Daniel Royce watched the broadcast end with his hands clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
Lucien Blackwood.
Publicly backing Ariella.
Publicly naming Royce Holdings.
Publicly humiliating him.
The screen went black.
Daniel exhaled slowly, then laughed.
Low. Cold. Dangerous.
"So," he murmured, "you chose him."
He reached for his phone.
"Activate Phase Two," he said calmly. "I want everything."
A pause.
"And I mean everything."
By evening, the tone of the scandal shifted.
New headlines replaced the old ones.
INSIDER REVEALS DARK SECRETS OF ARIELLA MBEKI
EX-EMPLOYEE CLAIMS MBEKI HEIRESS MANIPULATED FINANCIAL RECORDS
ANONYMOUS SOURCE: 'SHE'S NOT THE INNOCENT ONE'
Ariella read the articles slowly, her expression unreadable.
Her assistant was close to tears. "Miss Mbeki… they found someone willing to testify. A former accountant. He says you ordered him to alter reports."
Ariella's grip tightened around her phone.
In her past life—
This was it.
This was the testimony that sent her to prison.
The same man.
The same lie.
Her chest tightened—not with fear, but with fury so sharp it burned.
Lucien arrived an hour later.
No warning. No entourage.
He stepped into her office like he owned the building—and in a way, he did now.
"You expected this," he said.
"Yes," Ariella replied quietly. "But not this fast."
Daniel was learning.
Adapting.
Lucien studied her face carefully. "Are you shaken?"
She met his gaze. "I'm remembering."
Something dark flickered in his eyes. "Good."
She frowned. "Good?"
"You don't repeat mistakes you understand," he said. "Tell me—did you order those changes?"
"No."
"I know," he replied calmly. "But proof matters more than truth."
Ariella swallowed. "He's trying to bury me before I can strike back."
Lucien stepped closer. "Then we dig faster."
He placed a file on her desk.
Inside were documents—timestamps, encrypted emails, internal audit trails.
"Royce Holdings paid the witness," Lucien said. "Offshore. Sloppy again."
Ariella's breath caught. "This could destroy him."
Lucien's mouth curved slightly. "It will."
She looked up at him. "Why are you really doing this?"
He paused.
Then, quietly: "Because I hate men who break things they didn't earn."
Her heart skipped.
Before she could respond, her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number
A message appeared.
If you don't withdraw the accusations by midnight, your mother goes down with you.
Ariella's blood ran cold.
Lucien read the message over her shoulder.
The air changed.
"That," he said softly, "was a mistake."
She turned to him. "He's involving my family."
Lucien straightened, his expression turning lethal. "Then he's dead."
Her breath caught—not at the words, but at how easily he said them.
Across the city, Daniel leaned back in his chair, confident again.
"She'll fold," he said to Clara. "She always cared too much."
But his phone rang before he could finish his drink.
Lucien Blackwood.
Daniel hesitated.
Then answered.
Lucien's voice was calm.
"You touched what's mine."
Daniel scoffed. "She's not yours."
A pause.
Then Lucien said quietly, "She is now."
The line went dead.
Daniel stared at his phone.
For the first time that day—
Fear crept in.