"Dad, I think we have to do something about Valeria and Javier. Especially Javier," Marcellus said.His voice was laced with frustration. He paced in front of Hudson Solano’s massive mahogany desk, his jaw tightening with every step."Ever since Javier appeared, somehow everything has fallen apart, and everything seems to be in their favour. He's like a monster."Hudson, seated in his leather chair, exhaled sharply and pinched the bridge of his nose."Javier is not the monster here, Marcellus," he corrected, his tone clipped. "We are. And we’re going to destroy him."Marcellus’s eyes darkened with satisfaction.He stopped pacing, leaning forward with his palms flat on the desk."I like the sound of that. So? What’s the plan?"Hudson smirked, leaning back in his chair."Simple. We make Valeria hate him."Marcellus arched an eyebrow."And how exactly do we do that? Javier barely reacts to anything. He’s like a damn stone statue with a pulse."Hudson chuckled. "Ah, but even statues crac

Javier gives a slight nod. "Are you okay if I leave now?"Adriana hesitates before nodding. "Yes, I think so."They exit the restaurant together, Javier holding the takeout bag in one hand and his coffee in the other. The cool air outside greets them, but something else makes them freeze in place.Adriana’s body stiffens. Her grip tightens on the strap of her purse, and her gaze darts toward a man standing a few meters away. He looks furious.Javier sighs. This again. He studies the man’s face—sharp features, narrowed eyes, and a tense jaw line. The way the man’s stare locks onto Adriana makes one thing clear: he isn’t just some random passerby. Either he believes Javier and Adriana are truly together, or he knows they’re pretending.Adriana inches closer to Javier. "What should we do? He’s still there."Javier raises an eyebrow, sipping his coffee like this is just another Tuesday. "Are you sure you don’t know him? Ex-boyfriend? Secret admirer? Loan shark?"Adriana shakes her head so

Javier exhales slowly, rubbing his temple. “Valeria—”Her gaze burns into him, a mixture of fury, disbelief, and something sharper—betrayal. The phone in her grip buzzes again, but she doesn’t need to look. She’s already seen the name. Adriana.Javier watches as she inhales sharply through her nose, nostrils flaring like a dragon preparing to breathe fire. Then, without breaking eye contact, she holds up his phone between them. “Care to explain,” she says, voice deceptively calm, “why the damsel in distress you oh-so-chivalrously saved is sending you dinner invitations?”Javier studies her, unfazed by the storm brewing behind her eyes. “She’s just being polite,” he replies evenly.Valeria lets out a sharp laugh, completely devoid of humor. “Polite? Polite?! Javier, this woman doused you in her perfume, and now she’s texting you her address?” She waves the phone like it’s incriminating evidence in a trial. “What’s next? A handwritten invitation on scented paper?”Javier watches her wit

Valeria sat at her desk, flipping through reports, when her phone vibrated. A message. No name. Just an anonymous number.Her brows furrowed as she tapped on the notification. Several images loaded—grainy, taken from a distance, but clear enough to show Javier. His tall frame, the familiar cut of his suit. And beside him, a woman. The angles were frustratingly obscured, the shots all taken from behind. But one thing was obvious—Javier was not alone.Valeria’s grip on the phone tightened. Her pulse spiked with irritation and something dangerously close to panic.Her fingers moved swiftly, dialing the number, straight to voicemail.“Of course,” she muttered, jaw clenching.She inhaled sharply, steadied herself, and called Javier. Once. Twice. Three times.No answer.Her nails tapped impatiently against her desk as she dialed again.This time, someone picked up.But it wasn’t Javier.“Mr. Everhart is busy,” a woman’s voice, smooth and unfamiliar, answered.Valeria froze.Who—“Who is thi

Valeria.Javier exhaled slowly, closing his eyes for a brief second.Adriana’s face drained of color. “N-no… she can’t—”Valeria’s voice came again, sharper, more furious.“If you don’t open this door in three seconds, I swear I’ll—”Javier rubbed his temple.Wonderful.His headache had just gotten worse.Javier sighed, rolling his shoulders as he glanced toward the door. The pounding continued, followed by Valeria’s unmistakable, furious voice.“JAVIER, OPEN THIS DOOR OR I’LL KICK IT DOWN!”Adriana panicked, grabbing onto Javier’s arm. “She can’t see me like this! If she does, she’ll—”Javier arched a brow, his expression completely unbothered. “She’ll what? Expose the truth?”Adriana’s lips parted, but no words came out.Javier exhaled, removing her grip from his arm with ease. His fingers grazed his temple, still feeling the remnants of dizziness. He had no idea how long he had been unconscious, but one thing was certain—this entire situation was orchestrated, and whoever was behin