Recalling the incident that happened years ago, Brantley found himself lost in thought, his mind wandering back through time. The memory was so vivid that he almost forgot where he was—until Olga’s voice pulled him sharply back to the present.“You seem lost in thought, Brantley,” she said, her tone curious yet calm. “Is something going on in your mind?”Brantley turned slightly, his expression unreadable. Without saying a word, he walked over to the bar in his lounge, his footsteps steady and deliberate. He picked up a bottle of wine, uncorked it smoothly, and poured the rich liquid into a glass with quiet precision.Taking a slow sip, he finally spoke. “I just remembered the deal of five hundred and fifty million dollars we made years ago. I hope you still remember… or have you forgotten?”Olga let out a short scoff, her lips curling faintly as her mind drifted back to that exact moment—the day she had boldly said, “It’s a deal.”“Of course,” she said at last, meeting his eyes. “Why

Hearing the amount of money Olga casually called a persuasion fee, Brantley shook his head. He wasn’t surprised—after all, he was the one who gave her an open cheque. If there was anyone who would try to monopolize that privilege, it was Olga. Her greed never needed to be questioned. But over a billion dollars? Even for her, that was extreme.Before he could settle fully into his thoughts, Olga’s voice snapped through the phone.“What’s up with you?” she asked, as if dragging him back. “You seem to be recalling something. Tell me, is anything the problem? Did I call a very big amount? Or is it too small? Maybe I should add more?”Brantley kissed his teeth. “You’re just that greedy, aren’t you?”Olga chuckled on the other end, not even pretending to deny it.Brantley sighed and continued, his tone steady. “Look, get it in mind that the amount you called isn’t something I can’t provide. But at the same time, I hope you understand that you’re going to be doing whatever comes with spendin

While those few lingering thoughts swirled in Olga’s mind, she already believed she knew the answer to the question everyone else had been asking—Aria would do exactly what she was told. Aria would do anything, anything Olga instructed her to do. Olga held onto that belief as though it were fact, completely unaware that Aria had her own plans carefully hidden beneath her calm exterior.Time had passed quickly, and now the event was drawing near. Aria seemed distracted, as though a storm of thoughts was gathering behind her eyes. Of course, she had every reason to be deep in thought—her mission was still the same: find out who the unknown CEO of ABC Companies really was. That was one of the major reasons she wanted to attend the upcoming party in the first place.But the first step, she told herself, was to try an easier route. If she could get Aisha to talk—even a little—that might give her a lead.Before that day arrived, Aria had already signed all the necessary documents. Every sin

Aria couldn’t believe her ears. Aisha had actually said she was ready to tell her who the true CEO of ABC Company was. For a moment, Aria wondered if she heard wrong. She had expected Aisha to come up with some excuse—maybe a wild misconception, maybe another distraction meant to confuse her or stop her from getting close to the real truth. She thought Aisha would lie, deceive her, or twist things around just to delay her.But instead… Aisha still said she would allow it to happen.That alone made Aria’s excitement grow even stronger. Her heart beat faster as she leaned closer, unable to hide her anticipation.Still breathless from the shock, she asked again, “Are you sure that you are willing to tell me who the CEO is?”Aisha gave her a quick smile, the kind that looked both playful and complicated. Then she said slowly, “About that… yes. I am ready, but I don’t think I am ready to tell you who the CEO is.”The smile on Aria’s face vanished instantly.Her voice trembled. “Uhmm… what

“Just think about it this way, Miss Acosta,” she continued, her gaze steady on Aria. “The CEO has made it clear that he doesn’t want anyone to know who he is. So why would you assume he would allow the same person—or the same group of people he wants kept in the dark—to have access to his signature? It is not for me to decide; the authority lies entirely with the CEO. Please understand that I simply cannot do this.”Aria rolled her eyes in exasperation, running her fingers through her hair as frustration bubbled over. “It’s always the same excuse, over and over again. Why can’t you come up with something else to cover up your lies… and the lies of that CEO? And that reminds me—he made me CEO… well, representative CEO. You should put yourself in my shoes for a moment. If someone made you the representative CEO of a company, how would it feel to hold that power yet be unable to exercise it? For him to appoint me means he trusts me—but he doesn’t even trust me with his identity. So tell