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That Bastard.

Author: Blossom
last update publish date: 2026-05-01 12:22:30

CHAPTER EIGHT

DANTE'S POV

I turned the cold steel blade over in my hands, tracing the intricate wolf insignia carved into the handle.

The physical evidence of Julian Croft’s break-in sat heavily in my palm, proving exactly how dangerous this academic exercise had suddenly become.

Across the ruined suite, Soren stood in front of the cracked bathroom mirror, buttoning a crisp white dress shirt with absolute precision.

He had barely slept, having spent the last hour of the morning meticulousl
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    CHAPTER THIRTEEN SOREN'S POV Julian Croft was remarkably easy to dismantle. I spent exactly twelve minutes systematically destroying his entire financial philosophy, isolating him from the senior equity partner he had been desperately trying to impress. The sheer predictability of his arrogance made the distraction almost boring, but I kept my focus locked on his infuriated reactions, ensuring he never once glanced toward the security wing. When Julian finally stormed away toward the opposite side of the ballroom, his face flushed an angry, mottled red, I allowed myself a brief moment of satisfaction. I checked the heavy silver watch on my wrist. Thirteen minutes total. Dante should have completed the cloning sequence and slipped back into the crowd by now. I turned away from the bar, scanning the densely packed floor. The ambient noise of the networking event continued around me, a chaotic blend of corporate jargon and clinking glasses, but I couldn't locate Dante anywhere

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    CHAPTER TWELVE DANTE'S POV The sheer volume of the Blackridge estate ballroom was a chaotic blend of clinking crystal and aggressive corporate networking, bouncing loudly off the vaulted ceilings.I surrendered my phone to the student volunteer at the front security desk, sliding the device into a numbered plastic bin before stepping fully into the main hall. Soren walked right beside me, wearing a perfectly tailored black suit that made him look like a literal weapon forged for corporate warfare. The stark, formal clothing only amplified the rigid, untouchable composure he naturally carried, drawing the attention of nearly every investor and student we passed. "Julian is standing near the south bar," Soren murmured, keeping his gaze directed straight ahead as we navigated the crowded floor. "He is currently attempting to impress a senior partner from a regional equity firm. I am going to intercept the conversation and completely dismantle his talking points.""Make sure you keep

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    CHAPTER ELEVEN SOREN'S POV The revelation stood in the air between us, this was toxic and completely devastating. Julian Croft is in possession of the exact names of the informants who sold out the Valez empire from the inside, effectively holding the smoking gun to a twenty-year corporate execution. I looked at Dante, watching the terrifying realization settle over his features. The aggressive, confrontational energy he usually projected was entirely absent, replaced by a cold, silent fury that was infinitely more dangerous. He stared at the glowing screen of my laptop."My mother spent millions trying to uncover the internal leak," Dante stated."She hired private investigators, completely purged the executive board, and spent the last decade assuming the traitor was already dead. And your father had the list sitting on a personal server this entire time.""It was classified as a historical liability," I explained, desperately trying to maintain my own composure as the narrati

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    DANTE'S POV "Lock the door," Soren ordered, dropping his messenger bag onto the floor and practically diving into his desk chair before I had even fully crossed the threshold. I shoved the heavy door shut, slamming the deadbolt into place and turning around to watch the sheer panic overriding my roommate's usual composure. Soren flipped his laptop open with frantic urgency, his fingers flying across the keyboard to initiate a hard system reboot. The harsh, blue glare of the monitor illuminated his face, highlighting the absolute terror masking his features. For the entire time I had known him, Soren Kade operated like a perfectly calibrated machine. He never raised his voice, he never broke a sweat, and he never allowed anyone to see him lose control. Watching him unravel in the middle of our dimly lit dorm room sent a strange, protective surge of adrenaline straight through my chest, completely overriding my instinct to gloat about a Kade vulnerability. I crossed the room qui

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  • Heated Rivalry   That Bastard.

    CHAPTER EIGHT DANTE'S POV I turned the cold steel blade over in my hands, tracing the intricate wolf insignia carved into the handle. The physical evidence of Julian Croft’s break-in sat heavily in my palm, proving exactly how dangerous this academic exercise had suddenly become. Across the ruined suite, Soren stood in front of the cracked bathroom mirror, buttoning a crisp white dress shirt with absolute precision. He had barely slept, having spent the last hour of the morning meticulously repairing his appearance to ensure no one at Blackridge suspected we had spent the entire night sitting on a floor covered in shattered glass. I watched him adjust his collar, unable to ignore the jarring shift in my own perspective. Yesterday, I viewed Soren Kade as a robotic extension of his father’s corporate machine. Today, after watching him calmly construct a fifty-page financial decoy while sitting amidst the wreckage of his own belongings, I realized he was entirely different. He w

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    CHAPTER THREE SOREN'S POV "Meridian Ventures," Dante read aloud, the words sounding like an absolute curse in the stifling quiet of our dorm room. The name of the defunct corporation sat on my laptop screen, glaring back at me in stark black text. Meridian Ventures was the original joint firm t

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    CHAPTER SIXDANTE'S POV I read the alphanumeric sequence three times, my brain refusing to process the data illuminating Soren’s screen. The loud bass of the penthouse party faded into background noise, replaced entirely by the sound of my own heartbeat. "Blackridge," I said. "You are telling me

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    CHAPTER FIVE SOREN'S POV The elevator doors slid apart, instantly subjecting us to the deafening sound of electronic bass.Julian Croft’s penthouse occupied the top floor of a downtown high-rise, packed with enough bodies to violate several fire codes. Heat radiated from the sheer volume of peop

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    CHAPTER FOUR DANTE'S POV "You manage capital like a terrified accountant," I said, tossing my pen onto the scattered financial documents covering the desk. "If we follow your strategy, Meridian Ventures survives for another six months before dying a slow, miserable death. It is completely uninsp

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