"I don't need proof!" Colin screamed. "Common sense is enough! Where else would a nobody like you get seventy thousand dollars? You're a low-level employee! You probably don't even make that much in a year!""Actually," Pervis said, pulling out his phone, "I can prove exactly where this money came from." He opened his banking app and, after a moment's consideration, turned the screen toward the crowd. "This is my personal account. As you can see, the funds were legitimately mine."The workers closest to him gasped as they saw the balance—even after the seventy-thousand-dollar transfer, the account still showed well over nine hundred thousand dollars remaining."Oh my God...""That's almost a million dollars...""Who is this guy?"Kevin Martinez staggered backward, his face ashen. "That's... that's impossible for someone at your level...""Unless," Robert Hayes said slowly, realization dawning in his eyes, "he's not actually at our level at all."Linda stood off to the side, her carefu

Linda had worked so hard to position herself strategically in the office.She'd cultivated relationships, played politics, aligned herself with Roden and other powerful figures.She'd been so careful, so calculated.But Alicia just existed and somehow ended up with everything Linda wanted.The respect, the admiration, and now—now she had Pervis.Linda's jaw clenched as jealousy and rage warred inside her.She wanted to march over there, to say something cutting, to remind Alicia that Pervis had only succeeded because Linda had "believed" in him.But even as the thoughts formed, she knew how hollow they would sound.She'd played her hand, and she'd lost. Spectacularly.Her phone buzzed with the notification of seven thousand dollars deposited into her account, but instead of satisfaction, she felt only bitterness.Pervis's money. His charity. A reminder of her complete and utter miscalculation.She couldn't face them. Not now. Not like this.So she stayed hidden, watching, seething, an

"He was always so needy," Anna continued, her voice rising with emotion she'd been suppressing for weeks. "Always wanting attention, always complaining that I didn't spend enough time with him. Can you imagine? I was building my business empire, making millions, and he wanted me to drop everything to have dinner with him or watch a movie. It was exhausting.""Anna—""And jealous!" Anna's voice took on a sharper edge. "So incredibly jealous. I was taking care of your brother—my best friend's brother who needed help—and Pervis made it into this huge issue. He accused me of choosing Noah over him, like he was a child competing for attention. It was pathetic.""That does sound difficult," Janet said slowly. "I had no idea he was like that.""Because he wasn't like that around other people," Anna said. "He put on this nice, polite facade for everyone else. But at home? He was petty and demanding. He never understood that I had responsibilities, that I couldn't just be his devoted little ho

Noah struggled to his feet, still playing up his injuries with exaggerated movements. Inside, however, he was thrilled. Everything was going according to plan. Anna was on his side, questioning Pervis, seeing him as the villain.As they walked toward the elevator, Noah pulled out his phone with his supposedly injured hand. He held it up for a selfie, making sure to capture both his battered face and Anna's concerned expression beside him.Click."What are you doing?" Anna asked with a frown."Just documenting the injuries," Noah said smoothly. "For evidence."But as soon as Anna looked away, Noah opened his messages and sent the photo directly to Pervis with a caption: Anna's taking good care of me. Thanks for the divorce, loser. She's all mine now.He smiled wickedly as the message showed as delivered. Phase two of his revenge was in motion.The evening sky had turned a deep orange by the time Pervis and Alicia left the Whitewater Corporation building. The day's drama had left them b

The woman let out a derisive laugh. "A maniac? Please. I was driving perfectly normally. It's not my fault you two were too slow to move out of the way. Perhaps if you spent less time standing around looking pathetic and more time being useful, you wouldn't have nearly gotten run over."Pervis frowned, his patience beginning to wear thin despite his earlier calm. "You should apologize. You were clearly driving recklessly.""Apologize?" The woman scoffed. "To people like you? I don't think so."The security guard, who had frozen in shock during the near-accident, suddenly sprang into action. He rushed toward the Mercedes with a broad, ingratiating smile plastered across his face."Ms. Whitmore! Welcome, welcome!" He bowed slightly as the woman opened her door and stepped out. "It's wonderful to see you again! Please, let me help you!"Victoria Whitmore was in her mid-thirties, dressed in an elegant cream-colored pantsuit that probably cost more than most people's monthly salary. Her ha