2025-08-25 07:30:16
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Chapter Eleven – The Shattered Illusion
By morning, the scandal had teeth. Screens on every street corner flashed the headlines: COLE INDUSTRIES UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR FRAUD. IS ADRIAN COLE ANOTHER WOLF IN A SUIT?The media storm wasn’t just news, it was poison, infecting every corner of the market, In a downtown café, whispers rose among the city’s elites. “I thought he was the savior of the industry.”“Maybe he’s just another crook.”“Damian Grant wouldn’t lie. He has credibility.”And in penthouses and boardrooms, alliances wavered. Those who had rushed to Adrian’s side now questioned whether they’d backed the wrong horse.Inside Cole Tower’s war room, Adrian sat at the head of the table, silent while Marcus and the executives debated furiously. “We need to go public immediately,” one VP argued.“Deny everything. Sue them for slander!” another shouted.“We can’t just sit here” “Quiet,” Adrian said.The room fell into silence, His gaze swept the table, sharp and unblinking. “Damian thrives on noise. Every denial, every
Chapter Ten – The Counterstrike
The city’s financial district woke to a new frenzy. Newspapers screamed with headlines of the Grant Corporation’s collapse, investors panicked, and whispers of Adrian Cole’s unstoppable rise spread like wildfire.But in the Grant family’s private mansion, the atmosphere was molten rage. Harold Grant slammed a newspaper onto the marble table, his face blotched crimson. “Eight billion wiped overnight! Do you know what this means?”Damian sat opposite him, calm, sipping coffee as though the world wasn’t collapsing around them. His silver cufflinks glinted in the morning light.“It means,” Damian said smoothly, “Adrian Cole has declared war.”Harold’s fist pounded the table. “Then we’ll crush him. He’s just one man”“Not anymore,” Damian cut in, his voice sharp as a blade. “He’s Cole Industries. He’s Gerald Cole’s heir. And he’s got half the financial sector under his thumb already. You can’t fight him with brute force.”Harold’s jaw tightened. “Then what do you suggest?”Damian leaned ba
Chapter Nine – The Descent and the Rise
Rain fell hard as Elena staggered out of Cole Tower, her makeup streaked, her heart hollow. She had expected anger, yes, but the cold finality in Adrian’s words still echoed inside her like a death sentence: You’ll never be mine again.She drove without thinking, streets blurring. By the time she returned to Damian’s penthouse, she was drenched. The moment she walked in, Damian’s mocking voice cut through the silence.“Well, well. Look who came crawling back from her little field trip.”Elena froze. “You knew?”Damian smirked, swirling a glass of wine. “Of course. You went to Adrian. Did you think I wouldn’t have eyes on you?”Her chest tightened. “I just… I needed to see him.”He stepped closer, grip iron as he caught her chin. “Listen carefully, Elena. You’re mine. My pawn. My leverage. If you even think of running again, you won’t just lose your career, you’ll lose your family.”Her eyes widened. “You wouldn’t”“Wouldn’t I?” His smile was cruel. “You’re nothing to Adrian now. But
Chapter Eight – Ashes of the Past
The elevator doors whispered open on the top floor of Cole Tower. Elena stepped out, her heels clicking against marble.She looked small against the vastness of the executive floor, stripped of the arrogance that once made her seem untouchable. Employees turned, whispering. Their stares burned her like fire. The ex-wife, The one who mocked him, The one who betrayed him.Her throat tightened. She’d walked these halls before, head high, mocking the man who worked tirelessly while she dismissed him as useless. Now, every step toward his office felt like walking into judgment.Marcus stood outside Adrian’s office. He gave her a look halfway between disgust and pity. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said flatly.Elena’s lips trembled. “I… I need to see him.”Marcus studied her, then pushed the heavy doors open. Adrian stood by the window, city lights glittering behind him like stars bowing to a king. He didn’t turn as she entered.For a moment, Elena just stared. His posture was different, stra
Chapter Seven – Threads of Betrayal
At dawn, the Cole Tower’s upper floor hummed with tension. Adrian sat at the head of the table, files spread before him like weapons.Across the table, executives whispered nervously, they had seen the news, the photos of Elena smiling with Damian Black and Harold Grant. Gerald Cole entered with his cane, his sharp eyes sweeping the room. He spoke only once: “Proceed.”Adrian rose, his voice smooth, commanding. “Three subsidiaries tied to the Grant Corporation have defaulted overnight. Their offshore accounts were quietly frozen, traced to fraudulent transfers. By noon, regulators will descend. By evening, their stock will bleed.”The room went silent. One executive swallowed. “Sir… won’t they retaliate?”Adrian’s eyes glinted, cold and deliberate. “They already have. This isn’t retaliation. This is response.”Meanwhile, Elena sat in Damian’s penthouse, the city stretched in glass and steel around her. Yet she felt caged. Her phone buzzed relentlessly, messages from old “friends,” all
Chapter Six – The Pawn on Display
The ballroom shimmered with chandeliers and silk gowns. It was the annual Summit of Power, where the city’s wealthiest flaunted alliances and crushed rivals with a smile.Elena walked beside Damian, her emerald dress clinging like armor. Cameras flashed as if mocking her. On her other side, Harold Grant whispered for only her to hear:“Smile, my dear. Tonight, you’re not just Elena Cole. You’re our Elena.”Her lips curled upward, but her insides screamed. On the stage, Harold announced the Grant Corporation’s new “strategic partners.” When Elena’s name was read, gasps rippled through the hall.For years, she had been the icy wife of Adrian Cole, the “worthless son-in-law.” Now, she stood at the right hand of his enemies. Elena forced her chin higher as applause thundered. Yet she caught whispers between the claps.“She betrayed him.”“Poor girl doesn’t realize, she’s being used.”“Damian always did like breaking toys.”Her hand trembled against her glass of champagne. Across the room,
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