expect me to drop everything and clean up your messes. Well, guess what? I’m dealing with my own shit too! Do you think I enjoy getting dragged into your drama every other day? We’re both drowning because o
49Derek stood frozen, the phone slipping slightly in his grip as his mind tried to process Serena's words. How? How did this happen? His stomach twisted in disbelief. Allvar Falck—'that' poor excuse for a man—was now the head of international expansion at Waterfall Corporation? He had paid off everyone necessary to ensure Allvar would never land a job again, especially not with a company as prominent as Waterfall. 'Marcus Vale', Derek thought bitterly. 'That bastard was supposed to take care of this.'Fury bubbled to the surface, hot and uncontrollable. His face flushed as his thoughts spiraled, and without hesitation, Derek furiously jabbed at his phone, dialing Marcus’s number.The phone barely rang once before Marcus answered, his voice dripping with contempt. “Derek Hawthorne. What the hell do you want?”“You want to tell me why the fuck Allvar is working at Waterfall?!" Derek spat, pacing back and forth, his hand clenched tightly around the phone. “I paid you to make sure th
50Derek stared at the now silent phone, his pulse pounding in his ears. Everything was falling apart faster than he could manage. Allvar had gotten the upper hand, and Marcus had turned into an unexpected liability.His mind was spinning—this wasn’t supposed to happen. Marcus was out, Allvar had won a high-profile job, and everything was spiraling out of his control.But the worst part? He hadn’t just failed to keep Allvar down. He’d made him stronger.Derek swore under his breath. “Damn it,” he muttered, clenching his fists. There had to be something he could do. 'Anything.'Just as he began pacing, trying to force his brain to think of a solution, a sharp knock at his office door snapped him out of his spiraling thoughts.“Who is it?” he barked, his patience running thin.Fiona, his ever-persistent assistant, stepped in cautiously. Her usual crisp confidence was tinged with anxiety as she took in Derek’s disheveled state. “Mr. Hawthorne, are you alright? You look—”“Not now, Fiona,