2025-10-17 18:26:37Brandon Scott wiped the last bit of dust from the polished counter when his phone buzzed sharply.
Without wasting any time, he picked up. “Sir, the application went through. Reckon International, your wife's company has been approved for listing. Tomorrow morning, during the prime time slot, she’ll be ringing the Nasdaq bell.” Brandon froze mid-step, the rag slipping slightly from his hand. “Are you certain?” “Yes, sir. And the press conference is being broadcast live on TV right now. The whole market is buzzing.” "Good job, Joe,” he said warmly. “You’ve handled everything flawlessly. I’m proud of you.” After ending the call, Brandon smiled with quiet pride. For the past two years of their marriage, he had supported Sophia, his wife, behind the scenes, but she had remained unaware of the countless ways he had worked to pave her path. Now, he had secured her approval for a position that many brilliant and ambitious executives in the city had applied for—yet only she had been chosen. Brandon hurried to the kitchen, gathering fresh snacks to share the news and celebrate with everyone in the house. Downstairs, in the grand living room, Ava Bennet, his mother-in-law sat with her circle of well-dressed friends. The women gathered, proudly talking about their children’s achievements. “My eldest just locked in a partnership with Whitmore & Blake, one of New York’s top law firms,” Alice one of Ava’s friends said, her smile tinged with smug satisfaction. “That’s impressive,” Doris, another friend replied, leaning in. “My son just got recruited by a Silicon Valley tech giant. They’re offering him a six-figure starting salary—straight out of grad school.” Ava listened with her fingers tightening around her teacup. She wanted to boast too, to show them that her family wasn’t any less capable, but all she had to offer was the silent truth of her daughter Sophia’s long nights and tireless work. It didn’t quite match the polished stories her friends recited. “And your daughter?” Alice asked slyly, her eyes sparkling as she noticed Jane hadn’t spoken. “She’s doing well at Reckon International,” Ava replied. The women chuckled. Ava’s remark seemed hardly remarkable. Clearly, Sophia, her daughter hadn’t accomplished anything extraordinary, especially considering the caliber of her husband, whose league they knew all too well. Probably, they were in similar circles themselves. The only difference was that she worked, while he stayed at home. Just then, a polite knock came at the door before it opened. Brandon stepped inside, balancing a tray with snacks and freshly brewed tea, greeting them and presenting it with a smile. “I thought everyone could use a little refreshment,” he said smoothly. The women snickered behind their hands, eyes glinting with mischief. “Oh, Ava,” Doris drawled, “your son-in-law is just too sweet.” “Such a model houseboy,” Alice added, her tone dripping with mockery. Ava flushed, caught between embarrassment and fury. She had tried to cover for her daughter, and now this good-for-nothing son-in-law had the audacity to appear. “You’re lucky, Ava,” Doris continued, feigning admiration. “Even if he isn’t rich or capable, at least he knows how to serve people. That’s… special.” Alice leaned in, smirking. “Yes, quite the dedicated housekeeper. You really are fortunate.” The women burst into laughter. Ava’s cheeks burned crimson and her pride shriveled under their playful mockery. She turned on Brandon sharply. “Do you have no shame, you piece of trash?! This isn’t a place for you to hover and make a fool of yourself. Now, leave!” Brandon’s expression faltered, but he didn’t retreat. He set the tray carefully on the table, then straightened. “I apologize if I intruded,” he said, respectfully. “But there’s something important I wanted to share. I’ve just received news about Sophia.” At the mention of her daughter, Ava’s annoyance wavered. She leaned forward, eager to hear what Brandon had to say. “What about Sophia?” “Her company has been approved for listing. Tomorrow she’ll ring the Nasdaq bell. And right now,” Brandon added, eyes gleaming, “her press conference is airing live on television.” The words hit the room like a stone dropped into still water and Ava blinked. “Is… is that true?” she asked, her voice trembling between disbelief and hope. Brandon nodded firmly. “It’s true.” Without hesitation, one of the women snatched the remote and turned on the television. The screen flickered to life, and there was Sophia Bennet standing poised at a podium. She wore a tailored suit, her hair swept elegantly, and her smile was radiant and confident. Cameras flashed, and reporters leaned forward to listen to her. Ava’s hand flew to her mouth as pride surged through her chest. The women around her gasped in shock. Could this truly be Sophia—Ava’s daughter—the very one they had just ridiculed in their minds? How extraordinary! Unable to contain their excitement, they broke into delighted praise. “Gracious! Your daughter looks so incredible!” "She's the perfect mix of beauty and brains!" “How accomplished! This is extraordinary.” “To think she’ll be ringing the Nasdaq bell tomorrow! That’s history.” Compliments poured over Ava, and with each one, she felt very proud. She had always known her daughter’s brilliance, but seeing it reflected in the astonished eyes of her friends who had just made her appear as the odd one out amongst them, felt sweeter than she had ever imagined. In the midst of this, she noticed Brandon linger quietly by the doorway with a faint smile on his lips. The louder the women praised Sophia, the deeper Ava’s resentment burned. Every glance at her son-in-law standing there was a reminder that he was nowhere near her daughter’s league. “You fool!” she barked. “You’ve said what you came to say. Now get out. Go downstairs and finish the chores. Don’t just stand here as if you belong!”
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Chapter 184
The decision was sealed the moment Alexander nodded.For a brief second, silence swallowed the living room. No one spoke. No one questioned what had just been agreed upon. The air itself seemed to hold its breath, as though the room understood that something irreversible had been set in motion.Victor was the first to move.He reached for his phone without ceremony, his expression calm, almost bored, as if this were nothing more than a routine business call. There was no flicker of doubt in his eyes, no hesitation in his hands. Men like Victor had long ago learned to separate consequence from conscience. When power ruled, morality became something flexible—something adjusted when it became inconvenient.He stepped away from the group, turning his back slightly as he dialed a number saved without a name.The phone rang once.Twice.Then the call connected.“Cole,” Victor said evenly. “We have a job.”Miles away, Cole Riven leaned back in his chair, one boot propped against the edge of
Chapter 183
Alexander’s living room slowly regained its earlier rhythm, though the tension never fully left. The sharp scent of spilled wine still hung stubbornly in the air, mingling with the faint aroma of polished wood and expensive cologne. Somewhere outside, a car passed, its tires hissing softly against the road, a reminder that the world beyond these walls continued as normal. Inside, however, something had shifted. His friends drew closer together, their movements subtle but instinctive, as though proximity alone might restore the confidence that had cracked moments earlier.The shattered glass on the marble floor had been pushed aside, but the dark stain of wine remained, an unspoken reminder of how quickly certainty could break.One of them, Victor, was the first to speak. He leaned back against the arm of the couch, crossing his arms with a scoff that sounded deliberately casual. “Honestly, Alex, those men were never up to the task,” he said dismissively. “You trusted the wrong people.
Chapter 182
Alexander froze where he stood. For a split second, he was convinced the voice coming from his phone was distorted, that the words had twisted themselves into something nonsensical. His mind rejected them outright. The laughter that had filled the room only moments earlier died instantly, cut off as if someone had slammed a door shut. The air felt heavier and charged. “What did you just say?” Alexander asked slowly. His tone was deceptively calm, too controlled, the kind of calm that came just before something broke. His eyes narrowed, and his fingers tightened around the phone until his knuckles paled. “Repeat yourself.” On the other end of the line, the man hesitated. Alexander could hear labored breathing, uneven and strained, and beneath it, the faint, unmistakable sound of pain being suppressed. “Sir…” the man began, then paused, as if bracing himself. “I said Brandon Scott defeated us.” Alexander blinked. Once. Twice. Then he laughed. It was a short, disbelieving so
Chapter 181
Alexander lounged in his sprawling living room. The scent of expensive wine mingled with the faint aroma of freshly lit candles, creating an atmosphere of leisure and indulgence, the kind that suggested nothing in the world could disturb the man who ruled this space. He sat back comfortably in his plush leather armchair, one leg crossed over the other, a deep burgundy glass of aged wine resting loosely in his hand. He swirled the liquid slowly, watching the wine cling to the sides of the glass as though savoring the ritual more than the drink itself. Around him, his closest friends laughed lightly, their voices blending with the soft hum of background music. Their chatter echoed off the high walls, filled with careless amusement and easy confidence, but Alexander’s mind was not fully with them. He was already looking ahead. “Tonight,” he began at last, his voice smooth and controlled, cutting through the laughter with effortless authority. The room grew quieter as his friends
Chapter 180
Brandon’s eyes flicked rapidly across the room as the men lunged toward him. Yet, deep within him, a memory stirred—a memory of years spent learning the fundamentals of martial training. He hadn’t practiced seriously in a long time, letting time and comfort dull the edge of his skill, but it had never left him entirely. And now, it was as though the universe had presented him with the perfect test. The first man swung a massive fist toward Brandon’s head. He ducked instinctively, feeling the rush of air as the man’s punch missed by inches. His body reacted on memory alone. With a swift motion, Brandon jabbed upward with his elbow, striking the attacker’s shoulder in a precise, controlled motion. The man grunted, staggered slightly, but Brandon didn’t pause. He shifted his weight, spinning around to deliver a calculated kick that caught another man approaching from the side. The force wasn’t meant to maim, but it threw the attacker off balance, and he crashed into the wall with a loud
Chapter 179
Brandon’s words barely finished echoing in the room when the men burst into laughter. It wasn’t the kind of laughter that carried humor or lightness. It was sharp, mocking, filled with certainty and contempt, a sound that sliced through the tense air like a jagged blade. It bounced off the walls of the bedroom, ricocheting from the ceiling and hard wooden floors, making the space feel suddenly smaller, tighter, as though the walls themselves were closing in. Each echo seemed to press down on Brandon’s shoulders, but he refused to show fear. “Missed our way?” the man closest to Brandon repeated, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, his voice thick with derision. “You really think we walk into a house without knowing exactly where we’re going?” Another man shook his head slowly, a smirk twisting his features. “That’s what happens when someone lives too comfortably. You forget the world doesn’t always knock before it enters.” Brandon’s jaw tightened, but he kept his expre
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