2025-06-05 01:51:09
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Alice was in despair. Her voice dripped with bitter sarcasm as she looked at Belen. “Do you really think John Perez would just accept me because we send me to him like some pawn? You’re delusional if you believe that.”Belen was momentarily stunned by her sharp tone but quickly recovered, a cruel sneer spreading across his face. “Does it matter if he accepts you willingly? I can always drug John. As long as you end up in his bed—married or not—the family benefits. That’s all that counts.”Alice’s fury flared at Belen’s shamelessness. “You’re disgusting!” she spat, voice trembling. But no one else spoke up — everyone else silently nodded in agreement. The plan was accepted.Before she could protest further, the heavy front door opened, and Ethan stepped in, his brow furrowed with concern. “Who said the cooperation with the Morgan family has been canceled?” His voice cut through the thick tension.Belen laughed, loud and mocking. “You don’t even know what’s happening, do you? You’re so
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The police officers filed in, their presence heavy and final. At their head, Nova Corp’s private legal counsel, a sharp-eyed woman named Marissa, stepped forward with a folder in hand. Ethan’s voice cut through the stunned silence. “Maxime Trent, you are suspected of embezzling over fifty million dollars from company assets.” Maxime’s face fell, shock and despair flooding his features. “That’s impossible… I didn’t—” Ethan raised a hand, stopping him cold. “The financial audit shows clear evidence. Transfers through multiple accounts, disguised as legitimate expenses. The amount matches exactly what’s missing.” Marissa nodded solemnly. “Mr. Trent, you are now under formal investigation. We will be pressing charges. You have the right to remain silent.” Maxime was utterly crushed. He had indeed diverted company funds, and the amount was accurate. The fight drained from his body; he sank further onto the floor, utterly defeated. Ethan had clearly planned this moment all along — to s
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The boardroom door creaked open, its sound cutting through the tense air like a blade.Every head turned.And in walked Ethan Storm.The silence was electric. Disbelieving eyes followed his every step as he walked with slow, measured confidence toward the long table. Then—Maxime’s expression snapped. His smugness dissolved into incredulous fury. “What are you doing here?” he barked. “You’re just a VIP client. You have no right to meddle in a Nova Corp board meeting!”Ethan said nothing at first. His shoes clicked against the polished floor as he strolled forward.Then he stopped at the owner’s seat—the one chair no one ever dared to sit in. It had been vacant for years. Symbolic. Revered. Reserved for the mysterious owner whose identity had always remained hidden.Without a word, Ethan sat down.A beat of stunned silence—then laughter erupted around the room.“He’s lost it,” Grayman snorted.“What a joke,” Hendricks chuckled. “Sit there? Does he think we’re idiots?”Even Bernard lean
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That night, Maxime worked like a man possessed. He called his little circle of loyal board members—men who had resented Elsa’s authority for years.“You heard it from me,” he whispered into each call, voice laced with false humility and bubbling triumph. “Mr. Storm wants change. He’s given me his blessing. Elsa’s finished. I’m stepping in.”The reactions were exactly what he’d hoped for—gasps, congratulations, even a few groveling apologies for ever doubting him. Like excited goats, they rallied to his banner, buzzing with anticipation for the board meeting. Maxime barely slept, too energized by the thought of taking the crown.****The next morning, the Nova Corp boardroom was charged with tension. The long glass table gleamed under the cold LED lights, reflecting the sharp suits, guarded expressions, and half-empty coffee cups of the board members. No one was truly drinking—everyone was too busy watching everyone else.Elsa Logan sat at the head of the table, her posture faultless,
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Maxime gripped the phone tighter, every trace of arrogance melting into shaky excitement. “You… You’re him?” he repeated, voice nearly a whisper. “Mr. Storm… I didn’t realize— I mean, I had no idea you even existed.”“Oh, I exist,” Ethan said, voice steady as steel. “And I’ve been watching. Listening. Waiting.”Maxime gave a nervous laugh. “Of course, of course! I’m honored you called me personally. I can’t tell you how much I admire your vision. Nova Corp’s success—your success—is unmatched.”Ethan let a pause hang in the air before speaking again, he decided to deceive him. “I’ll be honest, Maxime. I’ve grown… disappointed. Elsa Logan isn’t performing to expectations.”Maxime’s eyes gleamed, a slow grin spreading across his face as he gripped the edge of his desk. “Disappointed, huh? I… I suspected as much. Elsa’s leadership has always been, well, flashy but shallow. Not your kind of precision. Not Nova Corp’s standard.”Ethan’s chuckle on the other end of the line was low and measu
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Alice’s heart hadn’t slowed since they left the bank.Though Richard had been publicly humiliated and the loan finally approved, she knew deep down that the real battle was still ahead.Securing funds was only one side of the coin — the deeper crisis lay within Nova Corp itself.She sat stiffly in the driver seat of her sleek black car, arms folded tight across her chest, eyes unfocused.Ethan noticed her tension instantly. He reached for the keys in her lap before she could even react.“Give me those,” he said calmly.Alice blinked. “What?”“I’m driving you home,” he said, already stepping around the car. “You’re too wound up to be behind the wheel right now.““I’m fine,” she muttered, gripping the keys tighter.He gave her a look — that unreadable, cool stare of his that always cut through the noise.“Alice. Let me drive.”She exhaled, but finally handed the keys over with a sigh. “Fine. Thank you.”“No need to thank me,” Ethan said with the faintest smirk, sliding into the driver’s
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