94“Sort of.” Allvar shrugged. “Look, some guys tried to rough me up. They didn’t succeed.”Mr. Lorentz’s expression hardened. “And you think that’s something to laugh about? You should’ve reported this to the authorities—or at the very least, to your father. You are not some... nobody off the streets. You’re the heir to the Falck empire.”Allvar exhaled sharply, trying to maintain his patience. “I know who I am, Mr. Lorentz. And I know how to handle myself. There’s no need to bother my father with every little thing.”“Every little thing?” Mr. Lorentz’s tone sharpened. “You look like you’ve just crawled out of a street fight, young master. This isn’t a little thing. What if something worse had happened?”“It didn’t,” Allvar insisted, his voice steady. “I’m fine. And it’s over.”The butler’s eyes narrowed even further. “You say that now, but if those men had connections—if this was more than just some random attack—”“I said I’ll handle it,” Allvar cut him off, his tone firm. “There’s
95Derek swallowed hard, his heart racing. "I won’t do anything stupid, Father," he said, his voice carefully measured.Victor stopped in his tracks and turned, narrowing his eyes. “You’ve already done something, haven’t you?”Derek froze, his throat tightening as he forced a casual shrug. "No, of course not."Victor’s gaze sharpened, his cold blue eyes boring into Derek’s. He stepped closer, his presence looming. “You better not be lying to me, Derek. The last time you acted without thinking, you almost ruined everything. I need you to be smarter than that."Derek’s palms started sweating. "I know, Father. I haven’t done anything reckless this time. I promise."Victor’s brow furrowed. “Promises don’t mean much when you’ve already broken them so many times.”Derek shifted on his feet, trying to hold his composure. "I won’t make the same mistake again. I’ve learned from it."Victor wasn’t convinced. “What exactly have you learned, Derek? That you can’t just throw your weight around wit
96Victor continued, his voice lowering, though the anger still simmered beneath his words. “You have to outthink him, not outfight him. That’s how we’ll win. If you keep acting rashly, we’ll both end up buried under your mistakes.”Derek nodded, trying to keep the rising dread from showing on his face. “I won’t act without thinking, Father. I’ve got it under control.”Victor stared at him for a long moment before turning away, gripping the edge of his desk. “No more reckless moves. The next time we strike, it has to be decisive. There’s no room for error."“I understand,” Derek murmured again, though his heart was pounding in his chest. He couldn’t go back now. He had to see this through, even if it meant defying his father.Victor gave him one last sharp glance, his voice heavy with warning. “Don’t disappoint me, Derek.”“I won’t, Father,” Derek replied, his voice firmer now, though unease gnawed at him from within.Victor lingered for a moment, eyeing his son with a mixture of doub
97“Nothing?” Victor’s brow arched skeptically, his gaze sharp and unforgiving. “You call that nothing? You’re shaking like a damn leaf, boy.”Derek forced a laugh, though it came out strained. "Just a little on edge. I didn’t hear you come in."Victor’s expression darkened. He stepped closer, his towering presence making Derek feel even smaller. "Don’t give me that crap. You’ve been acting strange ever since we talked. What’s going on?"Derek opened his mouth, then closed it, scrambling to come up with something convincing. "Just... a lot on my mind lately," he said quickly, hoping the excuse would be enough.Victor wasn’t having it. He crossed his arms, his eyes drilling into Derek. "A lot on your mind?" he echoed mockingly. "What exactly is it you’ve got on your mind, Derek? And it better not be something stupid. Because I swear to God, if I find out you’ve been up to something behind my back again—""No!" Derek cut in, his voice rising in panic. "I haven’t, I swear. I wouldn’t—"V
98 The unspoken threat hung in the air like a noose tightening around Derek’s neck. He swallowed hard, but his mind was still elsewhere—on the call from the thug, the one loose end he couldn’t afford right now. "You’re zoning out again, aren’t you?" Victor’s voice cut through his thoughts like a whip. "No, I’m listening—" Derek started, but before he could finish, his father’s hand shot forward, nearly striking him across the face. He flinched, stumbling back, his heart hammering in his chest. "Do not zone out when I’m talking to you!" Victor barked, his voice filled with the kind of rage that Derek had grown used to but never comfortable with. "This party is crucial, Derek. I don’t need you standing there like an idiot, daydreaming." Derek rubbed the back of his neck, forcing himself to focus. "I wasn’t daydreaming. I just have a lot on my mind." "A lot on your mind?" Victor repeated, his tone dripping with disdain. "What could you possibly have on your mind that’s more im
99The next few days were a blur of anxiety for Derek. The thug's calls became more frequent, each one more insistent than the last. He ignored them at first, hoping they'd stop on their own. But the constant buzzing of his phone was both an annoyance and a looming threat. Every time his phone lit up, his pulse quickened.By the third day, Derek couldn’t take it anymore. He picked up the phone, glaring at the unknown number flashing across the screen. His thumb hovered over the "Answer" button, but he hesitated. “What do they want?” he muttered, pacing the length of his office. “I’ve already paid them what they asked for. Why the hell are they still calling?”He considered asking Ethan for advice but quickly dismissed the idea. The less anyone knew about this, the better. He was in deep enough already. Derek eyed his phone like a snake poised to strike. Just as he was about to silence the device for the tenth time, it rang again. This time, the name of the thug’s contact appeared: “H
100“Derek, finally,” Ethan sighed in relief. “I’ve been trying to reach you. How are you holding up?”“How do you think I’m doing, Ethan?” Derek snapped, his tone harsh. “Do I sound like I’m okay?”Ethan hesitated on the other end, his voice careful. “Look, I know things have been rough lately. I just wanted to check in, see if you were doing alright.”Derek’s laugh was bitter, laced with sarcasm. “Doing alright? Does it look like I’m doing alright? I’ve got a mess of a situation on my hands, thanks to Allvar.”Ethan tried to steer the conversation into calmer waters. “I get it, man, I really do. But you’ve been on edge for days. Maybe... maybe it’s time to consider going back to the university. Finish what you started.”Derek sat up, his eyes narrowing at the mention of the university. “What the hell are you talking about?” he snapped. “Why would I go back there?”Infact, Derek didn't finish the university like allvar. He was still there with Serena. He just had the opportunity that
101Ethan’s voice trembled as he pressed Derek again. "What have you done?"Derek’s lips curled into a cold smile as he leaned back in his chair, his voice unnervingly calm. "Nothing you need to worry about.""Come on, Derek. I know you. That laugh wasn’t normal." Ethan’s voice grew tense. "You’re in deep, aren’t you? You didn’t get involved with someone dangerous, did you?"Derek’s eyes flashed, his tone dropping low. "Let’s just say Allvar won’t be walking around so smug for a while."Ethan’s heart sank. "What does that mean? What did you do?""Allvar got what was coming to him. Every punch was well-deserved," Derek growled, his jaw tightening as he imagined the thug’s fists smashing into Allvar’s face. The memory made him smile again, dark and twisted."Derek, this could backfire! You don’t know who you’re dealing with. These people—" Ethan’s voice was frantic now, barely able to hide his fear."I’ve got it under control," Derek interrupted, brushing him off. "Allvar’s finally payi