"But it's not the same!" Vanessa protested, tears flowing freely now."You can't expect me to just... accept this. There must be something we can do. Some evidence we can find. Some way to turn this around."She shook her head violently. "We're Callums! We don't surrender! That's what you always taught me!"Jonathan nodded slowly. "And I meant it. But right now, what I need you to do is stay strong—for yourself, for your mother, and for Yvonne."His voice grew more serious. "The journey ahead will be difficult. The media and public will be brutal—they’ll crucify you. Former partners will walk away, and even more investors will pull out. But as a Callum, you’ll have to rebuild our reputation, brick by brick.”He gave her more pieces of advice on how to head the company in his absence.As he spoke, her expression slowly changed.Her tears dried, and something harder took their place."I'll do more than that," she vowed."I'll make Ethan regret the day he ever came after our family."Her

"Sir," Marcel said softly when Ethan asked him what happened, his voice barely audible. "I believe... it would be best if you hear this directly from Chairman Aurelius himself."The way Marcel said it made Ethan's blood run cold."Fine," Ethan growled, pushing himself off the doorframe. He walked out of his room, Marcel quickly falling into step behind him. Each footstep echoed through the long corridor as Ethan picked up speed. His heart hammered against his ribs like a trapped bird.When Ethan burst through the living room doors, the scene that greeted him made him freeze.Magnus was pacing back and forth like a caged tiger, his usually perfect hair disheveled. He kept raking his fingers through it, leaving it sticking up at odd angles.On the chair sat Lara, her usually composed face pale as paper. Her fingers tapped nervously against the armrest in a rapid rhythm.The entire room felt thick with tension, like the air before a storm."Dad!" Ethan shouted, his voice cutting throu

Ethan froze in shock, his breath catching as he stared at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.Her long, silky black hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall. Her eyes were a striking emerald green, framed by long, dark lashes that seemed to flutter with every blink. Her skin was flawless, with a natural glow that needed no makeup.She was slightly out of breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly, which only added to her natural beauty. Her lips were full and naturally pink, slightly parted as she tried to catch her breath.But it wasn’t just her looks that stopped him cold. It was her scent—a mix of vanilla and jasmine that seemed to wrap around him. The fragrance was intoxicating, making his head spin in the most pleasant way.He felt like time had stopped. Everything around him—the noise from the station, the chatter of reporters outside, even his own anger from moments before—all faded into the background.He was completely lost in the moment, studying every det

The silence hung in the air as Anderson’s smirk grew wider, clearly enjoying how he’d managed to rattle Ethan.But after just a moment, much to Anderson's surprise, Ethan let out a cold laugh after figuring something out.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​“What did the Ghost threaten you with to make you do all this?” Ethan asked, his voice casual but his eyes sharp.Unbeknownst to Anderson, it was a trap—a way to test Anderson’s true knowledge and intentions.Anderson’s brows furrowed in genuine confusion. "The Ghost?” he muttered, his voice uncertain. “What the hell are you talking about?”The confusion in Anderson’s voice was too real to be faked. Ethan could see it in his eyes, in the way his shoulders tensed with bewilderment."So it’s not the Ghost," Ethan thought, filing away this crucial information.Anderson’s confusion quickly transformed into mockery. "Oh, I see,” he said with a sneer. "The great Chairman Aurelius is so paranoid that he’s seeing ghosts now? What’s next—monsters under his

Ethan sat in his car outside the prison, staring at the news headline in complete confusion. His mind was spinning with questions that had no clear answers.During his last visit to the motel where Damian was staying, he had known Damian was up to something. But this? His father accepting him back and giving him complete control of the Copper Group? It was absolutely unbelievable.“How is this even possible?” Ethan muttered to himself.The Robert Hayes who had come to their mansion begging for forgiveness and mercy would never have done this willingly. Something else was at play here.“Was it the Ghost?” Ethan whispered, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. "Is he willing to go through that length just to achieve his goal?”But even as the thought crossed his mind, Ethan remained convinced about one thing. The stakeholders were behind Anderson’s confession, not the Ghost. Anderson had told him everything, and there was no way that Anderson would dare lie to him. Not with what