Oliver sat back in his chair, the finality of his Masonry over Mason Phillips settling over him like a heavy, silent storm. The threat was neutralized, for now. But as always, the game wasn’t over. It never was.His gaze wandered to the framed photo of his family on his desk—a reminder of everything he had built, everything he had lost. Katie’s departure had left a wound that never fully healed, a pain he had buried beneath layers of ambition and success. The thought of her, and the way things had ended, still gnawed at him. But he couldn’t afford to dwell on the past. Not when there were more enemies, more schemes, and more pieces to move on the board.The sound of a soft knock broke his thoughts. It was Evelyn, her usual calm demeanor replaced by an edge of concern."Oliver," she began, entering without waiting for permission, "there's something you need to see."She placed a file on his desk, and Oliver could immediately sense the gravity in her tone. Without a word, he opened it,

The sun barely broke through the thick curtains of Oliver’s office when James barged in, phone clutched tightly in his hand. His usual calm demeanor was gone, replaced by an urgency that immediately set Oliver on edge."Thorne’s making his move," James said, placing his phone on the desk and pulling up an email. "He’s called for a major board meeting with Lynwood Tech, one of your key suppliers. He’s planning to sway them to terminate their partnership with Hoshier."Oliver’s jaw clenched. "When?""Tomorrow morning," James replied. "If Lynwood walks, it’ll cause a domino effect. Your other suppliers might follow, and your production lines will come to a halt."Oliver stood, pacing the room. "Do we have proof? Anything concrete to link him to this?"James nodded. "Claire came through. She found a paper trail of shell companies connected to Thorne. They’ve been funding Lynwood’s recent expansion projects. It’s enough to raise suspicions, but we need something undeniable to turn the tide

Oliver took a deep breath as he stepped out of the mall, letting the tension slide off his shoulders. The sun was shining, the weather was pleasant, and the whispers and chuckles of the bystanders behind him felt like background noise.Yet, he couldn’t leave without having the last word. Turning back, Oliver smiled at Vincent and his entourage, now gathered by the door, still chuckling and exchanging jabs."Mr. Carlisle," Oliver called out, his voice as calm as ever. "Thank you for the free show. I’ll be sure to recommend your impeccable hospitality to all my friends."Vincent smirked, leaning against the doorframe. "Friends? Oh, please. What friends could someone like you possibly have? The rats in the alley?"The group burst into laughter, one of the women holding her stomach as if the joke was too much to bear. Oliver simply raised an eyebrow, his lips curving into a faint smile."You’re right," Oliver replied with mock sincerity. "My friends are humble folk—rats, pigeons, the occa

Oliver's mind was a flurry of calculations as he left the plaza, his steps purposeful and determined. The air around him buzzed with tension, but his demeanor remained composed, his face a calm mask of control. By the time he reached his sleek black car parked nearby, he had already begun mentally assembling the pieces of the unfolding puzzle.Sliding into the driver's seat, Oliver dialed James again, this time for clarification. The line barely rang before James answered, his tone filled with urgency. "Sir, I've got more information.""Go ahead," Oliver said, leaning back in his seat, his voice steady."The breach originated from someone within Hoshier," James explained. "We’re narrowing down suspects, but whoever it is, they’ve masked their trail well. It’s someone with high-level access or someone who’s been granted temporary permissions."Oliver frowned, his fingers tapping lightly against the steering wheel. "Temporary permissions? Who’s had access recently?"James paused before

As Oliver stepped out of the café, the wind hit his face, sharp and cool against his skin. The echo of laughter and jeering inside still clung to him, but he forced himself to push it aside. His phone buzzed again, the glow of the screen revealing another message.{You're out of your depth, Roberts. Walk away while you still can.}Oliver clenched his jaw, the muscles in his face tightening. Whoever was behind this wasn’t just intent on humiliating him; they wanted to break him entirely. But if there was one thing Oliver had learned in his years of hardship, it was endurance.His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps. Turning, he saw James approaching, his expression a mix of worry and urgency."Sir, I got here as soon as I could," James said, slightly out of breath. "I tracked the location of the messages. They’re being routed through multiple servers, but the origin seems to be close by."Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Close by? How close?"James pointed toward the