2025-02-21 23:54:22
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THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE Sealed Deal
The evening's orange sun spilled through the sheer curtains of Vivienne’s lavish apartment the next day. It cast a beautiful golden glow across the pristine white furniture. Vivienne was draped in a silky black robe. She poured herself a glass of red wine, despite having too much to drink already. She was never one to follow conventional rules. She leaned against the marble counter of her open kitchen, glancing at the clock.Kristan should be here any moment.And, as if on cue, there was a knock on her door. A slow smirk curled across Vivienne’s lips as she walked gracefully to the door. She opened it, and saw the man she had been expecting.He stood there, tall and ridiculously good-looking. His muscular frame filled the doorway with ease. He had dark, piercing eyes and a smirk that could get a woman into trouble. And Vivienne had already been in trouble with him many times before.Kristan didn’t say anything at first. Instead, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her wais
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE Served
Kristan’s apartment was the complete opposite of Vivienne’s extravagant penthouse. Where Vivienne lived in a luxury apartment that screamed money, Kristan’s place was bare, practical, and very masculine. It smelled like his cologne—woody, rich, with a sharp manly scent that suited him perfectly.Vivienne stepped inside. Her heels were clicking softly against the hardwood floor. She glanced around and took in the minimalist decor as if she had never been there before. There was a black leather couch, a glass coffee table, a ridiculously large television that was mounted on the wall, and a stocked bar in the corner. There was no clutter or useless decorations. It was just the essentials. Like he was prepared to leave at a moment’s notice and had no attachment to the space. Given his line of work, it was understandable, but the lack of colour always made Vivienne complain.She smirked. “I thought you would have added some color to this monochrome by now, Kris.”Kristan smirked back. He w
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE False Witness
It didn’t take too long for Roman’s legal team to strike back. Within a few hours, they had drafted and filed a countersuit against the other members of the Averne family for defamation, false allegations, and emotional distress. They weren’t just going to sit back and defend. They were also going to fight. Lucian had been enjoying a peaceful afternoon in his study the next day when the knock came.It was sharp and urgent. Lucian wondered what the problem was and why the person was knocking like that. Lucian barely looked up from his desk. “Come in.”A butler stepped inside with a stiff expression.“Sir… there’s someone here to see you.”Lucian raised an eyebrow. “And?”The butler hesitated. “It’s a court official.”Lucian’s jaw ticked slightly. He sighed and closed the book he had been reading. “Let him in.”The bailiff entered and followed the butler to Lucian's study. He held a thick envelope in his gloved hands and extended it toward Lucian.“Lucian Averne?”Lucian didn’t even b
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE Test Ordered
A fake DNA test? Bold move. Even for them. Roman thought. Roman sat back in his chair with one leg casually crossed over the other, and watching the chaos unfold like it was someone else’s problem. He wasn’t surprised, he’d been expecting something ridiculous, but this was so off brand for his family that he almost admired the effort. Almost.Kade leaned in and muttered, “This is actually insane. They manufactured a fake DNA test?”“Looks like it,” Roman murmured back, eyes still on Kristan. “I wonder how much that cost them.”“Probably not as much as it cost them to hire him.”At the plaintiff’s table, Lucian was looking so satisfied, like a man who had just played a winning hand. He had one arm slung over the back of his chair and his usual scowl was replaced with smug amusement. Next to him, Soren and Alistair exchanged a quick amused glance. Eleanor calmly adjusted her notes before speaking. “Your Honor, we’d like to formally challenge the validity of the plaintiffs’ so-called
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE Two Positives
The day of the independent DNA test felt like the calm before a storm. Roman walked into the genetics lab with his hands in his pockets. Kade was right behind him. Eleanor had already arrived. She was flipping through some papers like this was just another Tuesday.On the other side of the room, Lucian and his entourage of frauds were already seated. Vivienne was pretending to be calm, but the way she kept tapping her nails against the table told a different story. Soren and Alistair sat with their arms crossed, wearing matching scowls. Evander, as usual, looked like he’d rather be anywhere else.And then, of course, there was Kristan. He sat there, looking as bored as ever.Lucian cleared his throat, forcing his usual fake authority into the room. “Let’s get this over with.” A doctor entered and pushed up her glasses as she scanned the room. She gave a polite nod. “We’ll be taking two samples from both individuals—one blood, one cheek swab. The results will be processed within twent
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE Mini Plan
The courtroom was a mess. After Eleanor had announced that she would contend against the results, everyone started murmuring again. Kristan’s DNA test had come back positive, and suddenly, there were two heirs. Two people were now legally tied to the Averne bloodline. Two people now had a claim to the company.Roman sat still. His expression was neutral, but his mind was moving at a hundred miles per hour. He wasn’t just going to take this ridiculous situation at face value.Beside him, Kade was seething. "This is bullshit." His voice was low, dangerous. "That dude isn’t you. He isn’t an Averne. If there was another heir, I would have been aware."Eleanor remained poised, but there was surprise in her eyes too. Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Lucian and Vivienne looked way too smug. Kristan just sat back and sighed like this was all a bother to him, still maintaining the nonchalant role he was given. They wanted to convince others through his body language that he had nothin
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE Micro Chip
Lucian summoned the family to his apartment after the small win at the court. They had more plans to make, now that the judge had decided to hold another court supervised test. Lucian’s apartment was filled with tension. The Averne family had gathered, and for the past hour, all they’d done was argue, complain, and stress themselves out over the same thing—how to stop the next DNA test. Because this time they would be screwed if the test actually goes through. They were lucky enough to manipulate the first test. They knew that they might not have the chance to manipulate this one since more strict measures would surely be enforced,Soren rubbed his temples. "We need a plan."Alistair scoffed. "Obviously."Vivienne let out a frustrated sigh. "If the court supervises the test at every step, Kristan will fail, and everything falls apart."Lucian, who had been pacing for the past twenty minutes, stopped and faced them. "Then we need to make sure the test never happens."Evander, who had
THE TRILLIONAIRE'S UNDERSTATED DOMINANCE Poisoned Fruit
After the court hearing that day, Roman called his legal team to his apartment. He leaned back against a couch in his living room and drummed his fingers lazily on the armrest. His legal team sat around him. They were all curious and concerned. Eleanor, as usual, was the first to speak."You called us here for something important," she said, crossing her legs and adjusting her glasses. "What is it?"Roman smirked. "Just a little something Kade and I put together." He gestured toward Kade, who was lounging on the opposite couch with an easy grin."Should I tell them, or do you want the honors?" Kade asked, tilting his head at Roman."You’re better at dramatic storytelling. Go ahead."Kade clapped his hands together. "Alright, so here’s the deal. We knew the Avernes were up to something shady, so I planted a little… let’s call it an ear on Vivienne.""A bug?" one of the lawyers asked, raising an eyebrow."Exactly," Kade confirmed. “That could have made the situation worse. They could
Latest Chapter
Preliminary
The conference room on the forty-second floor of the Valey tower was cold. There were no windows and no distractions. Pope sat perfectly still at the head of the table with his hands folded beneath his chin as he read through the printed schedule for tomorrow’s court hearing. Even though it was night already, his suit remained neatly pressed and unwrinkled, as if it had been made exactly for this moment. Dexter leaned back in his chair across him, while chewing on a toothpick and spinning a silver pen between his fingers. Prance sat beside him, scrolling on a tablet, and occasionally tapping out notes.At the far end of the table, Ezra Winfield was flipping through a tabbed binder, page by page. He was skimming but not rushing. Every tab was color-coded. Every section was marked. And his glasses rested low on his nose.“So,” Ezra said without looking up, “we’re first on the docket. Judge Hauser. 9:00 a.m sharp.”“Hauser’s a stickler,” Pope said. “I assume you’ve played this clean?”
Mediate
The house smelled like cinnamon tea and lavender polish. Freya had lit one of the scented candles again. Janice noticed it the moment she stepped into the kitchen. It was late afternoon. Marren was upstairs in Janice's guest room napping or reading something. Donald hadn’t shown up all day, and that was good as well. Janice preferred calm when she was collecting results.Freya sat at the counter, scrolling on her phone. She looked up when Janice walked in.Janice poured herself a cup of tea without asking. “So?”Freya blinked. “So what?”Janice glanced at her over the rim of the cup and blew softly on the steam. “Don’t be coy, Freya. You said you’d be near the cafe around noon. I assume you found him.”Freya shifted slightly on the stool, trying to look nonchalant. “I saw him briefly.”Janice sat across her in a perfect pose. “Briefly?”Freya nodded. “He was just sitting there alone. I said hi and we talked for a few minutes. That’s all.”Janice didn’t say anything for a few seconds.
Coincidence Or Planned
Roman did not sleep throughout that night. He had spent most of it sitting at the edge of his bed, watching the digital clock tick from hour to hour. At some point, he stood up to pour himself a drink he didn't even touch, then he laid down again for twenty minutes just to stare at the ceiling. There was no point in pretending anymore, rest was out of reach for him now. By six-thirty, he was already in the shower, letting the hot water drum across his back as though it could wash off the previous day. But it didn’t. No amount of water could scrub the words “you’ve been served” from his memory.And to be honest, Roman was not really ready for another legal war. It was a tiring exercise. And he was mad at himself for seeing the signs of the fraudulent activities of the Valeys, and choosing to look away. Was it really worth it?He shaved carefully, put on a navy-blue suit, and selected a black tie with a minimal pattern. It was his normal routine, but something about the way he knot
Scam Revealed
Roman was flipping through the updated contracts that Pope had brought in some days ago for the third time that morning, but his mind was playing catch-up. The documents were clean, and even though he had signed them, something in his instincts still bothered him.If only he listened to it. But he was soon about to see why he should have listened. His phone rang on the desk. He picked it up and looked at it. It was his legal rep for this partnership between him and the Valeys.Roman had asked him to check on his own copy of the contracts and see if anything was wrong anywhere. He answered. “Talk to me.”The man's voice was careful. His name was Martin. “Mr Averne… I have just finished reviewing the contract draft again — the final version you signed, that is — and yes, there is something that doesn’t add up.”Roman sat forward. “What is it?”“You remember the clause on capital and board control? Page seven, paragraph four. Well, the version you signed had a line that capped external
Get Close
Freya stared at her phone for what felt like the tenth time that morning.There was still no response from her sister. Only two messages that got no response. Freya angrily threw her phone on her bed, then immediately picked it back up and typed another message: "Can we talk? Please." Then she deleted it."She hates me," Freya said to no one, then she got ready and left for work. And as she had been doing lately, Annabel was in Roman's apartment. She was wrapped around a throw blanket on Roman’s couch, as the scent of roasted garlic drifted from the kitchen. Kade was flipping channels with a look of intense concentration, like someone disarming a bomb."Can we not just watch something normal?" Kade asked. "Just once?""Define normal. If your abnormal show is that show with the rich humans screaming about family secrets, I already know it ends in betrayal and brunch."Annabel chuckled distantly. They ate and moved to the room."You’re quiet," he said gently. She turned toward him. "
Practice Fail
By the time she got home, Freya didn’t bother closing the front door behind her. She also did not remove her shoes. She just went straight to Annabel’s room.“Annabel!” she called and pushed the door open. The room was empty. The bed was neatly made, and there was a lingering scent of Annabel's perfume in the air. Freya waited in the room, thinking that Annabel had just stepped into the bathroom, but she stood there for nothing. Annabel was not around. She brought out her phone to call Annabel.The phone rang three times, and yet Annabel did not answer. Freya tried again but Annabel still did not answer.“Come on, Ann,” she muttered impatiently. She was beginning to panic because she didn’t know how long this window would stay open. How long before Roman would finally leave her for that blonde lady. She had to warn her sister even though they were not on the best of terms now. Even though she had defended Roman in the presence of Janice and the others, while driving back home, she
Bad Ambush
What Annabel did not like about weekends was Janice's unnecessary visits. Most of all, the traditional gathering that took place every Sunday. She much preferred being at work or with Roman, than being around her own family now. But today was yet another Sunday, and she was at home — only minding her own business this time. Annabel was sitting in the living room and reading a novel when she heard the laughter before she even turned to see where it was coming from. They were light, soft giggles coming from the kitchen. It was clearly Janice’s voice, and unmistakably Freya’s own coming after. It was the kind of laughter that made Annabel's stomach turn, not because it was loud, but because of what it meant.She stood up to leave, but paused at the doorway. They hadn’t seen her yet.“…if love paid bills, half the women in the world would be billionaires,” Janice was saying as she rinsed a teacup. Her tone had that wicked sweetness that she always used when she wanted to sound clever.
More What Ifs
Two weeks after the campaign rollout, Roman welcomed the Valey brothers into his office once again. The three men were dressed like they had just won a lottery. Their suits looked better than the last time, their grins were wide, and Pope still carried that his exhausting air of confidence on his shoulders as he came in. Roman leaned back in his chair and offered a nod as they settled."Mr Averne," Pope greeted. His raspy voice sounded like sandpaper. He did not sound good at all. "Good to see you again."Roman smiled. That was his thing now — smiling through all of it. He wasn't even sure it was real anymore, but it worked. His investigations were coming out as inconclusive, which wasn't a bad sign, but was also not a good sign."The branding campaign's been rolled out, just as we planned," Dexter said as he dropped a thick portfolio on Roman's desk. He sat down. "People are talking about the anonymous identity. They are curious and confused, and we love it.""Good," Roman replied
Off Feeling
It was yet another Monday, another day for the Valeys to meet with Roman. And as usual, Roman was already in his office waiting for the arrival of the three brothers. Roman didn’t look up when Kade knocked and let the Valey brothers in. He knew they were the ones coming because their appointment was set for that time. He was behind his desk, finishing a cup of espresso that he had brewed himself that morning. He liked doing it himself now. Something about starting the day on his own terms made working go smoother most times. When the three men finally walked in, talking and smiling like they already closed the deal of the century, he slowly raised his head and gave them a casual look.“Good morning, gentlemen,” he said, gesturing toward the chairs across from him.“Morning, Mr Averne,” Dexter said as they took their seats. Prance carried a thin folder with him and Pope was holding his phone as if he was waiting for it to ring.Roman raised a brow. “I believe we were supposed to dis
