The Ding Of Destiny: Cole Walker's Revenge

Chapter 6: Vanessa’s Fall

The banquet hall pulsed with chatter again, but the air had changed. The crowd wasn’t talking about Harlan’s empire, Derek’s investments, or even the gala itself.

They were talking about Cole Walker. Every whisper circled back to him, the tuxedo, the entrance, the women at his side, the aura that made even Dallas’s power players step back.

And Vanessa Walker was at the center of it, her humiliation written in bold across every whisper. “Did you see how he pushed her away?”

“She begged him, and he rejected her in front of everyone.”

“She was his wife. Left him for Derek Stone. And now… look at her.”

Vanessa’s silver gown glittered under the chandeliers, but her face was pale. She tried to smile, to laugh, to pretend the whispers didn’t sting, but her trembling hands betrayed her.

Cole stood calm, untouchable, sipping champagne. His eyes slid over Vanessa like she was nothing more than background noise. That hurt more than rejection. She tried again.

Gathering her courage, Vanessa stepped closer, her voice pitched sweetly. “Cole… darling. Please, don’t do this. We don’t need to fight here. Let’s show them we can be civil.”

Her words were soft, pleading, but loud enough for nearby guests to hear. Cole set his glass down, eyes locking onto hers. The room seemed to quiet again, drawn into the tension.

“Civil?” His voice was calm, sharp enough to cut through the music. “You think you deserve civility after what you did?”

Vanessa flinched. “Cole, please.”

Cole raised a hand, silencing her. “Let me remind everyone exactly what kind of woman you are.”

Gasps rippled through the hall. All eyes turned. Cole tapped his watch. The System’s blue panel shimmered, invisible to all but him.

[Ding. Scandal Projector Activated]

[Target: Vanessa Walker].

[Duration: 5 minutes]

The massive screen behind the stage flickered to life. At first, the crowd murmured in confusion. Then, the images appeared.

Photos. Videos. Vanessa, wrapped in Derek Stone’s arms, lips locked with his in hotel rooms, in luxury cars, in the very office Cole had once walked through with pride. Gasps erupted. “That’s?”

“Vanessa? With Derek Stone?”

“She was married to Cole!”

The videos played with sound. Vanessa’s own voice filled the hall. “Cole’s useless. He’ll never be more than trash. Derek, you’re everything he isn’t.”

Vanessa froze, her face draining of color. “No, no, stop this, !” She spun toward Cole, eyes wide with horror. “Cole, please!”

But Cole only smirked, his voice cold and merciless. “This is the woman who called me worthless. Who threw away five years of marriage for a richer bed. And now? She wants me back.”

The laughter started soft, then spread. Guests hid their smirks behind champagne glasses, whispered cruelly, and shook their heads. “Pathetic.”

“She traded down.”

“She’s finished.”

Vanessa’s legs shook. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she collapsed to her knees in front of Cole, clutching at his pant leg. “Please, Cole! I was wrong! I regret everything! Don’t do this to me.”

Cole looked down at her, his eyes ice. “Wrong?” His voice cut through her sobbing. “You weren’t wrong, Vanessa. You were just too stupid to realize who I’d become.”

He kicked her hand away, turning his back on her. The crowd gasped at the cruelty, but they admired it, too. 

The face-slapping was complete. Vanessa stayed crumpled on the floor, broken, her reputation shattered beyond repair.

[Ding Task Complete: Humiliate Vanessa Walker]

[Reward Granted: Fleet of Luxury Cars + $2 Billion Boost]

[Sub-Quest Complete: Destroy Vanessa’s Social Standing]

[Reward Granted: Private Jet + Global Access]

Cole’s phone buzzed in his pocket. New ownership documents. Dozens of luxury cars now his. A private jet ready at Love Field Airport. 

His net worth soared past $3 billion, but Cole didn’t smile. His eyes were already shifting across the banquet hall.

Derek Stone was glaring at him, fists clenched, face red with rage. Jonathan Harlan stood calm, calculating, sipping his wine.

Two more targets. Two more humiliations to deliver. Cole raised his champagne glass, ignoring the sobbing wreck at his feet. 

His voice rang across the hall: “To betrayal,” he said, lips curling into a razor-sharp grin, “and what happens when you bet against me.”

The applause erupted. Loud. Unstoppable. Vanessa’s tears were drowned in it, and Cole Walker stood at the center, untouchable.