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Derek 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 their own rumors. It was chaos, and it was glorious.
Victor watched his son with a raised eyebrow, noticing the change in his demeanor. “What’s got you so pleased all of a sudden?”
Derek couldn’t help but gloat as he showed his father the post. “Take a look at this. My girlfriend posted it earlier, and now the whole town thinks Allvar’s just a gigolo.”
Victor’s eyes flicked over th?
work in our favor.”
T
screen, his lips twitching into a faint smile. “I’ll admit, it’s clever. This could
“It’s already working,” Derek replied, his voice brimming with confidence. “This is just the beginning. By the time we’re done, Allvar won’t have a shred of credibility left.”
Victor gave a slow nod. “Good. But remember–no more reckless moves. If this gets out of hand, it could backfire on us. We need to stay in control.”
Derek nodded, but his mind was already racing ahead. He had the upper hand now, and he wasn’t going to let anything slip through his fingers. Allvar was going down, and he was going to make sure of it.
As he stared at the flood of messages and comments, Derek’s smirk widened. “This is how you ruin someone,” he thought to himself, feeling more powerful than he had in a long time.
Allvar slumped into the plush leather seat of the sleek, midnight–black luxury car, his mind still spinning from the chaos inside the bar. The woman next to him, the one who had pulled him out of that fiery situation, was silent, her eyes locked on the road ahead as she maneuvered the car effortlessly through the dimly lit streets.
He took a moment to look around, letting the luxury of the car register–the polished wood paneling, the custom–stitched seats, and the soft scent of sophistication and new money. Everything about this car screamed wealth and power. The engine purred softly, like a predator ready to pounce.
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3
+25 BONUS
“Nice ride,” Allvar muttered, more to himself than to her, his voice thick with exhaustion.
The woman, her face mostly hidden in the shadows cast by passing streetlights, flicked her eyes towards him briefly and gave a small, almost amused smile. “It does the job.”
Allvar leaned back, his thoughts racing. He had no idea who she was or why she had intervened in the chaos back at the bar. It didn’t make sense. People didn’t just jump in and save strangers like that, especially in his world.
“Why’d you help me back there?” he asked, trying to keep his voice casual, though the question burned inside him. He needed to know.
She didn’t answer right away. Her gaze remained steady on the road, her hands firm on the wheel.
Allvar studied her in the silence. Her profile was sharp and commanding–her jawline defined, her lips pressed together in quiet determination. She wasn’t much older than him, maybe in her mid–thirties, but she carried herself with an air of control and confidence that made him feel like he was in over his head.
Finally, after a few moments, she spoke. Her voice was calm, deliberate. “Mr. Lorentz sent me.”
Allvar’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Mr. Lorentz?”
She nodded, eyes still focused on the road ahead. “Yes, you asked for some help, right?”
“Oh.” Allvar fell silent, digesting that. But why send her? Who was her?
Minutes passed in silence, and before Allvar could ask more questions, the car slowed to a stop outside his house. The woman pulled up smoothly to the curb, cutting the engine with practiced ease.
“We’re here,” she said, turning slightly toward him for the first time since they left the bar.
Allvar hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to thank her or what to say next. Before he could open his mouth, her phone rang, the sharp sound cutting through the quiet tension in the car.
sion
She glanced at the screen, her answering with a quick, “Yes?”
Allvar could only hear her side of tho
able, before
voice, he could tell it was important. When she hung up, the air in the car felt different, heavier.
voice, he could tell it was impoersation, but from the
shift in her posture and the toke MPON
“Something wrong?” he asked, unable to hold back his curiosity.
The woman took a breath, then turned fully toward him her eyes meeting his for the first time. “You deserve to know who I am.”
Allvar’s heart skipped a beat. There was something in the way she said it that made him sit up straighter, his pulse quickening.
“My name is Eleanor Westwood,” she said, her voice steady but carrying weight. “I’m the CEO of Waterfall Corporation.”
Allvar struggled to comprehend. Before he could respond, she continued, “The company belongs to your family too, Allvar.”
His breath caught in his throat. “Wait, what? My family?
Eleanor nodded slowly, her expression unreadable. “Yes. Waterfall is your family’s company.”
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Allvar blinked, stunned. “So, you’re the CEO of Waterfall?” His mind raced to connect the dots. “That’s… that’s the company that rejected me this morning!”
