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The air in the executive suite was thick—not just with the expensive scent of cedarwood and Cuban tobacco, but with a tension that felt like a physical weight.
The Emilda Tower stood like a jagged glass needle piercing the midnight sky of the city. Inside Robert's office, the floor-to-ceiling windows offered a cold, shimmering view of thousands of lights, but the room itself felt like a tomb.
Robert sat behind a desk carved from a single slab of obsidian. He wore a charcoal-grey tailored suit that cost more than most people's college tuition, his fingers toyed with a glowing cigar. He looked every bit the king of an empire built on shadows.
Jake stepped inside, his leather jacket squeaking in the silence. He looked out of place in this world of marble and silk—rugged, angry, and breathless.
"Why was she here?" Jake's voice was a low growl. "I saw Gabriella leaving the entrance."
Robert took a slow drag of his cigar, a haunting smirk playing on his lips. "Ah, so you saw her. She came to make a deal, Jake."
Jake's heart hammered against his ribs. He remembered the look in Gabriella's eyes —the way her silk emerald dress, usually so vibrant, seemed dimmed by exhaustion. Her eyes, usually full of fire, had been clouded with a deep, aching desperation.
"What deal?" Jake narrowed his eyes, stepping closer to the obsidian desk.
Robert chuckled, a sound like dry gravel. "I made her an offer to save her family. Her father is drowning in that money laundering case. I told her I'd pull the strings to get him out. But... she declined. For now."
Jake felt a surge of protectiveness, a raw emotion he tried to hide. "You offered to help her? You don't help anyone for free."
"I told her I'd save him," Robert grinned, his teeth white against the dim light, "if she agreed to marry you."
Fury ignited in Jake's chest. He marched toward the desk, leaning down until he was inches from his father's face. "Who told you I wanted to marry her?"
Robert actually blinked, a flicker of genuine shock crossing his features. "What? Don't you?"
Jake didn't answer. His gaze drifted to a leather-bound folder resting near Robert's elbow. He snatched it up, flipping through the pages. His eyes landed on a specific clause: Share Transfer Agreement.
Jake let out a sharp, cynical scoff. "Don't lie to me. This isn't just about a wedding. You demanded her family's company shares too, didn't you? You're not playing matchmaker; you're playing predator."
Robert's smile vanished instantly. His face hardened into a mask of cold corporate greed. "So what if I did? You can't get everything for free in this world, Jake. Power requires sacrifice."
Jake's voice suddenly dropped, turning eerily soft, filled with a dangerous kind of calm. "Help her. Save her father. But do it without these conditions."
Robert stared at his son, then burst into a mocking laugh. "My son... talking to me so gently? For the first time in years, you're begging? For her?"
Jake rolled his eyes, his disgust palpable. "I'm not begging. I'm telling you how it's going to be."
Robert's eyes turned furious, the veins in his neck bulging. "And if I refuse? If I let her father rot and take her company anyway?"
Jake turned toward the door, a cold, satisfied smirk spreading across his face. He looked back over his shoulder, his voice cutting through the room like a blade.
"Then I won't marry her," Jake said simply. "And without the marriage clause, your legal loophole to claim those shares disappears. Your entire plan... it flops. You lose everything you've worked for tonight."
Robert stood up, his chair crashing backward. "Jake!"
But Jake was already walking away, leaving his father fuming in the dark. As he stepped into the elevator, Jake pulled out his phone. He had saved Gabriella from one trap, but he knew the revenge she was planning was far more dangerous than his father realized.
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The air in Felix's private gym was thick with the scent of adrenaline and expensive cologne.
The room was a minimalist masterpiece—floor-to-ceiling glass walls looking out over a private forest, filled with state-of-the-art black steel equipment. Felix stood in the center, a towering figure of raw power. He was tall, his muscles rippling under a loose-sleeved grey top that was now soaked through with sweat, clinging to his chest. His loose black track pants hung low on his hips as he finished a brutal set of reps.
His phone buzzed, vibrating against the hardwood floor. It was Nancy, his sister, calling from half a world away.
"The client meeting," Nancy's voice drifted through the speaker. "How did it go?"
"Done," Felix replied, his voice raspy from exertion. "They accepted the plan. Everything is moving."
There was a pause. "Felix... are you okay? You're not upset with me, right? Because I pushed to cancel your engagement to Raina?"
Felix grabbed a towel, his voice becoming eerily casual. "No. Actually, I was going to tell you to cancel it myself."
"What?" Nancy sounded floored.
"Yeah," Felix said, his tone cool and detached. "Me and Raina? We never liked each other. We only agreed because the elders wanted it. I thought I'd give it a chance, see where it went... but she isn't my type."
"Felix!" Nancy snapped, her protective sisterly instincts flaring. "This is your life, not a game! Don't just 'try' things. I want you to be happy, nothing else."
Felix swiped the sweat from his forehead, his eyes cold. "I know. I have to go. Bye."
As he hung up, his assistant stepped forward, handing him a cold water bottle. "Why lie to her, sir?"
Felix snatched the bottle, the plastic crinkling under his grip. "What did you expect? Should I tell her the truth and make her worry?"
The assistant hesitated. "No, but..."
"You and I both know the truth," Felix growled, unscrewing the cap. "I wanted to marry Raina to get close to Han. It was a move on a chessboard."
The assistant smirked. "And now? You've found another 'dice' that leads to Han, haven't you?"
Felix didn't deny it. A slow, dangerous smirk spread across his face. "Yes. His sister."
The room went quiet for a second before Felix turned back. "What about Raina? How is the progress on her murder case? Is she still rotting in a cell?"
The assistant gave a playful, knowing smile. "Why do you still care? Do you actually... like Raina?"
Felix growled and threw his sweat-soaked towel at the assistant's face. "Don't talk nonsense. I just feel bad for her."
"Well, don't feel too bad," the assistant said, catching the towel with a laugh. "She's being released today."
Felix froze, the water bottle halfway to his lips. "What? How? The evidence was airtight."
"Their lawyer is more than capable. Look for yourself," the assistant said, gesturing to a tablet.
Felix grabbed the device and scrolled through the news. A headline flashed: RAINA RELEASED: KEY CONFESSION VIDEO PROVEN TO BE AI DEEPFAKE.
Felix's eyes narrowed as he read. The video where Raina supposedly confessed to killing Kevin—the video that was supposed to ruin her—had been officially debunked in court. The experts claimed the original confession was a high-tech AI fabrication.
"AI?" Felix whispered, his voice trembling with a mix of shock and dark admiration.
He searched for the video, but every link was dead. Every social media post had been scrubbed clean. It was as if the confession never existed.
Felix scoffed, a chill running down his spine. "To make the entire world believe that the truth was actually a lie... to convince everyone that an original video is just AI..."
He looked at the empty space where the video used to be, his heart hammering. Someone out there wasn't just playing the game—they were rewriting the rules.
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The sun was setting behind the towering spires of the Han Estate, casting long, jagged shadows across the driveway. Inside the grand foyer, the air felt stiff and formal.
Roselette was frantically folding silk blouses into a designer suitcase. Her movements were sharp, driven by an invisible clock. Han, her nephew, stood in the doorway, watching her with a confused frown.
"Auntie, why are you packing?" Han asked, leaning against the doorframe. "Dad said you should stay here until Uncle gets back."
Roselette didn't look up. "Don't worry, Han. I told my brother already. I have a mountain of paperwork waiting for me. The lawyers are breathing down my neck."
Han's eyes scanned the room, searching for a specific face. "Where's Gabriella? I haven't seen her since last night. Where is she?"
Roselette hesitated for a heartbeat, her hand pausing over a velvet dress. "She's already at the mansion. I sent her back yesterday."
"What?" Han's heart skipped. "Without saying anything?" He shook his head. "Fine. I'll drop you off. Let's go."
As they reached the car, Han's mother, Jannet, stood on the porch, waving. "Drive safe!" she called out. Beside her, Richardson, Han's father, gave a stiff wave. "Don't worry about a thing, Roselette," he said, though his voice lacked any real warmth.
As the car pulled away, Jannet turned to her husband. "Why did she suddenly hire a new lawyer?"
Richardson shrugged, looking relieved. "It's better this way. I don't have to get involved in that mess anymore."
Inside the car, Roselette's phone chimed. A notification popped up: Richardson has transferred funds to your account. She stared at the screen and smiled—not a smile of love, but the smile of someone who knew exactly how to play the family bond to her advantage.
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They pulled up to the Gabriella Mansion, a beautiful but lonely-looking estate. Gabriella was just walking out the front door. She looked different—harder. She wore distressed blue jeans and a simple black long-sleeve top that hugged her frame, making her look sharp and cold against the morning breeze.
Roselette hurried inside with her luggage, leaving Han and Gabriella alone in the sprawling, overgrown garden. The scent of damp earth and roses hung heavy between them.
"Why did you leave without telling me?" Han asked, his voice thick with hurt.
Gabriella didn't give him her usual bright smile. Her face was a mask of exhaustion. "The lawyers needed papers from the safe here. I had to come," she lied, her voice smooth as glass.
Inside, her heart was breaking. How can I tell him the truth? she thought. How can I tell him his own father, my uncle, refused to help my dad because he's a coward who's afraid of a money laundering case?
Han stepped closer, his eyes boring into hers. "I think you're lying to me."
Gabriella stiffened.
"Are you behind Raina's arrest?" Han asked suddenly, his voice dropping to a whisper.
The air went still. Gabriella's gaze turned icy. "Yes," she said coldly. "It was me."
Han staggered back as if she'd struck him. "You said you wouldn't get involved in her drama! You promised!"
Gabriella let out a jagged, painful laugh. "Do you want me to stay silent forever? After everything she's done?" Her face contorted with fury, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"Can't you see what this is costing you?" Han shouted, his own pain bubbling over. "Your father is in prison! You're losing everything because you went down this dark path! Was it worth it? Was sending her to jail worth destroying your own life?"
Gabriella's eyes turned blood-red with rage. Her nose flared, her breath coming in sharp gasps.
"I know she bullied you," Han continued, his voice shaking. "But jail? For bullying? You've taken a wrong turn, Gabriella. This isn't justice. It's madness."
"MADNESS?" Gabriella screamed, her voice echoing off the mansion walls. She stepped into his space, her face inches from his. "You think I did this because of some high school bullying? You think I'm that petty?"
She grabbed his jacket, her voice a raw, broken sob. "She killed my friend, Han! She killed Kevin!"
The world seemed to stop. Han's face went pale, his jaw dropping in pure horror.
"Kevin?" he whispered, his voice trembling. "Kevin was... your friend?"
He stared at her, the realization hitting him like a physical blow, while Gabriella stood there, trembling with a secret that was finally out.
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To be Continued.......
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