Investi-gator Book Novels & Stories

“We cleared the club. Caught three brokers.” “First, you steal cannabis, hallucinogens, Rophynol, the Special K. Do you know how much each packet of those costs? How much you’ve robbed from me?” I roared at Nico’s face. “And now you go behind my back and get involved with the Ivanovs?” The name set an alarm inside Nico. His chest heaved with fear and regret, confirming my intuitions. I bet he wished he could turn back time and undo his mistakes. Too late.

For a while, he just stared at me but then shook his head anyway saka mas lalo pang nilakihan ang hakbang nito as he headed to the business section, causing me to half run and half walk just to keep up with him. Goddammit! "Ms. Javier?" "W-What?" I answered with heavy breaths dahil sa kahahabol rito. "Take this." Then he suddenly throw a book that weighs like a bag of rocks to me na taranta ko namang sinalo. "What's this?" Naguguluhang tanong ko rito when he suddenly gave me that gray book. 'Ways to kill competitors' Agad na umarko ang kilay ko when I read those words boldly printed on its cover.

I open it, the crisp rustle of paper loud in the suddenly quiet room. Inside, the documents are laid out meticulously. My eyes scan the pages, the professional typeface, and the logos at the top. It’s all official, all legitimate, dangerously so. I see lists of names, company names, figures, and alongside them, detailed profiles. It’s a comprehensive roster of potential investors, their current portfolios, their net worth estimates, their financial vulnerabilities, and even some of their personal banking details. This isn’t just information; it’s a blueprint of financial power, a roadmap to wealth and influence. It’s the kind of information that could ruin lives, or make fortunes.

Ivor shrugged, “It's not necessary to tell them about our project and show them the long reports along with the series of numbers. As long as they're interested in our project. They are willing to raise money for what they are interested in, Lia.” I thought about what Ivor said and quickly understood. “You can also look for potential investors here,” Ivor laughed and went into the party. I rolled my eyes, raised my middle finger at him as he turned his back on me. Great, he proposed to me to find investors here but didn't tell me how to get them interested in our project. Knew that Ivor was born into a rich and powerful family. He used to be one of those young masters who lived a luxurious l

"Thursday at two. Our offices. I'll be there to facilitate." I wanted to say no. I wanted to tell Eleanor that the investor was my father-in-law and former lover and that meeting with him would jeopardize everything I was trying to rebuild. But saying no would require explanations I wasn't ready to give, so I said yes instead and hung up the phone with a sense of dread pooling in my stomach. I told Marcus about the meeting that night. I didn't hide it or soften it or pretend it was something other than what it was. "My publisher set up a meeting with an investor who wants to discuss my next book. I think it's Victor using a proxy to get to me."

Then, just as I reached the final page, my eyes caught a short paragraph printed near the bottom. “During the New York expansion, you will also be working closely with one of our major investors. Further details will be shared upon your arrival in New York.” I frowned. “Major investor?” I turned the page. Nothing. I flipped back. Still nothing. No name. No company. No photograph. No signature.

Another message appeared on the screen. Major institutional investor withdrawing full position. Liam slammed his fist onto the desk. “Fuck.” Claudia spun on him. “This is him, isn’t it?” Liam didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. Draven King didn’t fight loud. He didn’t threaten, didn’t posture, didn’t warn. He moved money the way other men moved weapons—precisely, invisibly, fatally. He didn’t attack companies. He turned the people inside them against each other. Made investors doubt. Made boards panic. Made allies vanish.

The second meeting felt different from the first. Elara noticed it the moment she walked into the room. This time, the investor was Christine Okafor, a sharp, direct woman who ran a mid-sized fund known for backing overlooked founders. She did not wait until the presentation was finished. She interrupted twice and asked hard questions about the margin assumptions. She challenged one of Elara’s growth projections so strongly that Elara had to defend it on the spot. There was no script. She used only her instinct and the numbers she knew by heart, because she had built them herself.

Not when I had an important lunch with Louis, Charlotte, and Celeste, of all people. An investor was coming, one with serious weight in the tech world. Not the kind of investor who needed wooing with champagne and vague promises. No, this man had spent two decades knee-deep in code and concrete, building companies from server racks and sleepless nights. He knew how to spot a scam, a weakness, a pretty idea with no legs. We needed to be sharp. Precise. Unified.

The men were asking Elena direct questions now, seeking her opinion on various aspects of the deal. One investor, David Wu, who'd been quiet until now, leaned forward. "Ms. Cordova, I'm curious about your analytical approach. How did you find these issues when our own analysts missed them?" "I look for patterns in places most analysts don't check. Public filings, patent databases, industry publications. I cross-reference everything until inconsistencies appear. Most people accept the narrative they're given. I question everything." "That's a valuable skill," David said. "What else are you working on?"