MasukSerena didn’t give Ryder any time to reply. She immediately ended the call.“Serena!” Ryder shouted, pulling the phone away from his ear to stare at the screen.The call had ended.He tried calling her back, but she didn’t answer. He called again, only to receive the same result, and his frustration grew with every passing second. Victoria was with Serena, the same woman who had spent months making it clear that she would do anything to get him back. If she had gone as far as kidnapping his wife, Ryder couldn't afford to waste another minute.He shoved his phone into his pocket and hurried toward the boardroom exit.The meeting had barely concluded, and several board members were still gathered around the table, discussing the shocking arrest of Rocco Lake. The moment Ryder appeared at the door, their conversations stopped. Some of them had questions about what would happen to Tecna now that its chairman had been taken away in handcuffs, while others wanted to know what Ryder intended
Ryder watched with satisfaction as the police dragged Rocco out of the boardroom.His father continued protesting, demanding that the officers release him and threatening to make them regret the day they had decided to lay their hands on him. None of it made any difference. The officers had their orders, and they showed no intention of allowing Rocco to use his position to escape the consequences of his actions.Ryder remained beside the table, his hands resting in his trouser pockets as he watched the scene unfold.For years, Rocco had made other people pay for his mistakes. He had manipulated situations to suit himself, destroyed anyone who threatened his position, and convinced himself that his wealth gave him the right to control the lives of those around him. Even Ryder had spent years dealing with the consequences of his father’s decisions, from the forced engagement to Serena to the constant attempts to control his future.Now, Rocco was finally facing a problem he couldn’t
Back at Tecna, Ryder was still presenting his case against Rocco.Rocco stuttered out, “H-how did you get this?”Ryder smirked as he saw the shaken expression on his father’s face.He folded his arms and said, “Where I got it from shouldn’t be your concern. Your concern should be what’s going to happen to you.”Hearing his words, Rocco tried to school his features and recover from his slip-up. “This... this proves nothing.”But it was already too late for blatant denial. Everyone had seen the fear on his face in that split second, and they had all heard his question. It was difficult to believe that a man who had spent the entire meeting dismissing Ryder’s accusations could be so disturbed by a video whose contents he supposedly knew nothing about.Mr. Bannerman leaned forward, looking from the screen to Rocco. “What exactly are we watching? Ryder, if you have evidence, present it properly instead of making us guess what you're trying to prove.”“That's precisely what I'm doing,” Ryde
Sam walked into the newspaper office carrying a brown envelope that had been tucked beneath his arm throughout the drive. The building was busier than he expected, with journalists moving between desks, phones ringing from different corners, and the steady sound of keyboards filling the large room. A television mounted on the wall was showing a business news report, and several employees had gathered around one of the desks, arguing about a headline that had just come in.He paid little attention to any of it.For the past few days, Sam had been preparing for this moment, checking every document, verifying every detail, and making sure that nothing could be traced back to him before he was ready to release it. He had spent years waiting for the right opportunity, watching powerful people make decisions that ruined other people's lives while believing their positions would protect them from the consequences.Now, the opportunity had finally arrived.He walked past the reception desk an
“My third case against Rocco Lake is a case of murder.”To everyone seated in the room, the words sounded so absurd that for a moment, nobody seemed to know how to respond. Ryder’s face remained cold and unfeeling as he clicked on his laptop, making the next slide appear on the projector behind him.Mr. Bannerman was the first to recover.He leaned forward in his chair, his brows drawn together as he looked across the table at Ryder. “Ryder, stop this ridiculousness. You have already made serious accusations against your father today, but this is going too far. Murder?”Ryder didn't even turn toward him.His attention remained on Rocco.Mr. Bannerman looked around the table as though expecting someone else to intervene, but Ryder had already moved to the next slide. The projector displayed an old photograph, though the quality was poor enough that the woman in it was difficult to make out clearly.Ryder rested one hand against the edge of the table and continued as though nobod
Victoria stared at Serena, barely able to process what she was seeing.After everything that had happened, after being dragged out of Tecna and brought to an unfamiliar place against her will, she had expected almost anyone to be standing in front of her. She had considered Rocco. Maybe even Rita. She had not expected Serena.Victoria slowly pushed herself upright, but the men standing behind her immediately moved closer, making it clear that she was not going anywhere.“What do you want?” Victoria asked, trying to keep her voice steady despite the fear running through her.Serena smiled. She looked completely comfortable standing there, and looking down on Victoria like she were a mere insect. “I want Ryder back,” Serena replied, folding her arms across her chest. “That is all I’ve ever wanted. Ryder and I were supposed to be together, and you came along and ruined everything.”Victoria almost rolled her eyes, if not for the severity of the situation. “So you kidnapped me







