All Chapters of OWNED BY THE GHOST: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

63 Chapters

The Return

Scott’s POVTwo weeks later I stepped into the Zenex and everywhere looked like I was walking into a war zone.The compulsory two-week leave was supposed to give me time to think. Instead, it gave me nightmares about Elliot’s possessive eyes and Laurent’s too good to be true promises. Now I was back, heart heavy, my official resignation letter still sitting unsent in my email. I expected awkward stares. Whispers. Maybe a few fake smiles.But the treatment I got was worse. The silence was deafening, something was wrong somewhere.The second I walked through the glass doors, every conversation stopped. Heads turned. Eyes looked away fast. No one said “welcome back.” No one clapped like they had for my promotion. Nobody was excited to see me. The moment I walk pass my colleagues they’d immediately stop talking and stare dangerously in a way that made me uncomfortable.My desk was even moved to a far corner, away from the main team. Half of my projects were reassigned. The air felt thi

The Monster I Became

Elliot’s POVScott stormed into my office with anger I couldn’t control. He’s always a carefree person, always happy. I’ve never seen him this way. He threw printed screenshots onto my desk. The gossip post. The edited photos. The rumors about him stealing our ideas and selling them to our rivals.Everything that stood against what I despised. His hands were shaking, but I am not entirely guilty. All of this is not my doing. Someone else was adding fuel to the fire. “Why?”I had no answer. The air in my office started to choke me. My heart pounded like it wanted to break out of my chest. I stared at the papers, the words blurring. “I didn’t do this,” I said, but my voice sounded weak even to me.Scott laughed scornfully. “You never had me. I was never yours to begin with.” “Why play dirty? To think I’d never do such a despicable thing to you.”His words pierced me. My conscience started to judge me. I never admitted that I loved him, I didn’t make our relationship official . I to

The Shadow Behind the Smile

Victoria’s POVI met him in the back corner of a quiet café, somewhere far from the city. The kind of place where people go when they don't want to be seen. My partner in tearing Elliot and Scott apart sat across from me, cold as always, his eyes sharp like knives. He didn’t smile. I’ve never seen him smile. But that’s the least of my worries. Because I knew this meeting could change everything.“You’ve been feeding me information for months,” he said quietly. “Why?”I leaned forward, voice soft but reassuring. “Because I want power inside Zenex. Real power. And I know you can give it to me. Scott McAllen is in the way. If he disappears from Elliot’s life, I’ll finally be the one he turns to.”He stared at me for a while without saying anything. The stare made me uncomfortable. Then he broke the silence and asked the question I had been waiting for.“Can Scott leave Zenex?”I smiled slowly. “Yes he can. We’ve been doing well before he came into the picture.”The words felt good leav

The Breaking

Scott’s POV“Why am I such bad luck ?”Sleep is literally far from me. I stayed awake all night thinking about the rumors. My room was dark except for the faint city light sneaking through the curtains.For every time I turned around all I could see was Elliot was sleeping beside me, with his cute face looking peaceful whilst he slept, one arm thrown over my waist like he was scared I’d leave him. I wish we were lovers, I wouldn’t even consider Laurent.My mind wouldn’t shut up. My thoughts were everywhere, because I couldn’t sleep.The rumor sounded so true. “Scott McAllen is meeting Zenex rivals. Sharing company secrets.” People at the office looked at me differently yesterday. Some avoided me. Some whispered. The blog page posted a lot of edited photos that looked so real. There’s this blurry photo of me entering a hotel and exchanging a document with Mr Mark, one of Zenex's biggest rivals. I could have sworn it was me.My phone lay on the pillow next to me. I picked it up quie

The Shadow Game

Victoria’s POV“Yes! Yes! Yes! Finally the trash is out of the bag.”I smiled remembering how Scott stormed out of Elliot’s office. I lifted my wine glass and watched the bubbles dance before taking another slow sip.Scott McAllen is finished. For the first time in weeks, I felt like I could finally breathe.He looked broken. Such a great sight to behold. That was exactly what I wanted. If I pull a few strings Elliot will not want to see Scott ever again.I sat back in my chair, relaxed with my legs crossed, tapping my perfectly manicured nails on the desk. At last. After months of watching that artist boy crawl under Elliot’s skin, he was finally leaving. Elliot had refused to help him. That refusal would make my plans work. The rift was widening just as I imagined. And soon, Elliot would have no one left but me.A small smile curved my lips. “So that’s all it took, to make them fight.” I whispered to myself.I have always wanted him. His money. His power. His name, his commanding

The Leverage

Jayden’s POVMy hands were shaking so bad I almost dropped my phone.“Pick up,” I whispered, pacing my living room like a madman. “Pick up, pick up, pick up.”Three rings. Four. Five. Then… “Who is this?” It was a woman’s voice. She answered with a cautious, unsettled tone.“It’s Jayden. Scott’s friend. I got your email address from…. look, that doesn’t matter. I need to talk to you about Monsieur Laurent.”“How did you find me?” she said. “I disappeared for a reason.”I sat down slowly, trying to be careful and convincing with my words. “Because I’ve been asking questions. And I think you’re the only person who can help me.”I expected her to hang up. Instead, she laughed. A tired, bitter laugh.“Mr…. Jayden…” She said, “I have been waiting eight months for somebody smart enough to call me.”“Let’s meet up. Pick a location safe for you and let me know.” I summoned courage to tell her exactly why I called. “ It’s high time we put Laurent in his place.”Her name was Priya. She used to

The Hidden Voice

Scott’s POVThe pounding on my door almost gave me a heart attack. I’d bet Laurent has sent his tugs.“Scott! Open the door, it’s me!” Jayden’s voice, high and frantic.I yanked the door open and he stumbled in, his hair was a mess, and his breathing was fast like he’d been running.“Someone was in my apartment,” he said, breathing hard. “Last night. After I left your apartment.”My stomach dropped. “Wait! What? Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”“I wasn’t awake when it happened, I was in my living room when my door creaked open.” He dropped on my couch, rubbing his face with both hands. “Then I checked but I didn’t see anyone, so I went back to bed afterwards. Only to wake up this morning and…”“And what? Say something.” I was already panicking.“Well, I woke up staring at the mess they made.”He looked up at me, and I saw fear in his eyes. “The folder, Scott. Priya’s folder. The evidence on Laurent. It’s gone.” He continued.I adjusted my sitting position, like my legs suddenly froz

The Confession

Elliot’s POV“Sir, you need to see this. Right now.”Jayden walked into my office without knocking, holding a folder clutched to his arm. My assistant trailed behind him, apologizing frantically, but I waved her off.“This better be important,” I said, standing from my desk.“It’s about the rival company's photos. The ones that supposedly showed Scott meeting with our competitors.” He dropped the folder on my desk and spun it toward me. “They’re fake. Completely fake.”“Someone photoshopped them.”I stared at the evidence. My stomach dropped. “How? They look real to me.”Deep down I wanted the photos to be real because if it wasn’t, this would be the second or third time I accused Scott wrongly without trusting him. Without giving him a chance to explain. “Sir, the location data shows those photos nowhere near the restaurant they claimed…. “ He walked to my couch and sat down. “I also checked the security footage from the building and guess what ?” “Scott was never there that night.

The Final Choice

Scott’s POVMy phone rang over and over but I was too tired to pick it up. Then a message came at 2:17 AM.I dragged my phone with sleepy eyes, to know what the message was all about. Unknown: You have 48 hours left. Leave Zenex and Elliot. Or you won’t be able to show your face in the whole of Brooklyn.My chest tightened so fast I had to sit up and breathe through it as I stared at those words. Sleep disappeared from my eyes, the worst part is I can’t call anyone at such an ungodly hour. So I kept tossing myself in bed until early in the morning.Immediately I saw the sun rise, I called Jayden. “I got another threat message,” I said the second he picked up. “48 hours, Jayden. I’m running out of time.”“Good thing we’re not running out of plans then.” His voice had confidence in it. “Come to my place, before you go to work. We’ll end this today.”By the time I got to Jayden’s apartment, he had a whole wall covered in sticky notes and printouts, looking like a detective from some

The Real Game

Elliot’s POVThe news came at 9:20 AM.Laurent publicly announced he was withdrawing all claims against Scott.“Art Critic Laurent Beaumont Withdraws All Claims Against Rising Artist Scott McAllen. For personal reasons best known to him.”I read it three times, my thumb kept hovering over my iPad screen, like I didn’t trust what my eyes was seeing. Scott’s face flashed in my mind, he must be feeling relieved right now after seeing this news.“He deserves to be happy.” I was talking to myself. Then Jayden burst into my office, and that smile died fast.“Sir, I sense something fishy here,” he said, dropping into the chair across from my desk without waiting for permission. “Look Jayden, Laurent backed off. And he did that publicly.. That’s what we wanted, right?”“Laurent doesn’t look like a man who’d do such. Something is wrong.” He shook his head, i have never seen a friendship so genuine like that of Jayden and Scott. “For a man as deadly as Laurent?” “…nah, something is not clea

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