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The man that confused them all

Author: Lugard fine

2026-01-04 01:09:02

Stephen barely had time to register the shape in front of him before he collided with it.

—or rather, with Damian.

The impact was slight, more surprise than force, but it stopped Stephen mid-step. Damian’s tablet slipped in his grip, his jaw tightening as his eyes snapped up.

For half a second, the corridor seemed to hold its breath.

“Watch where you’re going,” Damian muttered, more reflex than accusation.

Stephen’s lips curved faintly. “My mistake.”

Damian studied him, suspicion flickering across his face before being buried beneath exhaustion. He said nothing more, bent to retrieve his tablet, and walked past.

Stephen watched him go.

Good, he thought calmly. Let them fracture.

He adjusted his cufflinks and continued down the corridor, already disengaging—already somewhere else.

---

Jeremiah

Jeremiah had always trusted patterns more than people.

Numbers repeated. Systems obeyed logic. Humans lied.

That morning, standing in the quiet luxury of his bedroom, something felt wrong in a wa

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Victoria chased Ethan
“You lie,” Jeremiah said calmly, his voice low and deliberate. “And I can prove that.”Damian swallowed hard. The room felt smaller, the walls closing in with every breath he took. The faint hum of electricity from the overhead light was suddenly unbearable. Jeremiah didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to. Power radiated from him effortlessly—quiet, controlled, lethal.“You think this is about Ethan alone?” Jeremiah continued, slowly circling Damian like a predator. “You think I don’t know how deep you went? How much did you borrow? How many channels did you funneled money through?”Damian clenched his fists. “We were all deceived,” he insisted. “Ethan lied to us. He promised returns. He promised—”Jeremiah stopped in front of him.“Ethan doesn’t promise,” he said coldly. “He calculates. And men like you mistake calculation for loyalty.”Damian’s voice cracked. “I didn’t know he would destroy Victoria like this.”Jeremiah laughed softly—without humor. “That’s your defense? That you
The offer in the shadows
The city lights below blurred into streaks of gold and red, mirroring the chaos in her chest. She stood by the window for a long time, her arms folded tightly around herself, replaying the courtroom scene over and over—the adjournment, the doubt, Ethan’s smile.Then she turned, picked up her phone, and made the call she had sworn she would never make.Richard Hale answered on the third ring.“This better be important,” he said coolly.“It is,” Victoria replied. Her voice was steady, though her heart hammered wildly. “I want to see you. Tonight.”There was a pause on the line, long enough for doubt to creep in.“I don’t meet plaintiffs behind closed doors,” Richard said. “Especially not ones suing my client.”“This isn’t a meeting,” she said softly. “It’s a conversation. One that could change your life.”Another pause. Longer this time.“Send the address,” Richard finally said. “Thirty minutes.”Victoria ended the call and exhaled slowly. She didn’t know whether she had just made her b
Ethan in the courtroom
On a closer look at the property, Ethan leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled thoughtfully. His eyes swept over Victoria with a calculating calm before he spoke.“Twenty million dollars,” he said evenly. “That’s my offer for the house.”Victoria let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head slowly.“I don’t need your money, Ethan,” she replied coldly. “What I want is my company. My birthright—the one you stole behind my back.”Ethan’s lips curved into a faint, mocking smile.“I didn’t steal anything,” he said. “I bought the company legally, with complete documentation. If you want it back so badly, then get the money and refund me—three times the amount I paid, including every renovation and investment I’ve made.”“You stole my birthright and dare to call it a purchase?” Victoria snapped, her eyes blazing. “Do you really think I’ll let this go? I will make sure you return everything you took from me.”Ethan stood up slowly, walking toward her with deliberate steps. His voice dropp
The fight Victoria can't stop
Barrister Jessica stood just outside the sitting room, her briefcase still in her hand. She had arrived moments after Damian’s bitter realization, after the house had fallen into a dangerous quiet—the kind that followed emotional destruction.“Victoria,” Jessica called softly.Victoria didn’t respond.She sat rigid on the couch, her gaze unfocused, her thoughts racing too fast to grasp. Her mind replayed every word Damian had said, every accusation she had thrown, every bridge she had burned with her own hands.“Victoria,” Jessica tried again, stepping closer. “We need to talk. What’s happening is bigger than anger. We still have options—”“I said nothing,” Victoria snapped without looking at her. “And I heard nothing.”Jessica paused. She had seen stubborn clients before—wealthy ones, proud ones—but this was different. This was a woman unraveling.“Fine,” Jessica said carefully. “But whether you listen or not, the law won’t wait. Ethan’s acquisition—”“I said leave me alone!” Victori
Victoria worst situation
When Victoria finally realized that Stephen had completely outsmarted them, her entire world shattered into fragments. The pain she felt was deeper than disappointment—it was betrayal mixed with regret. She had trusted wrongly, defended foolishly, and now everything she had worked for stood on the edge of collapse.“I knew it,” she whispered bitterly to herself, staring blankly at the ceiling.“I knew this was how it would end. Stephen was never real. His lifestyle alone showed how rotten he was.”Her chest tightened as another truth crept into her thoughts.“Damian and Jeremiah… they were the real cause of everything,” she admitted silently.“And now I’ve been given only tomorrow to show up with the money. If nothing is done, and no claim is made, I will lose everything. Even my father, Marcus, won’t help me.”That thought hurt the most.Victoria barely slept that night. Each time she closed her eyes, images of courtrooms, sealed company gates, and Stephen’s mocking smile haunted her
Stephen goes on vacation
The room vibrated with the weight of unsaid truths.“Are you aware that time is no longer on our side?” Jeremiah asked, his voice tight, controlled—but barely.Victoria turned to him slowly. “Meaning what?” There was curiosity in her tone, but it was sharp, dangerous.Jeremiah took a step forward. “You have to tell us the truth. Did you, in any way, conspire with Stephen? Did you move the money?”The accusation landed like a slap.Victoria closed the distance between them in three quick strides. Her eyes burned as she spoke, her voice low and venomous. “I am not an empty brain like you. You think I can be manipulated by Stephen’s words?”She turned sharply, pointing at both men. “Look here. You two will sort this out. Right now.”The silence that followed was thick enough to choke on.Phones were out again. Fingers moved fast, desperate.They searched everywhere—Stephen’s office, his apartment, his known contacts. Assistants claimed ignorance. Security footage showed nothing unusual

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Victoria chased Ethan

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