AURUM REALTY, ATLANTA, GEORGIA.
The air was crisp with quiet power. Inside the glass tower of Aurum Realty, sunlight spilled
generously through floor-to-celling windows, illuminating a sleek, minimalist office perched high
above the city. The skyline stretched out like a living painting...concrete,glass and ambition all
stitched into one. From this altitude, the world looked conquerable.
Seated behind a glass desk was Giovanni Cappella, CEO of Aurum Realty, the most formidable
real estate company in Atlanta. Dressed in a tailored blue suit with subtle pinstripes and a silk
tie the shade of night, he exuded the effortless authority of a man who didn't chase power- It
came to him. He sipped his espresso with practiced ease, his sharp monolid eyes, framed by
thick lashes, flickering over the property reports on his tablet. Every tap of his finger echoed the
rhythm of dominance. The gleam of a double diamond steel ring on his forefinger caught the
morning light, refracting like the symbol of victory it was. His fingers, long and deliberate, glided
over the glass screen with precision born from years of calculated conquests.
Lucille, his ever-efficient executive assistant, walked in silently, her stilettos making no sound on
the marble floor. She held a file in her hand. Her timing was impeccable, her presence as
fleeting and refined as a shadow.
"Everyone is waiting for you in the boardroom " she said crisply.
*****
Boardroom Strategy Meeting
The sleek conference on the top floor of Aurum Realty buzzed with low murmurs as the eight
board members settled into the leather-backed chairs, papers and tablets in front of them, eyes
occasionally darting toward the head of the table Giovanni Cappel sat. At the head of the
polished mahogany table stood Giovanni Cappel, his calm but commanding presence in every eye.
"Good morning everyone " Giovanni began, voice steady. "We're here because Aurum Realty is
at a crossroads. Our recent projects have seen promising growth, but there's a troubling issue
we must address, the recent leakage of our deals to Luminari Properties ".
A murmur ran through the room. Calithea Cappel-the CFO of Aurum Realty and also Giovanni's
elder sister sat to Giovanni's right, her dark eyes sharp and calculating. She leaned forward.
"Three deals, Giovanni ? That's not just carelessness. Someone's feeding Luminari our
playbook.
"We've run internal audits," said Mr Brayan Montez, the head of Finance,adjusting his glasses.
"Nothing definitive, but the timing of these losses is too precise."
Charlotte Bayley, a real estate strategist, tapped her nails against her tablet. "It's like they know
our valuation margins. Our client preferences. Even our bidding limits".
Mr. John Frantz, head of urban development, leaned back with a skeptical grunt." It still doesn't
explain how Luminari knew about our revised offer for the Revolution estate. Unless, Luminari
has a mole with access to real-time board deliberations..."
"Or access to someone who does", Calithea muttered.
Lucille lowered her eyes back to her notepad.
"What were you able to find Lucille? Giovanni suddenly popped the question. Lucille looked
surprised and slightly adjusted.
"We're still investigating but from my findings so far, the leakage must have occurred through a
shared device...
"What do you mean by shared device?" Calithea interrupted while maintaining eye contact with
Lucille.
Giovanni sat up straight, his voice now sharp. "Whoever is doing this is compromising the
integrity of everything we've built. Aurum Realty's clients trust us with discretion. If we lose that,
we lose our edge".
"I suggest we tighten communication "said Charlotte Bayley. "Limit sensitive deal details to only
those who absolutely need them. No assistants, no middle management "
Lucille knuckles whitened around her pen, though she remained silent.
"We should also re-encrypt our proposal systems and disable external device access for any real relatef file, added Dwyane stoll
lithea turned to Giovanni. "And we may need to do something else, " she said with emphasis.
"Audit the personal devices of everyone with access to confidential board discussions. Everyone
"
There was a pause. Everyone knew what she meant. Lucille's name wasn't mentioned-but it
hung in the air like perfume in a closed room.
Calithea glanced at Lucille. She offered her a smile. Too poised. Too perfect.
"I'll have IT start security enhancements immediately " Giovanni said, deflecting. "But the leaks
stop now. We're sealing every crack in this room."
The board nodded. But Calithea didn't look convinced. She leaned back, eyes still trained on
Lucille as if she'd just uncovered a loose thread in an otherwise seamless fabric-and had no
intention of letting go until she pulled it all the way.
"We're also going to run more ads and press conferences. We're at the top and we must do
anything to maintain that" Giovanni said firmly while giving everyone a fierce and powerful
glance.
The board nodded. " I guess this is the end of today's conference, " he added.
The board members packed their stuff and started heading out of the boardroom, until it was
just Giovanni, Lucille and Calithea.
Calithea glared hard at Lucille. Lucille understood her language and walked out, leaving just the
two siblings.
"I saw what you were trying to do there. I could feel the tension between you and Lucille,
"Giovanni said.
"You know I would never pick on someone deliberately" she defended herself
Giovanni smiled, but Calithea could see the pain on his face. " That son of a mother effing bitch
is trying everything to bring you down" Calithea said with disgust.
"Hmm" Giovanni nodded.
********
LIVIAN WINIFRED'S OFFICE- LUMINARI PROPERTIES, GEORGIA,
ATLANTA.
Livian Winifred's office was nothing like the sterile,glass and steel boxes that cluttered Atlanta's
high-rise skyline. No...his space was a controlled rebellion,sleek yet dangerous. Black marble
floors stretched beneath a matte onyx desk, trimmed in brushed gold. A custom wall-to-wall
shelf displayed a curated blend of antique typewriters, rare art books and miniature real estate
models-every item chosen not for sentiment, but for effect. A floor-to-celling window looked out
over the bustling Atlanta bridge, but Livian wasn't watching the city. He was lounging in a deep
burgundy leather chair, one boot propped on the corner of his desk, his attention fixed on his
phone.
On screen: Giovanni Cappel, crisp in a navy suit, answering press questions outside Aurum
Realty. Composed. Charismatic. Predictable.
Livian scoffed.
He exhaled slowly, the glint of his lip ring catching the morning sunlight. A slim hoop sat on the
right side of his bottom lip,dark chrome-bold but not tacky. A matching ring hugged the bridge of
his nose, and both ears were peppered with small black studs and cuffs. Even his textured taper
fade with silver streaks glinting through his jet-black hair, the top left loose and tousled, like he'd
just walked out of bed and into a boardroom war. The messy elegance only enhanced the chaos
behind his eyes. Sharp. Dangerous.
He wore a tailored charcoal blazer over a black turtleneck, the fabric hugging his lean frame. At
his throat, a delicate silver chain rested-a serpent pendant curled around a gemstone. His
fingers, inked against the phone as Giovanni's speech played on.
"Still using the same buzzwords, " Livian muttered with a smirk. "Innovation. Transparency.
Legacy". He leaned back, tongue flicking across his lip ring. "You're playing checkers, Gio. And
I'm building the board "
He swiped the video away and glanced toward the massive smart screen on the far wall, where
the blueprint of Aurum's latest project glowed faintly-already dissected, analyzed and undercut.
A knock came on the door.
"Come," he said, voice deep and lazy, yet dangerous.
A junior executive stepped in.
"The metro luxe client got cold feet"
Livian stood, adjusting his cuffs with the kind of elegance that made people unsure whether to
fear him or be drawn in. He moved like a predator in a boardroom-measured, silent, confide.
"Tell him the offer just doubled. And that if he doesn't respond in 30 minutes, I'll buy the land just
to build a parking lot beside Giovanni next dream house "
The executive blinked. "Yes sir"
Livian turned back to the phone and played the clip again, chuckling as Giovanni mentioned
'integrity'
"Let's see how long you hold on to that.
His other phone which was on the table rang and he answered it.
"Yes,Lucille," he said and paused for a while. Then, he smirked and hung up.
"Giovanni Cappel smart dumbass"
********
GIOVANNI'S LUXURY APARTMENT.
10:30p.m
The room was dark,save for the low hum of city lights leaking through the vast glass windows.
The skyline shimmered like scattered diamonds, but inside, the room felt hollow.
Giovanni stood in front of the bar pouring a drink with the precision of a man on the edge. His
hands were steady. His eyes, not so much. A full glass of Barcadi trembled slightly as he raised
it, then drained it in a single, burning gulp. He dropped the cup and walked over to the couch in
the living room. He sat lazily and lose his tie. He took his phone and switched over to the gallery.
He clicked on a romantic picture between him and a lady.
"Savannah"he called with pain and smirked. Then he deleted the picture, turning over to delete
the other pictures.
His phone rang and the caller ID showed 'Savannah love'. He stared at it, letting it ring out.