Carol wanted to show everyone that she didn't need protection or care. Part of her believed that if she earned well and cultivated enough clout, Victor would eventually come back to her. However, now she realized it was a pipe dream, and she had been delusional. Victor never loved her in the first place. He married her to fulfill Edgar Damone's wishes. Even after months of living together, they had failed to consummate their marriage or even develop feelings of true love. If they did, Victor wouldn't be frolicking with beautiful women every chance he got.Initially, Carol blamed herself and their financial situation for their marriage woes. But now she had more clarity. All the man wanted was the company of multiple women, and he did not even bother to hide his relationships. Now that he was liberated from marriage, his true colors had resurfaced."You have changed, Carol," Victor said, disrupting her thoughts. "Keep it up, and you may reach your full potential one day. The only obsta
Damien was a dashing man, over six feet tall, boyishly handsome, yet had a powerful masculine aura. He was dressed in a casual designer suit, tailored by Calvin Klein himself, priced over fifty thousand dollars. Damien was muscular yet athletic, a characteristic of seasoned martial artists. His presence was calming and also intimidating.“Damien…” Carol mumbled, rising from her feet slowly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. You didn’t have to come all the way up here. You could have called.” “The pleasure is all mine, Carol,” he replied with a charming smile.“Thanks for the new villa in Prince County. My parents and brother were delighted.”The handsome man nodded at her and motioned her to sit. “It wasn’t any trouble. Anything for my future wife.”Carol lowered her eyes. She still couldn’t believe that she was going to be engaged again soon. Was it too late to back off? “Don’t be so uncomfortable,” Damien said, interlocking his fingers. “We’ll gradually get to know each other better.
Carol sat down and nodded. She had challenged Rose the previous day but had no idea how she’d make it happen. “But how?”Damien’s smirk widened, “Within a few hours, a scandalous video will be leaked on the internet. It will also be sent to local news channels.” “What video are you talking about?”“The video will contain proof of illegal activities going on in several resorts built and managed by Rose Atelier’s company. It will destroy her.”“May I ask what is on the video? And how did we obtain it?”Damien waved a dismissive hand and rose to his feet. “You’ll know when it arrives. Don’t worry about the how; focus on the when. Be prepared to give a scathing interview to news channels once the video is leaked.”Carol nodded. If Rose was doing something illegal, and Damien had proof to back it up, it would be the perfect plan to take her down.“I’ll see you again soon,” Damien said, turning to leave. “The ambassador funds will be sent to you within an hour. Don’t disappoint me.”He wink
Tristar Entertainment’s new head office was in Crawford Square, the most happening area of Springfield. Haley B had acquired the building at a whopping eighty million dollars! Crawford Square had all the major film studios, actor and writer guilds, TV studios, model agencies, media houses, and so on. In other words, it was the Hollywood of the state. Haley B had purchased an entire building for Tristar Entertainment’s head office, shifting most of her staff to Springfield. This came as a surprise to Victor, as she had informed him only about opening a new branch. He wondered why she would shift her entire company to the city.Victor reached Tristar on his bike and parked a few blocks away. The main entrance looked resplendent, designed like an opera gateway with a semi-circular fence to contain Haley’s fans and the paparazzi. A queue of beautiful girls slowly progressed through the double doors one by one. They nervously showed their audition and identification papers to the manage
“You don’t know him, Julia,” Lara said. “He’s a really pathetic man with no prospects.”“Don’t be mean, Lara,” Julia replied. “We should extend some minimum respect to everyone, no matter their job. Haven’t you read the Vision and Objectives of Tristar Entertainment? It talks about equality and mutual respect.”“Bullshit!” Lara barked. “Only money and influence matter in this world. I’ll become the lead actress in a Tristar movie soon. You can keep blabbering your principles on the streets.”The other girls also nodded and murmured their agreement with Lara and trolled Julia for being too holier-than-thou. Victor eyed her with intrigue. In this sea of toxic, self-centered beauties, there was one who was sensible and kind.Suddenly, the fan crowd began hooting, and the paparazzi converged on an incoming limousine. Amidst bright camera flashes and loud fan cheers, Haley B stepped out of her car. She was dressed in a flowing golden dress, accentuating her heavenly figure.The fans went wi
Rose entered Haley's room and offered a warm smile. She was dressed in a conservative pencil skirt and a sweater. Yet, she looked quite appealing to the eyes. Haley mistook her for Carol because of the resemblance. Why had Carol returned with a wardrobe change? The celebrity was about to voice her concerns when Rose approached and greeted her formally.Haley immediately realized how different she was. The girl was likely an inch shorter, and there was something different about her eyes. They were determined and yet respectful, very different from Carol's glassy eyes. She was definitely not Carol."Hi, Miss Haley," she said. "I'm Rose, the Chairperson of Honey Resorts. Thanks for this opportunity."The celebrity nodded and asked her to take a seat opposite her. "Are you related to Carol somehow?"Rose nodded with a smile. "I get that a lot. Carol and I are twins, but I was adopted by our uncle.""I see. Tell me why you wanted to meet."The beauty fidgeted, but her voice was unwavering.
Was the Director a multi-billionaire from abroad? He must be really influential to be allowed to decide on Haley B's behalf. The celebrity never let ordinary people get close to her.Currying favor with the Director of Tristar would go a long way in every actress' career. Therefore, the beautiful models looked forward to meeting him.The elevator descended from the fourth floor, and they gathered around, expecting the Director. As the door hissed open, the girls giggled in excitement. A tall man walked out, his shoes tapping loudly against the marble floor. It was Victor. The crowd parted as he made his way toward the front of the hall. A loud murmur rose among the candidates."Who the hell is he?""We were expecting the Director of Tristar. This guy looks ordinarily dressed.""Is he a janitor?""Is he an intruder?""Someone please inform Miss Meghan about this man."Lara spotted Victor and rushed towards him."Victor! What are you doing here?" Lara snapped."Who gave you permission
Julia was in seventh heaven. Her lifelong dream had come true. Tristar Entertainment had recognized her talent, and Haley B would launch her in a big-budget movie! Finally, after years of hard work and sacrifice, she was on the path to celebrity status. After Victor and Haley left, many of the rejected candidates approached Julia and sucked up to her. If you couldn't become a celebrity, joining a future celebrity's entourage was wise. Julia promised the rejects that she would never forget them.The beauty had to go through an hour-long orientation from the Tristar Entertainment staff before leaving. She returned to the audition hall to find that everybody else had left. The candidates had been evacuated through a backdoor exit to avoid the media.Julia sighed and headed towards the main exit. "Mom, I got the big break!" she texted on her phone and walked out the hall's double doors.Outside, a young woman greeted her with a smile. It was none other than Daphne. She had been waiting ou
Victor checked the time on his Cartier watch. It was a Valentine's gift from Eva. He wondered what she'd be doing right now—probably still awake, waiting for her lover. Even though the duo were intimate just a few hours ago, he already missed her warm, slender body., and her naughty smile.Victor had spent all night hunting down criminals—drug peddlers, child traffickers, rapists, and burglars. They were petty offenders but still made Springfield unsafe. He would be back home already if he hadn't followed Kate to the abandoned asylum."First things first, Raven," Victor began. "Why did you call me a monster? What was that uncalled-for outburst all about?"Kate crossed her arms and gave him a quizzical look. Did Roadkill seriously not know? Was the psychopath clueless about his own murderous tendencies?"I will not fall for that," she replied defensively. "You're trying to find whether I have gathered any evidence to incriminate your brutalities. Once you know everything, it will be co
Kate's grip loosened a bit on her knives. Did the stranger say he was Roadkill? Why was the name so familiar? A moment's reflection brought back her doubts and anxiety.Of course! The poster vigilante, Roadkill! He was so popular among the youth that cosplayers dressed up as him in comic-con. Teen girls loved him so much they got the tattoo 'R' over objectionable parts of their bodies. There were steaks and drinks named after him!Kate ground her teeth in disgust. The Raven used to be Springfield citizens' poster heroine and sole protectress. That ended when Roadkill arrived. However, the female vigilante wasn't really upset that he stole the limelight from her. She was more disturbed by how he did it.Kate went through the newspaper articles, online blogs, and witness reports of cases in which Roadkill was involved. Even though the police department publicly denounced him, they made no attempts to curb his vigilante activities. On the other hand, the Raven was painted as a hobbyist a
Kate jumped from rooftop to rooftop undetected in the darkness, her beastly green eyes glowing in the night. She was light as a feather and agile like a feline. She used parkour moves, advanced gymnastics, and physical resilience to traverse buildings.Kate was trying to put some distance between herself and the crime scene she had recently visited. Less than ten minutes later, she found a group of drunkards harassing an innocent lady. The latter was returning from shopping and somehow missed the curfew time.The villainous group ambushed her in an alley and surrounded her. After robbing the lady of her belongings, they went too far. Inebriated and stoned, they attempted to tear off her clothes and rape her.Luckily, Kate heard her cries and jumped down from the building for a rescue. She offered no warning to the perpetrators. Her powerful chops, jabs, and slams floored them in a minute. The end result was that the men needed hospitalization to survive.After making an anonymous call
Clearly unsettled, Eva tried to get up from the bed. But she failed because her legs and arms were bound. The young woman had been stripped and made to wear a hospital gown.What was going on? Didn’t she lose consciousness in the restaurant? Where the hell did they bring her? Or was she asleep, having a nightmare?Eva heard a few voices talking but couldn’t recognize them.“The fresh specimen has a bun in the oven, sir…”“What? Is the woman pregnant? Now, that sounds like good news. We can have both her grey matter and her uterus. Jackpot!”Eva’s heart froze in horror. What nonsense were the strangers blabbering? Then, the realization hit her. She had been abducted!“Where am I?” Eva called out to the voices. “What’s going on here? Answer me! I am the Mayor’s executive assistant! You guys are in a lot of trouble! The military police will barge in at any moment and gun you down!”Eva heard footsteps. Moments later, three smiling faces loomed over her. “Ah, the specimen is awake,” a mid
Eva stopped eating her food and stared at the young man. He looked innocent, probably fresh out of high school, a college freshman. Was he a fan of Victor Cromwell?“How did you know it was me?” she asked apprehensively.“Please don’t be alarmed, ma’am,” he replied, joining his hands. “I am George. I am actually a big admirer of Mr. Victor Cromwell and the wonderful work he has been doing for Springfield. You’re always by his side in meetings, conferences, and photo ops. Therefore, it isn’t irregular for commoners like us to recognize you.”Eva was still unconvinced. “You are a fan of Victor’s work? Are you okay with military rule? Most of the city appears to be against it.”“Yes, of course they are against it!” George exclaimed. “Governments rise and fall all the time. Governance styles also change. Springfield is becoming a military-industrial complex, and people must get with the times.”Eva nodded, reassured that the boy was a modern arts student, an idealist. Why else would he tr
Eva Atelier stepped out of the shower, looking resplendent. She wore only a white bathrobe and smelled of lavender and honey. The beauty just had a long, warm, and luxurious shower. However, the timing could have been better since it was past midnight.Victor had gone out after an hour-long lovemaking session, leaving her yearning for a thorough cleansing. Perhaps he would return soon, and they could go at it again. She was already horny thinking about her man.Victor usually disappeared every night and returned before dawn. Eva never asked him about his whereabouts. She assumed he was meeting important people and hatching plans for Springfield's betterment. The girl equated herself with a superhero's girlfriend, never disturbing his high-stakes, clandestine nightlife.It had been a month since Eva started living with Victor at the Mayor's mansion. It was now public knowledge that the two were dating. The media picked up the news on the first day and played it until the entire city kn
Haley B stumbled out of a high-end liquor store with a vodka bottle in her hand. She was clearly inebriated. The young, beautiful celebrity had fallen off the wagon and had been drinking every day since Victor died.Haley B had postponed all her movie and concert schedules indefinitely and wasn't accepting any more offers. All she wanted to do was bury her sorrows in alcohol. When her media team tried to convince her otherwise, she fired them.At the moment, with a liquor bottle in hand, and wearing a loose hoodie and track pants, Haley was in disguise. If the paparazzi found her intoxicated, she would be on national news, and the internet would break. Not that she cared much about her celebrity status anymore.Haley looked around at the pedestrians and drunkard crowds. Nobody gave her a second look. People probably thought she was a homeless woman.Her Mercedes stood outside with a chauffeur and two guards. Haley eyed them from a distance with blurry vision. Indeed, she had had a lot
Dear Readers, Thanks for staying with the story this far. You're all awesome. I have tested your patience with slow updates and such tests will be less frequent in the future. About the story: The Invasion Arc ends with the last chapter. It will be followed by the Dark City Arc, that will introduce new characters and spring many more twists. Victor Damone is now Victor Cromwell, the legal heir of a royal family. However, escaping his past won't be as easy as he thought. Let's see how the Peerless Man deals with the upcoming dangers. Stay tuned!
Victor recognized the vigilante named Roadkill because he was, in fact, Roadkill. When he first arrived in Springfield as Victor Cromwell, he immediately noticed the societal change. People were bolder, more outspoken, and political. On the other hand, something was uncanny about the steep rise of both crime and criminals.Even after the military boosted security and restored the economy, public order continued to worsen. It meant certain forces were actively inciting crimes. Robberies, burglaries, and murders were frequent.As soon as the sun set, a hush fell over the city. People were scared to go outdoors in the dark. Anti-social elements hung out in the alleys. Drugs, smuggling, and trafficking were at an all-time high. It was dangerous for women and children to go out alone after dusk.Victor decided to take matters into his own hands. He walked the streets and alleys himself to investigate the cause of this anomaly. Since he couldn't publicly reveal his identity and face, he dis