RUTHLESS MAGNATE'S SUPREMACY

Chapter 4

Jarren Corpuz walked through the automated sliding doors of the Joans Group lobby, carrying an expensive leather envelope while wearing a tailored midnight suit darker than a moonless night and a luxury wristwatch that cost more than two high end condominiums.

The ambient temperature of the bustling ground floor seemed to drop the moment he crossed the threshold. His dark hair was swept back meticulously, accentuating the sharp planes of his face and the silent fury burning behind his tinted sunglasses. Employees scurried past with hurried steps, avoiding eye contact as though witnessing a ghost walking among the living. He kept his stride steady, refusing to let the heavy weight of impending conflict compromise his posture.

Before he could reach the elevator banks, Niro intercepted him with a predatory grin plastered across his face.

"Taking a leisurely stroll through forbidden territory, Jarren Corpuz?" Niro asked, his voice laced with venomous amusement as he stepped directly into Jarren's path. "Surely you remember that as of yesterday, your presence is strictly banned from every single estate, building, and property bearing our family name."

Jarren did not flinch. Instead, he stopped, exhaling a slow, measured breath that visibly rattled the silk fabric of his lapel. He pushed his dark sunglasses up the bridge of his nose before hooking them securely onto the collar of his tuxedo shirt, revealing a gaze cold enough to freeze boiling water.

"I am not here to play elementary school games with you, Niro," Jarren replied, his tone low, steady, and devoid of warmth. "I am here to deliver exactly what your family demanded."

Niro’s eyes widened with mocking delight, his chest puffing out as he crossed his arms over his expensive designer shirt. "Oh? Is that so? Have you finally brought the nine million dollars you owe Nerissa, or are you hoping for another extension?" He laughed harshly, shaking his head. "Well, at least you finally decided to settle your debts like a proper adult."

Jarren’s jaw tightened, the muscles ticking violently beneath his skin. A handful of Joans Group employees lingered near the pillars, openly staring and whispering behind cupped hands. The sheer unprofessionalism of the scene grated on Jarren's nerves, reminding him of how far his former allies had fallen. He chalked it up to the crushing humiliation Niro had suffered the previous day, desperate to claw back a shred of dignity at any cost.

"That is not why I am here, Niro," Jarren said, stepping closer until the space between them vanished. "I am holding the termination contract your family legal team requested."

Niro’s expression shifted, the mockery melting into a triumphant sneer. He leaned forward, invading Jarren’s personal space until his lips brushed against Jarren's ear. "Well, it is about time you accepted reality, Jarren. By the way, how does it feel to know you were traded for a man with significantly more wealth? Did the betrayal sting, or are you still in denial?"

A primal wave of heat surged through Jarren's veins, his fists clenching so tightly that his knuckles turned stark white. He prepared to lunge forward, ready to wipe the smug grin off Niro's face once and for all. But before his muscles could fully contract, massive fingers clamped down onto his left shoulder with brutal, bone crushing pressure.

"Do not even think about twitching a muscle, Jarren, unless you want to find out what happens when you defy the Joans family inside our own stronghold," Damian, the newly arrived whispered, his voice dripping with malicious satisfaction from directly behind him.

Pain radiated down Jarren’s arm, locking his joints in place and stripping away his leverage. He tried to twist away, but the grip only tightened, digging deep into his muscle tissue.

"Hand over the termination contract," Niro demanded, extending an open palm.

Niro flicked his gaze toward his cousin, signaling Damian to release his grip. Damian slowly loosened his fingers, dragging them roughly across Jarren’s shoulder before stepping back.

"Give Niro the papers right now, and get out of our sight before we throw you out!" Damian barked, his face flushed with arrogance.

Memory flashed uninvited through Jarren’s mind, replaying years of brotherhood and unwavering loyalty. He had treated these two men like blood brothers, sharing everything down to custom luxury watches whenever he acquired something new. In a single heartbeat, camaraderie had evaporated into ash, replaced by ruthless corporate cruelty.

Jarren lifted the leather envelope and handed it over. Niro snatched it eagerly, a triumphant smirk returning to his lips as he slid the contents out. But the moment his eyes scanned the printed text, the color drained entirely from his face, and his smile vanished. The document was completely devoid of Jarren’s signature. Only Niro’s signature adorned the pages, staring back at him like a mocking joke.

"What kind of sick game are you playing with me, you absolute bastard?!" Niro roared, his face contorting into a mask of pure fury.

Without warning, Niro slammed the stack of papers directly into Jarren’s face. Crisp white sheets fluttered violently through the air, scattering across the polished marble floor like winter snow. Jarren swallowed hard, tasting copper as his lip caught the edge of heavy cardstock.

"What is going on here, Niro?! What did this fool do?!" Damian demanded, rushing forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with his cousin.

"This absolute piece of trash refused to sign the termination contracts between the Joans Group and his cursed Corpuz Estate company!" Niro screamed at the top of his lungs.

The explosive volume of the shout ricocheted off the soaring glass ceilings, instantly arresting the attention of every single employee, receptionist, and passerby on the ground floor. A heavy, suffocating silence fell over the lobby, broken only by the hum of the ventilation system.

Jarren alternated his gaze between the two cousins, feeling the absolute limit of his emotional elasticity stretch until it was ready to snap. Without a second thought, he shoved both hands flat against Niro’s chest, sending the CEO stumbling backward.

"Why in the world would I sign those papers, Niro?!" Jarren shouted, his voice vibrating with suppressed rage. "If anything, your company owes me heavy financial penalties for breaching our binding partnership agreement! Have you both completely lost your minds? We are supposed to be exclusive business partners, yet you secretly signed behind my back with Jimmy Terson?! Are you out of your absolute minds?!"

Before Jarren could recover his balance, Damian lunged forward with explosive force, slamming both palms hard against Jarren’s chest. The impact was devastating, sending Jarren flying backward off his feet and crashing hard onto the hard marble floor.

"You have zero right to lay a hand on my cousin, Jarren!" Damian yelled, standing over him with a towering, aggressive posture. "You are the one who betrayed our family, yet you stand here acting like the victim? Security! Get over here immediately and throw this worthless trash out!"

From the perimeter of the lobby, the corporate security team immediately sprang into action, led by Alex, the towering head of security for the Joans Group.

"Is there a problem, Sir Damian?" Alex asked, jogging up with a menacing posture.

Damian glared down at Jarren, his eyes filled with absolute contempt as Jarren pushed himself up onto his elbows against the cold stone floor.

"That man right there physically assaulted Niro, the CEO of the Joans Group!" Damian lied smoothly, pointing an accusing finger down at Jarren. "Beat him into the ground right here in front of all our employees so he learns some permanent respect!"

"Understood, Sir!" Alex barked.

Two massive security guards flanked Jarren instantly, grabbing his upper arms in a vice grip and wrenching him violently upward while Alex stepped directly into his personal space.

Regret washed over Jarren like a tidal wave. He should never have walked through these doors. Fighting back against the Joans family inside their own corporate headquarters was a fool's errand, and he knew he was entirely at their mercy.

"You are an animal, Damian!" Jarren yelled, straining against the guards.

"Call me whatever you want, Jarren, especially when trash tries to attack my family," Damian sneered coldly. "Go ahead! Break him until he cannot walk out of here on his own!"

Jarren thrashed and fought with every ounce of strength left in his body, but it was useless. The two guards simultaneously delivered brutal, synchronized kicks to the backs of his knees, buckling his legs out from under him and forcing him violently back down onto the floor, kneeling right in front of Damian and Niro.

Alex stepped forward, pulling his fist back to deliver a devastating blow to Jarren’s face.

"Stop right there," an authoritative, ice cold voice commanded from across the lobby.

The heavy atmosphere shifted instantly as the sharp, rhythmic clack of expensive stiletto heels striking the marble floor echoed through the cavernous space, demanding absolute attention from everyone present.

"Good lord! Who on earth is that?!"

"Why is she stunningly breathtaking?!"

"Wait... I recognize that face!" an employee whispered in sheer disbelief.

"Isn't she... isn't she Luciana Harolds?!"

"What?!" Damian and Niro gasped in unison, their aggressive postures instantly freezing as they snapped their heads toward the entrance.

Jarren slowly raised his head, blinking through the sweat stinging his eyes to look at the woman walking toward them.

"Luciana Harolds?" he whispered under his breath.

His racing mind struggled to comprehend why the sole heiress to the Harolds dynasty—a business titan whose family wealth tripled that of the Terson family—would ever grace a corporate lobby like this.

The word gorgeous did not even begin to scratch the surface of the woman slowly closing the distance between them. Her presence commanded the room like an apex predator stepping onto an open field, her gaze locked directly onto the chaotic scene unfolding before her.