CHAPTER 0113
JULIAN’S POV
“Now, as I was saying…” Olivia continued confidently as I sat back down in my seat, folding my arms and watching the scene unfold.
“You know the world you live in,” she said, her voice cold and sharp, “You live in a world where the rich rule. If they want someone gone, they make a single call, and it’s done. No questions asked. No consequences. No justice. That’s the world you’ve been operating in–kill or be killed. So tell me, wouldn’t it make sense to strike first before he gets the chance to do it to you?”
She paced slowly, the echo of her boots on the concrete adding to the tension in the room. Her presence was commanding, and I could see it–her words were cutting deep.
“There’s a chance here, a real chance, that you could flip the script and come out of this alive,” she continued. “If you cooperate, if you give us everything we need to take Adrian down, we’ll offer you protection. My brother has access to mercenaries- trained professionals who can protect you from men like Adrian. You walk away from this not only alive, but free.”
I watched as their eyes darted between each other, the weight of her offer starting to sink in. Olivia had made them scared, desperate even. Her words were hitting their
mark.
“What do you mean by protection from you?” the reporter asked warily, speaking up for the first time.
“It’s exactly what you think,” Olivia replied smoothly. “If you make the right choice and cooperate, we’ll make sure Adrian can’t touch you. Not now, not ever.”
She was selling it well, I’ll give her that. I cast her a sidelong glance, still not entirely sure what her endgame was. But I had agreed to follow her lead, for now.
But the reporter wasn’t buying it so easily. Her brows furrowed as she leaned forward and asked, “And what’s our guarantee? That if we tell you what you want, you won’t just disappear and leave us for dead? Like you said, the world is ruled by the rich. From where I’m sitting, you seem to fall into that category, too.”
It was a fair question–and a dangerous one, even Olivia was caught off guard by the question.
I guess she didn’t think that far.
I shifted slightly in my seat, ready to step in and salvage the situation, but before I could open my mouth, Olivia answered, and what she said nearly made me choke.
“I’ll put my family’s company on the line,” she said calmly. “Blake Industries. If anything happens to either of you, the company will be signed over to your names. That’s my
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CHAPTER 0113
guarantee.”
My head whipped toward her, my eyes widening in disbelief. Did I hear that right?
Was she insane?
Blake Industries was our family legacy, our lifeline. You don’t just throw it out there as a bargaining chip, especially when everything we were saying to these two was a manipulation, a carefully constructed lie to get them to talk.
I stood up slowly and walked over to her, my hand gripping her arm gently but firmly.
“We need to talk. Now,” I said through clenched teeth, keeping my voice low so as not to raise suspicion.
Without protest, Olivia let me guide her out of the room, the heavy door closing behind us with a dull thud.
As soon as we were alone in the hallway, I turned to her, whispering urgently,
“Are you listening to yourself right now?” I asked, lowering my voice sharply. “How could you put something so important on the line like that?”
Her eyes didn’t even waver. “That was the only thing I was sure of that might make them talk. There was no other guarantee I could offer them in that moment.”
I let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand through my hair. “Even knowing that in a few days you’re about to become CEO of the company? Do you want me to protect those crooks around the clock just because you made an emotional promise?”
Olivia’s expression stayed calm, a stark contrast to the storm rising in me. “Relax,” she said coolly. “I had a dozen reasons why I chose the company as bait. First of all, Adrian isn’t actually coming after them. That whole story? It’s just a scare tactic. There’s nothing for them to be protected from. And second…” She stepped closer and looked me dead in the eyes. “Once they spill everything we want to know, we’ll have them arrested for framing. Simple. I’m trusting you to take care of that part. You can handle it, right?”
I blinked at her, the realization of her game slowly dawning on me. My frustration began to cool, replaced by a wary admiration. “Yeah,” I muttered. “Once all three of them confess, they’ll be charged and locked up. No protection needed.”
“Exactly,” she said with a smirk, tapping my shoulder lightly. “So there’s nothing to worry about. Besides, it’s not like we’re signing any legal documents stating we’ll hand over the company to them. Did we ever say anything like that? Ever mention a contract, or papers, or a lawyer?”
She gave me a knowing wink, and despite myself, I had to grin. I knew exactly what she was doing now. Lying? Maybe. But tactfully, and with purpose.
“No,” I said, playing along. “I never heard you guarantee our family company in any official capacity.”
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“Good,” she said. “Then I’ll get back in there and wrap this up.”
As she turned and walked back into the dimly lit basement room, I followed at a slower pace. Watching her work this angle so naturally made me feel like the sidekick in my own mission. The way she took control, the way she read people–it was impressive, if not slightly terrifying.
“Please don’t let this backfire,” I muttered under my breath as I stepped in behind her.
“Alright,” Olivia said as she stepped in front of the two captives once more. “Where was I? Oh yes… I can guarantee my family company. That’s how serious I am about keeping you safe from Adrian.”
Each time she said those words, my gut clenched. I bit my lower lip and kept my eyes locked on them, praying they wouldn’t get any smart ideas. If either of them asked for something in writing, we’d be in trouble. Olivia had no plan B if they pushed for legal documentation, and I didn’t either.
There was a brief silence in the room. The driver turned to the reporter, and something passed between them–a silent conversation made up of subtle expressions, hesitant nods. A whole debate happened in seconds, and then the driver gave a small nod.
That was all it took.
“Fine,” the reporter said at last. Her voice was steady but laced with defeat. “I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”
I leaned back slightly, stunned by how quickly Olivia had broken them. All it took was a clever bluff and some sharp words.
“These people,” I thought, “are such idiots.” They actually believed everything–without a contract, without witnesses, without the slightest bit of due diligence. And yet, this was how scams worked these days. Scammers weren’t slick con men in the shadows anymore. They were just as likely to be pretty faces and sharp minds, manipulating you into believing they were your last hope.
Olivia smiled widely, triumphant. She had done in minutes what my private investigators had been sweating over for weeks.
And she did it all without breaking a sweat.
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