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.
88“I warned you,” the leader hissed, his tone cold and dangerous. “You don’t get to make the rules here, Falck.”Allvar straightened, though every muscle in his body screamed in protest. “Enough with the games,” he bit out, glaring at the man in front of him. “This has gone on long enough.”The men surrounding him erupted into laughter, their mocking voices filling the night air.“Oh, now he thinks he’s calling the shots!” one of them taunted, his laughter cutting like a knife.“Yeah, all of a sudden, he’s in charge!” another chimed in, shaking his head in disbelief.The leader’s eyes gleamed with sadistic delight as he watched Allvar struggle to maintain his defiance. “You’ve got spirit,” he admitted, “but you’re still going to do as I say.”Allvar wiped the blood from his mouth, his gaze burning with hatred. He knew he was outnumbered, but there was no way he was going to let them see him break.“You think you’ve won?” he snarled, his voice low and venomous. “This isn’t over.”The
89Allvar smirked, rolling his shoulders as he approached, eyes gleaming with amusement. “Funny, I was just about to say the same to you.”The last two thugs exchanged nervous glances, clearly shaken by how quickly the tide had turned. One of them swallowed hard, his voice shaky as he shouted, “He’s a freakin’ fighter! How the hell are we supposed to take him down?”“Maybe if you all attacked at once, you’d stand a chance,” Allvar taunted, his voice low and dripping with danger. He tilted his head slightly, daring them to make a move. “But then again, maybe not.”The leader’s face twisted in frustration as he barked, “Stop standing around like idiots! Take him down! Now!”The two remaining men hesitated for a split second, exchanging one more glance before rushing at Allvar. The first swung wildly, fists flying, but Allvar was ready. He ducked under the punch with ease, his lips curling in a smirk, and delivered a brutal uppercut to the thug’s chin.The sound of bone cracking was unmi