Brandon looked up and met their gaze. Sophia didn’t bother with niceties. She stepped forward, eyes hard as flint, and spat,”you fool! What the hell are you doing here?" “A walking joke in a suit,” she sneered. “You strut around like someone important, but if only you knew—everyone sees you for what you really are: a charity case with delusions." “Tell me, Brandon, how does it feel to wake up every day and pretend you’re not a failure? Do you rehearse the lies in front of a mirror?” Ryan cut in without waiting, leaning close enough for Brandon to smell the arrogance. “Pathetic,” he purred. “You’ve spent your whole life feeding off leftovers that stronger people leave behind. Charity is the only reason you’re still breathing—and the only thing keeping you dressed.” And now look at you—standing here like some lost stray. What is it this time? Another handout? Or did you come crawling for a security job?” Sophia gave Brandon a disdainful look as she stepped closer, unti

Ryan leaned back in the sleek white leather chair of the reception area, trying his best to look composed, even relaxed. He shifted slightly, crossing one leg over the other to appear calm, though his palms had begun to sweat. He could feel the weight of the moment pressing against him, heavier with each passing second. He forced himself to glance casually at Sophia, who sat beside him — flawless as always, one leg crossed elegantly over the other, chin raised in that effortless way that screamed confidence. She was smirking, even gloating, clearly amused by the absurdity of being “mistakenly denied” entry.“I told you,” she said, brushing back a lock of her golden-brown hair with a manicured hand, “this kind of thing always happens. Some underpaid staffer probably mixed up our names. They’ll sort it out once you're able to get across to Mr Whitmore."Ryan managed a half-smile, but it felt heavy on his lips. “Exactly,” he murmured. “They’ll sort it out soon.”Still, beneath the su

Jessica’s shoulders didn’t twitch. Even as Sophia’s words came out like venom, Jessica’s face remained a smooth, unreadable mask. The lobby seemed to narrow around them — the marble, the glass, the bright corporate logos — yet she stood utterly composed, as if the world had slowed for her alone. “You don’t get to threaten me. You made your choices. I made mine. If you want to destroy me, go ahead. But know this: I don’t fear your empty threats,” Jessica responded coldly. The words hung in the air. Sophia’s face turned bright red; her lips moved as if to speak, then snapped shut. She lunged forward, but Jessica and Brandon, both smirking at the scene, just turned and walked away. In that moment, Sophia’s anger turned into cold, bitter scheming. She wanted Jessica humiliated, exposed, and ruined. Now, she wanted nothing but revenge! ********* Two days later, Ryan lounged in his living room and tapped a number on his phone. “Hey, Johnson.” “Ryan — what’s up?”

The footage exposing Ryan and Sophia’s lies had gone viral before the night was even over. Within hours, snippets of the scandal flooded every major news platform. Hashtags trended worldwide — #RekonCollapse and #SophiaRyanScandal — while gossip sites feasted on every detail. The city was merciless. Screens replayed the moment their faces had fallen, the way the crowd had gasped, and the visible panic that had rippled through the hall when their deceit was revealed.By dawn, reporters were stationed outside Rekon International’s headquarters. Cameras flashed from every corner. Questions flew like bullets:“Miss Bennett, was it true you forged corporate documents?”“Mr Cooper, did you conspire against Miss Jessica Marion?”“Do you have anything to say about the evidence revealed last night?”Ryan had kept his head low as he shoved through the sea of microphones, pulling Sophia by the hand. Her eyes were now red and unfocused. She didn’t respond to a single question. She didn’t ha

Ryan noticed the shift in Sophia’s expression immediately. Just moments ago, Sophia had been radiant with relief, smiling through tears, even laughing faintly as if the world had finally given her a reason to breathe again. But now, her expression had changed. Her shoulders sagged and her fingers tightened around her phone.He stepped closer with his voice barely above a whisper. “Sophia, what is it? What’s wrong?”She didn’t answer at first. Her gaze stayed fixed on the glass wall in front of her. Finally, she sighed, lowering her phone onto the table. “Ryan,” she said quietly, “I just… I don’t think I can do this anymore.”Ryan frowned, taken aback. “Do what?”“Manage all of it,” she murmured. “Aurora Beauty, the cosmetics branch — I thought hearing the success news would make me happy again. I thought it would remind me of who I was before everything fell apart. But now that it’s actually growing, I realize… I’m not ready. I’m not in the right state to lead anyone right no