Gregory sat alone at the corner of a dimly lit bar, the glass of whiskey in front of him untouched. His pride stung worse than the alcohol ever could. Just days ago, he strutted through the halls of Phoenix Corp like he owned the place. He had men under him, respect, and power. Now? He had nothing.The whispers were already spreading. Word was out that Niccolo had humiliated him, stripped him of everything in front of the entire staff. Even people he once barked orders at were mocking him.Gregory clenched his fists, veins bulging in his arms. “How dare he… that rat,” he muttered under his breath.He thought back to the years he had spent tormenting Niccolo, treating him like a disposable errand boy. To Gregory, Niccolo had always been beneath him, but now? The tables had turned, and that thought alone made his stomach twist with rage.“Looks like someone had a rough week,” a smooth voice interrupted his thoughts.Gregory looked up, an irritated look on his face. A man in a tailored g

The week after the reevaluations was unlike anything Phoenix Corp had ever seen.Niccolo didn’t just fire people —he dismantled entire systems of corruption that had been in place for years. He summoned department heads, reviewed ledgers himself, and exposed long hidden fraudulent activities with terrifying precision.On a Monday morning, the accounting director was escorted out after Niccolo revealed a private account where millions had been funneled. By Wednesday, the head of procurement was caught colluding with suppliers, inflating prices to pocket the difference. By Friday, nearly half of the upper management had been replaced.The employees whispered among themselves, fearful but in awe.“Did you hear what he said to Mr Danzel?” A young staff member said to his friend as they walked back to their desks after lunch. “The man was trembling, begging for a second chance, and Mr Morrandi just looked at him and said, ‘You already had one the day you stole.’ Then he told security to th

The city had a rhythm of its own— one that Niccolo had learned to navigate with precision since he took over Phoenix Corp. But now, that rhythm was shifting, turning against him like a melody gone sour.It started subtly. A few online articles questioning his management style. Headlines like; “Phoenix Corp’s New CEO: Visionary or Tyrant?” appeared on business blogs. At first, Niccolo dismissed them —he knew rival companies would try to resist his rise. But within days, the narrative snowballed.Talk shows began airing segments about him. Clips of his stern expressions during press conferences played on repeat as anchors and guests alike painted him as a menace.“He’s reckless,” one anchor said.“He’s ruthless, always cutting people off without thinking about the consequences,” another chimed in.“Mark my words— Phoenix Corp is in danger under his leadership.”It wasn’t just the media anymore. Online forums filled with scathing comments. Social media turned into a battlefield, his name

The TV in Kimberly’s living room flickered and hummed, casting the mayoral blue of the news banner across the pale wallpaper. She sat slumped on the sofa, one hand curled around a mug of coffee that had gone cold, the other clutched to the waistband of her dress like it might steady her heart if she held on hard enough.Beside her, her mother, prim, lined, always smelling faintly of floral powder, watched Niccolo on the screen with a face that had folded into disappointment long before the press conference started. She had expected Niccolo to grovel, to apologize, to beg for public sympathy. Instead he had stood there and turned the city on its head.“Just look at him,” She whispered, more to herself than to Kimberly. “He sits there and acts like he's some king without even looking back. How can he be so… so cruel?”Kimberly’s throat burned. The words they’d heard days ago, the videos, the headlines, Celeste's smooth contempt, were still heavy in the room, but Niccolo’s defiant speech

Lyla was in Niccolo's office again, smiling brightly as she watched him work. As usual, he wasn't in his original office so the other staff could see both of them through the glass walls, and that was just what Lyla wanted. "What do you went?" Niccolo asked without looking up. "Well, I saw how busy you were and I thought I'd bring you your coffee." She smiled even more, as if Niccolo had said something funny. "Okay, drop it and leave then." he still didn't look up from his work. Sometimes his coldness always surprised her, but she was determined not to show it. "Of course." she placed it on the table and just as she was about to leave, she saw a file on his desk. It had St. Augustine Home for Children on it, and an idea for her big move came to her. "Well?" Niccolo finally looked up at her. "Right, I was just leaving." she smiled as she walked out. Over the next few days, she managed to work her way through and got permission to let Phoenix Corp host a charity gala in order