14Uncle Tom stumbled, trying to gather himself. "B-but I—"The woman, now standing just a few feet away from Allvar, spoke again, her voice like ice. "Release him. Now."Without hesitation, the chief barked, "Get those cuffs off him, immediately!"Uncle Tom fumbled with the keys, his hands shaking so badly he could barely fit the key into the lock. The crowd watched in silence, everyone too stunned to speak. Even Serena's boyfriend, who had been smug and arrogant moments before, now looked like he was ready to melt into the floor.As the cuffs clattered to the ground, Allvar flexed his wrists, wincing at the red marks left behind. He looked up at the woman, who nodded slightly in acknowledgment but didn’t say a word to him.Serena, who had been watching wide-eyed from the sidelines, finally found her voice. "I... I didn’t mean for things to go this far," she stammered, her voice small and trembling.The woman turned to her, her gaze chilling. "You didn’t stop it either," she said sim
15As the woman led Allvar out of the bar, whispers quickly spread through the crowd, barely waiting for the door to close behind them.Serena’s boyfriend, Derek, was the first to speak, his voice dripping with amusement. “Well, well, well… looks like our boy Allvar just got himself a sugar mama.”The crowd, still tense from the earlier chaos, let out a few nervous chuckles. Serena, arms crossed and glaring at the door Allvar had just walked out of, sneered. “He always did have a knack for landing on his feet with women. Guess he’s downgraded to being a gigolo now.”Mikel, who had been standing by, shook his head at the absurdity of it all. “Come on, guys. You don’t even know who she is. You’re jumping to conclusions.”Derek rolled his eyes, smirking. “Oh, please. A woman like that doesn’t just walk into a bar and drag some nobody out of trouble for free. You really think she’s doing it out of the kindness of her heart?”Another guy from the crowd chimed in, nudging his friend. “Bet h
16One hour later, *In the Hawthorne mansion*Derek slammed the door behind him, his face flushed with anger. His fists clenched as he stormed into the living room, barely noticing the expensive furniture around him. The house was silent, but his rage filled the space."This is unbelievable!" Derek growled, pacing back and forth. "He was supposed to be in jail! Allvar was supposed to be finished!"Derek paced the room, his anger simmering beneath the surface. His fists clenched, his breathing shallow as he struggled to control the frustration boiling within him."Fuck it!" he muttered, barely noticing the sharp creak of the door opening behind him.Victor, his father, stepped in, the older man’s presence immediately commanding attention. His graying hair and impeccable suit were symbols of authority, but the coldness in his eyes was what truly unsettled Derek. He had heard what happened.“Do you realize what kind of mess you’ve made, Derek?” Victor’s voice was calm, but there
17Derek grinned, pacing again but with a lighter step. "Are you serious? That fast?""Yep," Serena confirmed. "You should check your social media. The post has blown up—tons of comments, likes, everything. They’re all talking about him and that woman. You’re a genius for pushing this story."Derek’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "I knew it would work. He’s going to be finished after this.""Oh, he’s done," Serena laughed. "Nobody’s going to take him seriously after this. They’ll think he’s just some pathetic conman. It’s perfect."Derek couldn’t contain his excitement any longer. "I’ll check it now. This is exactly what we needed.""Glad I could help," Serena purred. "Consider it a little bonus for being such a good boyfriend."As Derek hung up, a smug grin spread across his face. He quickly opened his social media, his eyes scanning the posts that were flooding in. Sure enough, the post Serena had made was everywhere. People he barely knew were commenting, sharing, and adding thei
18Eleanor’s expression shifted, a flicker of anger crossing her face. "What do you mean rejected? What happened?"Allvar took a deep breath, still trying to grasp the reality of the situation. "I had an interview for an entry-level position. They were dismissive, rude... I felt like they just wanted to tear me apart. They kept mocking my appearance and belittling my experience."Eleanor's jaw tightened. "I can’t believe this. Who were the interviewers? They have no idea what they’re doing if they treated you like that. This is unacceptable." Her voice had taken on a fierce edge, and Allvar could sense the power radiating from her."It was a panel," Allvar explained. "The man in the center—he acted like I was just wasting his time. He said I didn’t have the grit for the job because I couldn’t afford a decent suit.""That’s outrageous!" Eleanor exclaimed, her eyes blazing. "I will find out who gave that order and severely punish them. You don’t deserve to be treated like that, especial
19They all turned and striding toward them was Eleanor Westwood herself, the CEO of Waterfall Corporation. Her presence was like a storm rolling in—calm, powerful, and intimidating all at once.Marcus froze, the color draining from his face. "Ms. Westwood," he stammered, his confident demeanor faltering. "I—uh—this... This young man was causing a disturbance. I was just handling it."Eleanor’s sharp eyes flicked between Marcus and Allvar. "Causing a disturbance?" Her voice was icy, her gaze settling on Marcus with thinly veiled contempt. "Mr. Falck is here as my guest."Allvar felt a wave of relief wash over him as Eleanor stepped between him and the guards. She looked at Marcus with a steely gaze that could cut through iron. "Tell me, Marcus," she continued, her tone dangerously low, "since when do you have the authority to decide who enters this building? Because last time I checked, that’s my decision."Marcus swallowed, trying to regain his composure. "I... I didn’t realize he wa
20The guards hesitated for a moment before stepping forward. Marcus recoiled, holding up his hands as if to ward them off. "Wait, please! This is all a misunderstanding! You can’t do this to me!""Actually, I can," Eleanor said coldly, turning away from him. "And I just did."Marcus’s protests faded into the background as the guards grabbed him by the arms and began to drag him toward the exit. He struggled for a moment but quickly realized it was futile. His final words were a mix of desperate pleas and angry curses, but no one listened.When the lobby was finally quiet again, Eleanor faced Allvar, her demeanor softening just a fraction. "I’m sorry you had to witness that," she said, her voice much gentler now. "Marcus was out of line, and I won’t tolerate that kind of behavior in this company."Allvar, still processing everything that had just happened, nodded slowly. "Thank you for standing up for me. I didn’t expect...""You didn’t expect to be treated like a human being?" Eleano
21At that moment, Claire refreshed the page on her phone and let out a sharp gasp."Ms. Westwood, the post… it’s gone," she said, holding the phone up for Eleanor to see.Eleanor, who had been pacing furiously, stopped in her tracks. "What do you mean, gone?""The post. It’s been deleted," Claire explained, her voice laced with confusion. "I just checked again, and it’s no longer there."Allvar, who had been standing tensely, let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. "Well, that’s something, at least. But it doesn't explain who’s behind this in the first place."Eleanor narrowed her eyes, taking the phone from Claire to see for herself. Sure enough, the incriminating post had vanished without a trace. "This doesn’t make any sense," she muttered, handing the phone back. "Things don’t just disappear like that unless someone’s pulling strings."Suddenly, Allvar’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He frowned, pulling it