Victor raised an eyebrow but retained his composure. "Is that so? I was not aware women could lie like that, and people would still believe them.""It seems you have finally come to your senses!" Chloe said, banging on the desk. "With a single accusation, we can ruin your career! You will be fired from the Mayor's position, and the Cromwell family's reputation will be in the dust!"Victor nodded again. "It makes sense. What do you seek to achieve from such a fraud?"Daphne grinned from ear to ear. "If you don't want us to accuse you… Quickly type out our letters of joining as secretaries with double salaries. Moreover, we want a check for fifty thousand dollars each right now!""Oh, this sounds like blackmail," Victor said slowly. "And extortion. Which are both crimes."Chloe waved a dismissive hand. "Do you have any other option? Consider the money and job as compensation for us preserving your reputation and career. Fulfilling our demands would be better than going to prison, wouldn
What was Eva Atelier doing in the Mayor’s office? Why did she want to apply for the secretary position? Did she suspect anything?However, Eva’s body language and words did nothing to suggest she knew Victor’s real identity. He had to treat her like any other candidate and eventually get rid of her.“Take a seat.”“Thanks, sir.”“Your application says you are a fresh graduate from Carmine University. But you are a citizen of Springfield? Why did you go out of state to complete your education? Aren’t universities here not good enough?”Eva exuded confidence. “My parents shifted to Carmine City for business reasons, so I was bound to move with them. I had no choice but to enroll in a private university there. However, my heart was always in Springfield, and it always will be…”Something was left unsaid in her words. Was she referring to the late Victor Damone?“Alright. But it appears you are a fresher with no experience. Why should I hire you for a work profile that demands knowledge o
Victor paused for an extended moment before giving in. “You know… One day, my enemies are going to abduct you and use you as a radar to find me.”Eva wiped her tears on his coat and giggled like a child. “If your enemies exploit me to find you, they will be very successful!”She punched him repeatedly in the chest. “Do you know what I went through after hearing about your death? The world means nothing to me without you!”Victor chuckled and pried the girl off himself. “Alright. Alright. Now that I am back… Tell me… How did you realize I am Victor Damone and not Victor Cromwell? I need to know to prevent others from figuring out my identity.”Eva bit her lip and rolled her eyes, pretending to go into reflection.“Hmph. Are we going to completely ignore the fact that you possess the supernatural ability to change your appearance? It’s definitely not plastic surgery or any medical technology or theatrics. It’s something out of an urban fantasy novel! First, tell me how you are alive. I
Springfield City Hall was bustling with crowds from all over the city. It was noon already; the time for candidates to file nominations for the Mayor elections had arrived.The event hall was under tight military security with stringent measures—snipers on rooftops, body scanners, undercover soldiers, and armed security guards. The authorities were wary after the Springfield Beach invasion. Moreover, criminal groups like Monolith used bomb threats as their modus operandi. City Hall had been turned into a military fortress.Citizens of Springfield had gathered to see which eminent personalities would file nominations for the Mayor elections. Despite terrorist attacks, the city was raking in billions of dollars in revenue because of the Rapids Project's expansion. The future Mayor would be one of the country's most powerful individuals. They would be given charge of a complete army battalion to guard the city.The morning news reported that every major billionaire conglomerate had chose
Victor’s unexpected arrival and ambitious declaration got the audience buzzing with gossip. His entry into the fray completely changed the equation.“Will the Cromwell Prince be our next Mayor?”“He’s so handsome…”“Wasn’t he in the army? Is he a military surrogate?”“No way! Someone from the royal family wants to be our Mayor?”“Who’s the hot chick beside him?”“The others are pedestrians when compared to Victor!”General Lance Baker looked puzzled and was further disturbed by the raucous public gossip. He needed to get the situation under control.Lance left the registration desk and approached Victor. “Is this a joke?” he asked, out of the earshot of others. “Have you forgotten our agreement, Victor? You were supposed to manage Springfield until a Mayor was elected legally. That’s it! Why do you want to contest for the position?”Victor’s expression was one of icy composure. “I intend to keep that promise, General. The city will have a legally elected mayor—me.”Lance pursed his li
Courtney Blackwell was a lieutenant of Monolith, the international terrorist group that invaded Springfield and brought about thousands of deaths! She orchestrated pinpointed attacks and butchered several billionaire families in the city at their behest.Carol had worked hard to spread her eyewitness accounts to the police and the public. This included a press conference about her experiences during the invasion.Moreover, Courtney abducted the Atelier family and forced Carol to leak information about the newly discovered Thanatos mines. The Blackwell heiress was equally responsible for Victor's death! She even planted a time bomb on Carol before leaving her to die.How dare she set foot in Springfield again?Carol raced towards the advancing Blackwell family group and blocked their path. She stood straight in line before Courtney.Her lips quivered, her face twisted in a grimace, and she pointed an accusatory finger when she spoke. "How dare you show your face in this city again?! Mu
Victor Cromwell raised an eyebrow. Carol furrowed her brows, wondering if she had offended the new Mayor. What was she thinking asking such a weird question?"I don't remember meeting you before today, Miss Atelier…" Victor replied firmly. Even though his words were straightforward, intoxicating charm exuded from him."Are you okay?" he added, watching her shift uncomfortably."I'm sorry, never mind me. I just felt like I met you somewhere before—some sort of déjà vu. But please, no formalities. You can call me Carol."Victor nodded with grace. "I understand, Carol. You just had a long day. Have a rest. The election season ahead will be nerve-wracking. Moreover, I assume you're expecting.""You can tell? It's been only a few weeks! Don't tell me I'm getting fat already!"Victor shook his head with amusement. "No, of course not. I was in the intelligence wing of the army. They taught us a few tricks."Carol raised her eyes and scrutinized Victor. She wondered about his objectives for c
“What?” Eva asked in disbelief. “Are you sure?”“Absolutely certain.”The girl stared at the infant quizzically. Then, her eyes searched for Sophia frantically. What was going on?“But… But… Sophia said… You slept with her… And she had the baby… She submitted the paternity test as proof…”Victor nodded. “Fake paternity tests would be easy to procure for a doctor of her influence and renown. About sleeping with Sophia… I wouldn’t say I didn’t have sex with her. It’s just that I don’t remember.”Eva looked more confused than before.“These matters are separate,” the man added. “All I told you was that this particular baby isn’t mine. If it were, my senses would recognize it.”Eva rubbed her forehead, trying to understand Victor’s words. “My head is really muddled now. You say you probably slept with Sophia but are confident the baby isn’t yours? How does that work?”Victor led Eva away from the crowd and found a private corner table. He handed her a glass of wine.“You don’t need to get