RUTHLESS MAGNATE'S SUPREMACY

Chapter 5

She was the woman every female on earth secretly envied, celebrated as the undisputed titan at the helm of her family’s massive conglomerate. Having managed the vast Harolds Empire for just five short years, Luciana stood firmly at the absolute peak of her power, radiating an aura of chilling control that commanded absolute obedience without her ever having to raise her voice.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Damian demanded, his voice echoing sharply across the polished marble floors as he glared at the intruder.

"Let go of Mr. Corpuz, right now," Luciana commanded the two burly security guards who had a firm, bruising grip on Jarren’s arms.

The guards momentarily glanced toward Alex, then to Damian, and finally sought silent permission from Niro before making a move.

"Let him go," Niro ordered, his pride visibly bruised and fracturing under the immense weight of Luciana's piercing glare.

The two guards instantly released Jarren, allowing him to stumble forward, dust himself off, and awkwardly stand back up from his forced kneeling position.

Six impeccably tailored bodyguards who had followed Luciana closely into the building immediately stepped forward in unison. Every single person in the bustling lobby hurriedly scrambled back to their respective tasks, desperately pretending to be busy to avoid catching the billionaire’s eye. Even the elite security personnel of the Joans Group looked visibly shaken and intimidated. Everyone within the corporate circles knew that the private security detail hired by the Harolds family was no ordinary crew; they were elite, ruthlessly efficient, and combat-trained professionals.

Niro cleared his throat nervously, forcing a strained, oily smile as he looked toward Luciana. "Miss Harolds, to what do I owe the absolute honor? It is truly a privilege for my humble kingdom to be graced by a woman of your stature," he said, gesturing broadly toward his company's skyscraper, desperately trying to channel his most charming demeanor in front of the formidable heiress.

"I am here for someone specific," Luciana replied coldly, her dark, unblinking gaze locked entirely onto Jarren.

"We can discuss whatever business you have inside the comfort of my private office, Miss Harolds. Right this way and—"

"It is you I am talking about, Mr. Corpuz," Luciana interrupted flatly, her voice cutting through the cavernous lobby like a razor-sharp blade.

A collective gasp echoed through the room as every eye snapped back to Luciana in utter shock. Jarren watched closely as Niro’s eyebrows twitched violently in deep irritation, his pride stinging deeply from being so brazenly dismissed.

"What?" Niro sighed, forcing a disbelieving chuckle. "Luciana, why? What could you possibly want with a man like this? Surely you aren't aware of what he just pulled, or the things he did to my sister, Nerissa."

"Niro is right," Damian chimed in eagerly, leaping at the chance to pile on more dirt. "He broke her heart, walked out like a coward, and refused to return the money he stole from my cousin."

Jarren let out a heavy, frustrated breath through his nose. Those manipulative cousins were absolute animals. Even standing in front of someone as terrifying as Luciana Harolds, they still couldn't resist the urge to smear his name and tear down his remaining dignity.

"Mr. Corpuz, go outside and wait for me by the vehicle," Luciana instructed, completely ignoring the two men's petty accusations.

Jarren simply looked at the woman who stood before him, entirely unbothered by Niro and Damian's desperate theatrics. He swallowed hard, a sudden, unnerving chill running down his spine. Why did it feel this way? Why did he suddenly feel like a mere puppet dangling effortlessly from Luciana Harolds' invisible strings?

Luciana raised a single hand and snapped her fingers sharply. "Bodyguards, escort Mr. Corpuz outside and make sure he gets into my car," she instructed smoothly. "As for his own car, one of you will drive it wherever we are heading next."

"Copy, Miss Lucy!" her lead bodyguard responded crisply.

Jarren looked up into Luciana's eyes one last time. His gaze searched hers, desperately trying to decipher what her hidden agenda was, but her expression remained completely unreadable. Instead, she locked eyes with him, her intense stare cutting straight through his soul with an overwhelming sense of calculated dominance.

"I will catch up with you shortly, Mr. Corpuz."

Luciana watched as the remaining onlookers forbid to look to her because of the sheer gravity of her presence, with the arrogant cousins looking equally shell-shocked.

She turned her gaze back to Niro and Damian, raising a single, perfectly sculpted eyebrow as they stood there completely speechless.

"Niro, why on earth didn't we just let our security beat Jarren to a bloody pulp so he'd finally learn his lesson?!" Damian exploded in sudden, furious frustration the moment Luciana turned away. "Why the hell did you let your own guards just let him escape their grip?!"

"Damian, are you completely brainless?!" Niro hissed, glaring daggers at his cousin. "Your head is so full of absolute garbage that you couldn't even recognize who that woman really was!"

"She is none other than Miss Luciana Harolds, Sir Damian," Alex interjected, his voice trembling slightly. "And there isn't a soul in this country bold enough to disobey a woman like that. Everyone in our position has no choice but to bow down to her."

Damian fell silent, grinding his teeth in frustration before letting out a long, ragged breath. "That bastard got lucky. He was practically trapped inside the Joans' den, and yet he still managed to slip away."

"Let him go for now," Niro muttered darkly, adjusting his collar. "Luciana Harolds might have pulled him out of the fire today, but she won't be around to save him tomorrow. I am not about to let him walk away after openly disrespecting me like that."

A few feet away, Nerissa walked into the lobby just as the tension was beginning to settle, her heels clicking sharply against the floor.

"Niro, what on earth just happened out here? Why are all these scattered papers littering the floor?!" she demanded, her eyes darting between the mess and her relatives.

"That miserable bastard!" Damian barked angrily.

"Damian, what are you even talking about?!" Nerissa asked, her patience wearing thin.

Damian let out another violent huff of air. "What do you think, Neri? It's your precious good-for-nothing ex-boyfriend! He had the absolute audacity to show up here bright and early just to cause a scene, scattering his useless trash all over the lobby," Damian complained bitterly, framing the narrative to suit his bruised ego. "He even shoved Niro aside earlier. He physically assaulted Niro yesterday, and today he came back looking for round two."

"I want to hear the unvarnished truth, Niro, Damian," Nerissa demanded firmly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Neri, do I look like I'm lying to you? Go ahead and ask anyone who was standing right here in this lobby."

"Damian..."

Deep down, Nerissa knew the truth about Jarren’s character. Throughout their three-year relationship, she knew intimately how remarkably calm, patient, and level-headed he always was when dealing with difficult situations. He was never the type to resort to violence or lash out unless someone had pushed him past his absolute breaking point.

"Neri, are you seriously still going to take his side over ours? I am your own brother," Niro said, masterfully pivoting to play the pitiful victim. "And Damian is your cousin. It's completely absurd to think we would just invent an entire story out of thin air just to frame that guy."

"Neri, every single word I'm telling you is the absolute truth," Damian pressed, stepping closer to her with an earnest expression. "If you had seen how Jarren waltzed in here today, you would have thought he owned the entire building. He showed zero respect for the Joans family, and especially zero respect for your brother Niro, the CEO of this company!" Damian then turned a sharp glare toward Alex, silently warning the security head to back up his story.

Alex nervously cleared his throat. "Miss Joans, you really need to believe your cousin. It's true that Mr. Corpuz initiated the confrontation. He even brought a contract termination notice with him, though conveniently, it didn't have a single signature on it," Alex supported smoothly.

"See, Neri? Neither Niro nor I would ever lie to you," Damian insisted, pressing his advantage. "It's an undeniable fact that your idiot ex-boyfriend is the sole mastermind behind this morning's chaos."

Nerissa fell completely silent, her lips parting slightly as she swallowed hard against the sudden lump in her throat. Her mind raced in circles, completely paralyzed by conflicting emotions. She honestly didn't know what to think anymore. Perhaps Jarren was simply overwhelmed, and that was why he was acting so completely out of character. He must still be drowning in the immense pain of their breakup, especially after she stubbornly returned the promise ring he had given her on their very first anniversary.