80Allvar casually sipped his coffee, listening to the soft hum of the office around him. He could practically feel the fury still radiating from Edgar, Jake, and Ms. Abbott behind him. But it was their whispered conversation that caught his attention."How the hell did he do it?" Edgar hissed, his voice barely contained. "First, he gets Marcus fired, then takes his place on the board like it’s nothing? There’s no way this guy’s clean. Something’s off."Jake grunted in agreement, rubbing the back of his neck. “Marcus had been with the company for years. To see him go down like that—it just doesn’t make sense.”Ms. Abbott folded her arms, her sharp eyes narrowing as she glared at Allvar’s back. “It’s not just Marcus,” she added bitterly. “It’s the Henley deal too. He’s managed to slide his way into every opportunity. It’s too perfect.”Allvar, pretending not to hear, couldn’t help the small smirk tugging at his lips. He turned around, catching their glares in his direction. “You’re rig
81Derek sat in his office, seething. The past week had been a relentless storm of frustration, and he was at his breaking point. His fingers tapped angrily against the edge of the desk, the rhythm growing faster with each tick of the clock.He hadn’t slept properly, his mind consumed with Allvar's contract, his every thought clawing for a crack in the deal. But nothing. Not a single damn thing.His phone buzzed, but he ignored it. The anger bubbling inside him had reached dangerous levels. Every day that went by, Allvar cemented his position while Derek floundered helplessly.The sound of soft footsteps broke his focus, and his secretary, Lisa, appeared at the door, her face cautious as she lingered. “Mr. Hawthorne?” she began gently, clearly aware of his foul mood. “Mr. Ethan’s here. He says it’s urgent.”Derek’s jaw clenched. The last thing he wanted was to see Ethan right now, especially after that disaster last time. “Ethan? Again? Why?” His voice was sharp, cutting through the t
82Ethan licked his lips nervously. “Waterfall Corporation has been awarded the contract. Allvar sealed the deal.”The words hung in the air for a second, Derek staring at Ethan as if he’d grown two heads. His mouth dropped open, disbelief and fury crashing over him.“What did you just say?” Derek’s voice trembled with barely controlled anger.Ethan winced, his hands shaking slightly as he repeated himself. “The Henleys...they gave him the contract. It’s done.”For a moment, Derek said nothing. He just stood there, his body taut like a spring ready to snap. His mind raced, trying to process what he had just heard. It couldn’t be true.“No...no, you must be mistaken,” Derek said slowly, his voice rising. “How could they—after all the meetings, the promises—they gave it to him?”Ethan took a step back, as if preparing for the explosion he knew was coming. “I double-checked everything. The papers are signed. The deal’s finalized.”“No…” he whispered, shaking his head. “No, this can’t be
83Derek wasted no time after Ethan left. His hands trembled as he grabbed his phone from the desk, dialing the Henleys' company. He needed answers—how they had the audacity to hand his contract to that slimy bastard, Allvar.The phone rang twice before a cheerful voice greeted him, “Good afternoon, Henleys Corporation. How may I direct your call?”Derek clenched his jaw. “This is Derek Hawthorne. Put me through to Mr. Henley. Now.”There was a brief pause, the voice on the other end adopting a slightly cautious tone. “I’m afraid Mr. Henley is unavailable at the moment. Can I take a message?”Derek’s temper flared instantly. “A message? Do you even know who you're talking to? I don’t leave messages. I speak directly to Mr. Henley, or heads will roll.”The secretary hesitated, her tone still polite but firm. “I understand your urgency, Mr. Hawthorne, but Mr. Henley is currently in a meeting. I’m happy to let him know you called, and he can—”“You’re not listening to me,” Derek snapped,
84Allvar sat at his desk, the dim light from his lamp casting long shadows across the office. It was late—far later than he usually stayed—but there was still too much to do. The Henley deal, the fallout with Derek, and Marcus’s removal had left the company in a state of transition, and he wasn’t about to leave any loose ends.He rubbed his temples, glancing at the clock. Nearly 9 p.m. The rest of the office had long since emptied, leaving only the hum of the air conditioning and the quiet tapping of his keyboard to fill the silence.A soft knock on the door caught his attention. He looked up to see Clarabelle, his secretary, standing in the doorway. She was stunning, as always—her deep red hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, and her bright blue eyes sparkled even in the dull office light. She wore a fitted black pencil skirt that hugged her curves perfectly, paired with a white blouse, unbuttoned just enough to draw the eye but remain professional. Her high heels clicked so
85One hour later, Allvar finally decided it was time to call it a night. His eyes burned from staring at the computer screen for too long, and a long yawn escaped his lips."Uhhh," he groaned, rubbing his tired eyes. "I’ve had enough of this for one day."He stacked the papers neatly on his desk, glancing at the growing pile. "I’ll deal with you tomorrow," he muttered to himself, grabbing his briefcase and turning off the dim lamp.The quiet click of his office door shutting behind him echoed in the empty hallway as he made his way to the elevator. The building was eerily silent, but that didn’t bother him. In fact, he welcomed it."At least I can think in peace," Allvar whispered, pressing the elevator button. "Silence beats another day of phone calls and meetings."By the time he reached the underground parking lot, the weight of exhaustion was pressing down hard on him. He slid into the driver’s seat of his car and leaned back for a moment, resting his head against the headrest."
86Allvar’s mind raced. Who were they? And what did they want? He had enemies, sure. But no one would dare make such a blatant move against him, right?His phone buzzed in his pocket, snapping him out of his thoughts. He fumbled to retrieve it, hoping for a distraction, maybe a message or a call that would make this nightmare disappear. But when he saw the unknown number flashing on the screen, a sinking feeling set in.He hesitated before answering. "Hello?" His voice wavered, despite his attempt to sound composed.A cold, gravelly voice responded, dripping with menace. “Mr. Falck, it seems you’ve been playing a dangerous game.”Allvar’s heart dropped. “Who the hell is this?”The voice chuckled darkly. “Someone who doesn’t appreciate being underestimated."Allvar’s heart pounded in his chest as he gripped the phone tighter, the silence in his car thick and oppressive.“Who the hell is this?” His voice trembled despite his best efforts to keep it steady.A dark chuckle came from the o
87Allvar’s jaw clenched as the men encircled him, their cold stares pressing down like a pack of wolves cornering their prey. He could feel their eyes, but it was the bulky man standing directly in front of him—the leader—who held all of Allvar's focus. His sharp, calculating gaze never wavered, a cruel glint flickering behind his eyes.“You’ve made some poor choices,” the leader said, his voice disturbingly calm as if he were discussing the weather. “And now, you’re going to pay for them.”Allvar squared his shoulders, his pulse racing, but he forced himself to keep his tone steady. “I don’t know who you think you are,” he spat, “but you have no idea who you’re messing with.”The man raised an eyebrow, a mocking smirk tugging at his lips. “Oh, I know exactly who I’m messing with, Mr. Falck. It’s you who’s in the dark.”Allvar’s fists clenched at his sides, frustration boiling just beneath his skin. “What the hell do you want from me?” His voice was sharp, the anger barely contained.