Nathan's lips curled faintly.
"I hate apologies more than failure," he said. "What does 'sorry' fix, John? What does it change?"
He straightened, adjusting his collar while staring at his own reflection.
"Tighten security. Immediately. Or I'll sell you off to cover the losses." His voice was light, almost amused. "I can be that ruthless."
Another pause.
Nathan's eyes darkened.A low chuckle escaped him. "Now I understand why Mike is still obsessed with his ex. She already knows everything—the business, the secrets… even the organization I started."
He paused, thoughtful.
"I thought Mike would uncover it first. Turns out she beat him to it." His smile returned. "Good thing I don't show my hand until I'm sure I'll win."
"Mike will be off your back soon," Nathan continued. "When that happens, you start winning over the northern politicians.
Quietly. I'll keep him busy here."
His expression hardened.
"Emily isn't the type to sit down and lose. She's standing on the same level as Mike." His fingers curled slightly. "The only advantage I have right now… is that I'm still hidden."
He exhaled slowly.
"And John," he added, voice dropping, "do you know how irritating that is for me? I don't know how long my temper will last—and you're not helping."
A beat.
"Don't disappoint me."
The call ended.
Nathan stared at the dark phone screen, then lifted his gaze to the mirror.
A low laugh escaped him.
"Interesting," he murmured.
Three players.
Three predators.
Mike. Emily. Himself.
All of them moving between shadow and light—hiding, revealing, lying, striking.
"So," Nathan thought, smiling wider, "who's going to win?"
His laughter echoed softly in the empty room.
"Stop moving—come on, drink already. Why are you acting like a prude?"
The music thundered through the manor, bass shaking the walls, lights flashing in violent bursts of neon and gold. Near the side lounge—half-hidden behind towering curtains and an abandoned bar counter—a mess was unfolding.
A guy shoved a cup toward a struggling girl while two others laughed, one of them holding up his phone, the red recording light blinking.
"Just one sip. Don't be dramatic," one of them snickered.
The girl twisted hard, knocking the cup aside. Liquid splashed onto the floor.
"Get off me!" she spat, panic and fury flashing in her eyes. When the guy leaned closer, she spat straight in his face.
The boys burst out laughing.
"Damn—she's feisty!"
The guy wiped his cheek, scowling, then shoved her back roughly. "Crazy bitch."
"Sick bastard," the girl snapped, stumbling but refusing to fall. "All of you are disgusting."
Slow claps echoed through the noise.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
"Wow," a lazy female voice drawled. "You can't even handle one girl? That's embarrassing."
The blonde girl stepped forward, heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. She was dressed in a tight, glittering club dress that screamed money and arrogance, her lips curled in a sneer. Two girls trailed behind her like obedient shadows.
The bullied girl looked up, eyes burning. "So it was you, Sandra."
Sandra smiled sweetly. "Oh please,with that question if it is not me would be the ghost in the hallway" She tilted her head mockingly. "
From the other side of the hall, Prim finally emerged from yet another wrong corridor, hands in his pockets, eyes scanning the chaos of the party.
The manor was massive—arched ceilings, chandeliers dripping with light, staircases splitting in opposite directions. Students filled every corner: dancing on tables, arguing loudly, kissing without shame, drinking straight from bottles, smoke curling lazily near open balcony doors.
And then—
Prim's steps slowed.
He spotted it.
Three guys. One girl being cornered.
And another girl approaching like she owned the place.
"Tsk," Prim muttered under his breath. "Found the trash section."
Sandra stepped closer to the girl, fingers suddenly tangling in her hair.
"You really think you're special?" Sandra hissed. "All I had to do was say my cousin was here, and you came running like a dog."
Haley gasped, grabbing Sandra's wrist. "Let go of me!"
"I thought you said you were done with him," Sandra continued, voice dripping poison.
"After all the humiliation. The taunts. The countless breakups —if we can even call them that cause no matter what you always crawl back to him like a dog ".
One of the boys sneered. "Yeah, you're just a nobody. Acting all pure."
Sandra shoved Haley forward, right toward the boys.
"I don't care if you slept with my cousin," Sandra snapped. "But you dared to seduce my boyfriend too?"
Haley nearly lost her footing.
"My cousin Mike wasn't enough for you?" Sandra continued, eyes blazing with jealousy and hatred. "You girls really think your faces make you untouchable."
Haley was small—petite, fragile-looking—but there was something striking about her. Like a painting come to life. That was exactly what Sandra hated.
First Emily.
Then Ava.
Now this.
Pretty girls who never tried—and still took everything.
The boys grinned, closing in again.
"Do whatever you like with her," Sandra said lazily, waving her hand as if dismissing trash.
The boys laughed.
One of them grabbed Haley's wrist, twisting her arm painfully behind her back. "Stop fighting," he sneered. "You're just embarrassing yourself."
"Let me go!" Haley screamed, kicking wildly.
She managed to stomp hard on his foot. He shouted in pain and shoved her away. Haley tried to run—
—but Sandra's lackeys blocked the hallway.
Two boys seized her again.
One kicked her leg, forcing her down onto her knees.
The boy she had hurt earlier stormed toward her, fury etched across his face. He raised his hand and struck her, then yanked her up by her hair, forcing a cup toward her mouth.
Haley coughed and choked, tears streaming down her face as she struggled.
"Scream all you want," Sandra laughed. "This hallway is empty. The music is loud. No one will hear you."
"You think Mike would let this happen if he knew?" Haley gasped desperately.
The boys exchanged uneasy glances.
Sandra scoffed. "I know my cousin better than anyone. You're not important."
She leaned closer, her voice cold and vicious. "You're just a replacement. A distraction from Emily that is all your are to him as for you I'm going to give you a drug you are going to get hungry for sex like the dog you are and then when the new if you having sex with three guys they will say you got drunk and still sad from breakup so you did that and also recorded it That's how parties work."
Her friends laughed.
"She looks disgusted," one mocked.
"What's she pretending to be innocent for?" another sneered.
A kick landed against Haley's side, knocking the air from her lungs.
"Wow drama so much drama " prim said as everyone turn to look at him and all of them froze cause of prim look it was out of the world the type that is addicting that type of beauty that you can die such to see his back.
Haley was the first to snap out of it.
Pain burned across her chest and arms, her body trembling, but instinct screamed louder. She pushed herself up, staggering, and tried to run—
A sharp kick slammed into her chest.
She cried out and crashed backward onto the floor.
That was when everyone truly woke up.
"Hey!" one of Sandra's lackeys barked, panic flashing in his eyes. "Dude, if you know what's good for you, delete that video. You don't want to make enemies with our family."
Prim blinked.
Then he smiled.
"Oh wow," he said lightly. "I'm shaking. Truly. Let me call my mom real quick."
He pretended to fumble dramatically, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Sandra's face darkened.
Déjà vu hit her hard—
that same mocking tone, the same humiliation.
Ava.
"If you're going to threaten me," Prim continued lazily, "use your own name. Hiding behind your parents is so old-school. It just tells everyone you're… nothing."
The hallway fell into an awkward, suffocating silence.
Prim glanced around, eyes full of amusement rather than fear.
"Honestly," he thought, "it's embarrassing. These people are probably twenty years older than me, yet in the future they'll be the ones giving speeches about bullying—after raising kids even worse than themselves who can't even bully so stupid they make really bully ashamed."
Sandra crossed her arms, forcing a sneer. "What, you want to play hero now?"
Prim looked himself over slowly.
"Hero?" he scoffed. "Do I look like one?"
Then he smiled again—small, sharp, dangerous.
"No. I'm a blackmailer ."
He lifted his phone slightly. "Five million each. You walk away, leave the girl here, and I delete the video and you can countinue cause it is not that deep the show must go on ."
The hallway exploded in laughter.
"You're insane," someone mocked.
Before the laughter could finish—
Prim tapped a contact and put the call on speaker.
"Hello, Scandal Magazine hotline," a voice answered. "If you'd like to submit a scandal, please—"
"Yes," Prim said calmly. "I have a video of rich students bullying a girl. Also possible sexual assault. Maybe sex trafficking."
The laughter died instantly.
"What the—!"
Three boys lunged at him.
Prim moved.
He sidestepped effortlessly, driving a kick into one boy's ribs, spinning and knocking another flat onto the floor. The third stumbled back, clutching his chest, wheezing.
On the phone, the voice continued, unfazed.
"Interesting. How much are you asking for the footage?"
"STOP!" Sandra screamed. "We're leaving! Just delete it—NOW!"
Prim didn't answer right away.
He looked at her.
Then at the three boys groaning on the floor.
Then at the lackeys, pale and frozen, eyes darting nervously toward the phone.
Only then did Prim smile.
Prim looked at Sandra.
Then at the three boys sprawled on the floor, clutching their chests and groaning.
Then at the lackeys—faces pale, eyes darting nervously, already imagining tomorrow's headlines.
He smiled.
And calmly ended the call.
"So," Prim said lightly, slipping his phone back into his pocket, "what are you waiting for? Leave."
He tilted his head, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"I promise I won't post it. After all, I'm just a scholarship student. Wouldn't want you coming back for revenge… or accidentally getting me killed or something."
He chuckled, as if the thought amused him.
Sandra's nails dug into her palms as she glared at him.
"So you know who we are," she said coldly, "and you still choose to act foolishly."
Prim only smiled wider.
"Very good," Sandra sneered, then turned sharply toward Haley.
"You got lucky," she said flatly.
With that, she spun on her heel and walked away, her lackeys scrambling after her.
The three boys shot Prim vicious looks—pure hatred burning in their eyes—before staggering off behind her.
Silence returned to the hallway.
Haley coughed, her body shaking. "Why did you do that?" she asked hoarsely. "They're going to start targeting you."
Prim shrugged.
"Targeting me?" He glanced sideways. "Depends on timing."
He sighed dramatically.
"As you can see, I'm what you call a scholarship student."
He rolled his eyes, irritation flickering for just a second.
Dumb twin sister, he thought. Making me act like a schoolership students.
Rock–paper–scissors was truly the root of all suffering.
"And anyway," he continued casually, "I'm also handsome. Being too perfect already puts a target on your back. Doing this doesn't really change the outcome."
He reached down, pulled Haley to her feet, then immediately turned away.
No comfort.
No lingering concern.
Just… done.
Prim disappeared down the hallway, already heading back toward the noise and lights of the party, humming faintly as if nothing had happened.
Haley was left standing alone.
Breathing.
Shaking.
Alive.
Outside, the night air was cooler.
Emily stepped onto the balcony, cigarette between her fingers, city lights reflecting faintly in her eyes.
She scrolled through her phone slowly, reading the latest news.
Her lips curved into a faint, unreadable smile.
Breaking News.
"The Crystal Land Estate Group—currently ranked as the world's top real estate corporation—is now on the brink of bankruptcy."
The news anchor's voice was crisp and unrelenting.
"According to information obtained from an anonymous but credible source, Crystal Land had been jointly developing a massive project with the Qin family—an international-scale venture projected to generate billions."
Images of blueprints, skyscrapers, and boardroom meetings flashed across the screen.
"However, the Qin family has officially withdrawn from the project."
The anchor paused, eyes sharp.
"The reason? Investigations revealed that two major shareholder families connected to Crystal Land—the Haley Family Jewelry & Beauty Group and the Mine Corporation—were allegedly involved in large-scale money laundering, using ongoing projects to funnel funds for personal gain."
A ripple spread through the financial world.
"The Qin family, having already secured their strategic interests, reportedly exited the project while leaving behind substantial evidence implicating Crystal Land."
Graphs plunged violently.
"The sudden withdrawal caused a catastrophic financial backlash for Crystal Land Estate."
The screen shifted again.
"Sources also report suspected foul play—claims that Crystal Land previously bribed officials to avoid prosecution, exploiting hidden connections within government departments. While these tactics allegedly worked in the past, insiders say the situation has now escalated beyond containment."
The anchor concluded calmly:
"The question remains—can Crystal Land Estate recover and complete the project… or is bankruptcy inevitable?"
The screen went black.
On the balcony, Emily turned off her phone.
For a brief moment, the night was silent.
Then—
She burst out laughing.
Just pure, unrestrained amusement.
Emily's phone vibrated.
She answered without looking away from the city lights.
"Oh my gosh—your plan worked!" her assistant blurted out, barely containing her excitement. "Crystal Land is collapsing in real time. Stocks are plummeting."
Emily smiled faintly.
"I told you it would."
There was no surprise in her voice—only certainty.
"That old fox from the Qin family really thought he could take over," she continued lazily. "Even if this company means nothing to the Hayes overall, it's still our property. He wasn't satisfied being a shareholder—he wanted control. He wanted the entire domestic branch, even the overseas division."
She scoffed.
"Let him try."
The assistant hesitated. "What about Crystal Land Estate?"
"We play the savior," Emily replied immediately. "While their stock crashes, we buy—quietly. Shares first. Then the land in the North."
Her eyes narrowed.
"And when I say cheap, I don't mean discounted. I mean desperate-sale cheap. They'll sell because they have no choice. I'm not done with them yet."
A sharp inhale came from the other end. "Damn… you're wicked. I like it. The northern land—are you planning to build the law firm there?"
"Yes."
Emily ended the call.
She took a long drag from her cigarette, exhaling slowly.
One move.
Hundreds of enemies.
The Qin family—third-largest shareholder—had made the fatal mistake of treating the Hayes Group like a personal asset. He even dared tell her she should worry more about marriage than business.
She laughed softly.
What he didn't know was that threatening a lawyer—especially one who knew every dirty transaction, every hidden ledger, every offshore account—was suicide especially when what she wants she doesn't get it she destroys it .
The joint project between Crystal Land and the Qin family?
She destroyed it.
She offered the Qin patriarch a "better deal"—one that looked profitable on the surface but was actually a financial sinkhole designed to drain capital dry.
The money laundering evidence leaked to the press?
Her.
The official Crystal Land had bribed to escape prosecution in the past?
Already working for her.
The reason Crystal Land was now on the edge of bankruptcy?
Also her.
She wanted their northern land. They refused to sell.
So she crushed them.
She planned to acquire Crystal Land shares through her law firm, step in as the "rescuer," support the project—on her terms—and quietly strip the company bare.
And while she was at it, she would buy out the Hayes family shares the Crystal owner still held.
Third main shareholder.
That was the goal and also to be in charge of the whole branch in the country.
As for the Qin family?
Their so-called golden deal would swallow their money whole.
And who would be taking it?
Emily smiled.
Me.
Inside the Manor — The Bar
The bar was chaos incarnate.
Girls danced barefoot on the counter, glitter clinging to their skin as neon lights flashed over raised glasses. Music thundered through the room. Couples pressed together on the dance floor, laughter spilling everywhere. Someone stood on a table pouring drinks straight into open mouths while cheers erupted around them.
Pure madness.
At the bar, the yellow-haired guy downed another drink, irritation etched across his face.
"Damn it," he muttered. "What's wrong with women? Why would she choose that idiot instead of the best option right in front of her?"
His friend laughed, slinging an arm around his shoulder. "Brother Yellow, why do you care? Let's just have fun."
"You know nothing," the yellow-haired guy snapped, rubbing his chin. "Do you even know who Mike is? His family? If I get on his bad side, I suffer—not you."
He sneered. "You think I'm stupid, acting like a dog? Have you ever seen a dog powerful enough that even the strong bow their heads?"
His eyes darkened.
"He treats me like I don't even exist. I need to do something."
"Like what?" his friend asked.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"I'll send her to his bed."
His friends burst into laughter. "That's foolish."
The yellow-haired guy raised his hand to smack him—then froze.
Across the crowd, Haley appeared, pale but moving, weaving through the lights and bodies.
His grin sharpened.
"Oh," he said softly. "I know exactly what to do now."
Hero saves the beauty.
He lifted his glass.
"This is going to be fun."