THE BILLIONAIRE'S PHOENIX

hed them from a distance, rolling their expensive suitcases through t

n cloth, always looking the other way, always enabling his worst behavior. My ve

appear and scare them. No, that would be too easy. I don't plan to reveal myself to them at all. Their p

reen. They're laughing, talking about their trip, showing off trinkets. Just a moment ago, Natasha gushed a

le in. But watching them, so smug and comfortable, makes my skin crawl. My patience is

quickly click the live feed window closed, er

l sketches for the finale gowns prepa

already started on the muslins for the first

she orders. "I have the marketing team here, and we ne

there," I rep

top screen back up. My fingers fly across the keyboard, pulling up a specific encrypted server. I type

, thrumming sense of satisfaction. All I ha

ith the marketing team about the "vision," and overseeing the first frantic preparations for the campaign shoot. The shoot

ne. It buzzes violently, notifications flooding the screen. And yes, there it is. My smile

rd to be significant, and now their name is being dragged through the

ES REVEAL VICTOR CROFT'S ALLEGED LONG

imate-looking situations with various women. The narrative I fed to Noah, an ambitious journalist at the

ming Victor Croft for something he, for all his othe

se of triumph. I sent Noah the fabricated pictures this morning along with the false narra

use right now. Esther, with her pride and her p

the middle of a heated argument. Esther is standing, her face flushed and tear-streaked, waving her phone-l

h earpiece, and thei

could you? All these years! With my

or's voice is strained, desperate. "These p

dy is trembling with rage and humiliation. "You've ruined us! My phone has not stoppe

ark cloud. He's clearly seen the news. For a fleeting second, Victor's

need to issue a statement immediately! These pictures are fabricat

ion twisted in disgust. "How could you do this, D

be this stupid? I'm telling you, I didn't do anything!" His voice rises to

ed, a picture of judgment which is so hypocritical of him because he did the same to me with Na

. "You've embarrassed me for the last time, Victor! I want y

rything? Someone is trying to destroy me!"

n he had it good!" Ethan snarls, adding fuel to the fire. He rub

he grand staircase, sobbing about calling

ing after her. On the landing, he grabs her

reams, shaking her arm away

balance. His expensive loaf

tor Croft flails, his arms windmilling uselessly. Then he pitches forward. His body tumbles down the long, curved staircase, hitting each step with a

not in

.. f

f dark, profound satisfaction washes over me, so intense it

ds flying to her mouth. A second later, a blood-curdling, prima

CTO

nst the pale marble. Ethan rushes to his father's side, his own panic rising. The mother and son cry hi

with shaking hands. Esther just nods, her body trembling, tears s

g satisfaction settling deep in my bones. I was meant to torture Victor a bit more, to

voice a low, steady rumble. "How did it go?" He already knew I

better than I imagined," I tell him, my voice light. "The scandal broke. They had a massive fight. And Victo

." He pauses, and I can picture him lounging back, already plotting. "So, since he

y guess. I know my brother. The quiet, calculating rage he carries is far more ruthless th

s cook something up in his IV. Nothing too obvious. Just a little something t

o life inside me. Daphne would have been horrified. Daphne would have gasped, her hand flying to her heart. She would have nev

now is carved from colder, harder stone. She cares about nothing but the sweet, slow taste

es, extinguished by the me

I reply, "Yes, I'll make sure Vict