As Ruby stared at the damning footage, her stomach churned with betrayal and disgust. Sarah, a woman she had trusted, had been working against her this whole time, feeding information to Derrick."How could she?" Ruby whispered, the words burning in her throat. "How could she betray me like this?"The rage began to build inside her, a dark, pulsing energy that threatened to consume her. She had been so blind, so trusting, and now she had paid the price.With a trembling hand, she picked up her phone and dialed Alan's number.The phone rang once, twice, three times before her manager picked up. "Ma'am, is everything alright?" he asked, his voice full of concern."No, everything is not alright," Ruby growled, her voice low and dangerous. "I found out who planted the bug in my office.""Who?" He asked, his voice taut with anticipation."Sarah," Ruby spat, her fury barely contained. "Our own employee. I think she's been working with Derrick this whole time."There was a stunned silence on
Derrick reclined in his chair, his fingers steepled in front of him as he regarded the phone in his hand. It was ringing, vibrating against the polished surface of his desk, but he made no move to answer it.Instead, he let it ring, once, twice, three times. It was a game of patience, a test of his power. The caller, he knew, was desperate for his attention, willing to wait however long it took for him to acknowledge them.And then, finally, he picked up the phone.“Sir," he said, his voice smooth and calm, despite the racing of his heart."Mr Derrick, sir," a nervous voice replied. "It's about the situation with Miss Ruby...she's sacked Miss Sarah."Derrick allowed a slow, satisfied smile to curve his lips. So, Ruby had acted without his approval. How bold of her, he thought. And how foolish."I see," he replied, the words laced with ice. "Miss Sarah is not to be removed. Not without my consent. Tell Miss Ruby that she has overstepped.Derrick picked up his phone and sent Ruby a text
Derrick's face twisted in fury, his lips pulling back in a snarl. "You've overstepped your bounds, Ruby," he hissed, the words spitting from his mouth like poison. "You think you can challenge me? Me, the owner of this company?""You are not the owner," Ruby shot back, her voice strong and unwavering. "You have no legal right to this company. And I intend to prove that."The room erupted in chaos, the executives yelling and arguing as they tried to make sense of the situation.With a smug smile, Derrick strode to the front of the room, the document in his hand."I think this speaks for itself," he said, his voice dripping with self-satisfaction. "As you can see, Ruby signed away her rights to this company when she accepted my investment."The image on the projector blazed bright, the words stark and undeniable. The room fell silent as the executives absorbed the news, their faces pale with shock.Ruby's heart thudded in her chest as she stared at the document, a cold dread creeping th
As Derrick's loyal underlings scrambled to carry out his orders, the tension and excitement in the room was palpable. Derrick, basking in his newfound power, exuded an air of sinister grandeur.Turning to the lead executive, he issued his first command: "I want our presence known throughout the city. Send out press releases, buy up ad space, make sure every street corner and every social media feed is saturated with our logo. Let everyone know that we are the new kings of this industry.""Yes, sir," the lead executive replied, his voice tinged with apprehension. "Shall we proceed with the rebranding efforts immediately?"Derrick's smile widened, a menacing glint in his eye. "Of course. Start with the company name. We'll need something that conveys both power and fear."The executives exchanged glances, their faces paling as they struggled to come up with an adequate suggestion."Derrick Industries?" one ventured timidly."Too on the nose," Derrick snapped. "We need something more…omino
The meeting came to a close, the tense silence broken only by the shuffling of feet and the muted sound of the executives' murmurs as they filed out of the room.Derrick remained seated at the head of the table, his eyes fixed on the window, his expression inscrutable. He allowed himself a small, satisfied smile as he watched the last executive disappear through the door.For a moment, he was alone. Alone with his power, his ambition, his dark, twisted dreams of conquest.Tom, Derrick's trusted lieutenant, approached his boss, his expression serious and thoughtful. "We should get going, sir," he said. "There's a lot of work to be done."Derrick nodded, his face still dark and enigmatic. "Yes, Tom. You're right. There's always work to be done."And with that, the two men left the room, their footsteps echoing down the empty hallway.As they headed home, a storm was brewing in the city. A storm of change.The car ride back to Derrick's penthouse was quiet, the city lights reflecting off
"Power," Sir Williams continued, his eyes boring into his grandson's, "is like a double-edged sword. It can be wielded to great effect, but it can also turn on its wielder if not handled with care. Be mindful of your actions, and always remember that with great power comes great responsibility."Derrick nodded, his expression sober and thoughtful. "I understand, sir. I will not let my ambition blind me to the consequences of my actions. I will wield my power with wisdom and discretion."Sir Williams nodded, his face softening slightly.“Good," Sir Williams said, his voice quiet but resolute. "And now, we must begin to put our plans into motion. The first step is to establish a foothold in the financial sector. I want you to set up a meeting with the CEOs of the major banks in the city. We will need their support if we are to succeed."Derrick rose to his feet, his expression determined and focused. "Consider it done, sir. I will arrange the meeting immediately."Over the next few days,
Derrick leaned back in his seat, his expression pensive. "Do you think it was an accident?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.The driver shrugged, his hands still tight on the wheel. "Hard to say, sir. These roads can be unpredictable. It could have been an accident. Or it could have been something more."Derrick's gaze hardened, his mind already racing with possibilities. "Keep your eyes open," he ordered, his voice cold and commanding. "If this was an attack, we need to know who's responsible."The driver nodded, his expression grim.The car continued on its way, the silence inside heavy with tension and suspicion. Derrick, his mind working like a machine, pieced together the events of the day, searching for clues, for connections.Finally, he spoke. "It could be Ruby's people," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Trying to send a message. Or it could be the competition. Trying to scare us off."The driver nodded, his eyes fixed on the road. "Or it could be someone else enti
In the dead of night, the streets of Blackstar were silent and still. But beneath the veneer of peace, a storm was brewing.Derrick, seated at his computer, his fingers flying across the keyboard, was orchestrating the attack on the banks. His eyes, cold and calculating, scanned the data streams, seeking out the weak points in their security. And when he found them, he struck.In a series of rapid-fire attacks, Derrick's malware infiltrated the banks' networks, their defenses crumbling like paper before a flame. He froze their accounts, siphoned their money into untraceable offshore accounts, and left their systems crippled and helpless.And as the banks' CEOs awoke to a nightmare of empty accounts and angry customers, Derrick smiled, his victory complete.But he knew this was only the beginning. The war for Blackstar was just getting started.With the banks crippled, Derrick wasted no time in striking at the heart of his enemies' power. He targeted their supply lines, infiltrating th