Damien lounged in the private lounge of The Glass Ember, swirling his whiskey with a cocky grin as Victor leaned closer with a newspaper in hand.
"VOSSTECH HEIR LOCKED IN GLAMOUR AFFAIR—WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE HIS COMPANY?"
Victor chuckled darkly. "The boy's distracted. Just as we hoped."
Damien smirked, tossing the paper aside. "A woman like Kiara Blake will eat him alive. Just wait until she drags him into a real scandal—one that stains his name enough for the board to question his leadership."
Victor leaned forward. "We use the gala to finish it. He'll be surrounded by the press, eyes everywhere. You'll give a speech—frame it like a tribute to your late uncle, bait Nathan into reacting. Then we'll slip him the documents. Let the world see him unravel."
Damien raised his glass in a mock toast. "To the fall of Nathan Voss."
But across the city, the man they sought to ruin was anything but distracted.
Nathan stood before a tactical screen in Vosstech Tower's private strategy room. Samson briefed him on the final security sweeps for the gala.
"They've bought into it completely," Samson confirmed. "Victor believes you'll walk into their trap tonight."
Nathan's eyes didn't leave the screen. "Good. Let's give them a show."
"You're still going to the gala?"
"Yes. I want them to see me—laughing, drinking, unbothered. And when they make their move, I want to be the one standing over them."
Samson nodded, then hesitated. "Stephanie?"
Nathan's jaw tensed. "She hates me."
Samson said nothing.
"She won't answer my calls. Won't read my messages." Nathan's voice dropped. "She thinks I used her."
"You did. For a while," Samson said honestly. "But not now."
Nathan's silence was heavy.
"She'll understand," Samson added. "Eventually."
Nathan didn't reply. He simply straightened the lapel of his custom black tuxedo and stepped out, his plan ready.
**
That evening, the gala was held in a glass-draped ballroom glittering with chandeliers and diamonds. Guests in designer gowns and crisp suits moved like shadows under the lights, laughter and champagne flowing like music. Nathan arrived late, drawing every eye.
He was the storm in a room of sparkle.
And yet, he smiled. He laughed. He clinked glasses with senators, shook hands with billionaires, whispered something into Kiara Blake's ear that made her laugh theatrically.
Victor watched from a distance with narrowed eyes. "He's really milking it."
"Exactly how we need him," Damien said, striding to the mic as the room quieted.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Damien began, his voice smooth and dripping with charm. "Tonight we honor legacy. My uncle, Jonathan Voss, built a company of innovation, power, and brilliance. And though he's gone, his vision lives on—in all of us."
Nathan's jaw clenched behind his practiced smirk.
Damien continued, raising a glass. "To the future of Vosstech."
Applause followed. Nathan stepped forward calmly, drawing eyes again.
He raised his own glass.
"To truth," he said quietly.
Damien's smile twitched.
Victor approached, slipping Nathan a sleek envelope.
"The full breakdown of your financials, Voss. Should be enlightening," Victor said, smug.
Nathan accepted it with a gracious nod.
Then opened it.
Silence fell.
At first glance, it appeared to be a financial report—something mundane and routine. But Nathan's eyes narrowed as he quickly realized the contents were much more than just numbers. They were falsified documents, designed to frame him for embezzlement, shady offshore accounts, and financial mismanagement.
Nathan's lips curled into a faint smile. This was their plan. They thought they had him.
Without a single word, Nathan walked to the microphone, his voice cutting through the room's chatter as the crowd hushed in anticipation.
"I just received this report," Nathan said coolly, his gaze sweeping over the room. "But there's something strange about it. It seems that someone has gone to great lengths to make it look legitimate."
He glanced at Damien and Victor, his voice dripping with quiet amusement.
"But the truth is far more dangerous for those who would dare to play such games."
He held up the papers, allowing everyone to see the fake numbers, the forged signatures, the deliberate misstatements.
"I've got the real numbers right here," Nathan continued, pulling out a second set of documents from his inside jacket pocket. "This report, ladies and gentlemen, was designed to destroy me. But instead, it's about to destroy those who created it."
Gasps rippled through the room. The press began snapping photos. Damien stood frozen, his mouth opening and closing, unable to speak. Victor's face drained of color, his hands trembling slightly.
Nathan stepped forward, his voice now low and menacing, the room hanging on every word.
"Your little attempt to frame me won't work. It's a shame it had to come to this, but if you want to play dirty, we can play dirty. I've got the evidence, the truth, and the support of every board member in this room."
Turning to face Damien and Victor, Nathan's voice turned ice-cold. "And for the record, this wasn't just a failed smear. This was treason. Against the company, and against blood."
Damien's face flushed crimson, the weight of Nathan's words pressing down on him. He opened his mouth to protest, but no sound came out.
Victor, meanwhile, stood silent, his plan unravelling before his eyes.
Nathan turned back to the microphone and addressed the guests with a calm authority.
"You want a Voss to run Vosstech? Fine. But it won't be either of them. It'll be me. And the next time you try to take me down, bring more than just shadows and paper lies."
He dropped the microphone onto the stand and turned to leave, his movements confident and assured. He didn't need to say another word. His actions had already spoken for him.
That night, Stephanie sat curled on her couch, watching the same moment replay on the news—Nathan standing tall, confident, delivering that icy warning. Even the reporters looked shaken.
Anita walked in, holding two mugs. "He looked dangerous tonight."
Stephanie's eyes were glassy. "He always does."
Anita sat beside her. "You still love him."
Stephanie swallowed. "I don't know what I feel anymore. But he didn't even try to explain. No 'trust me.' No 'it's a setup.' Just silence. And now… now the whole world sees a man who doesn't need anyone."
"You saw the kiss with that model?" Anita asked carefully.
Stephanie nodded, her voice cracking. "He let her touch him."
"Maybe it's a front."
"Then why not tell me? Why not trust me enough to be honest?"
Anita didn't have an answer. She just held her friend close.
Back at his penthouse, Nathan paced the floor, his thoughts racing. He had successfully dismantled the trap set by his uncle and cousin, publicly humiliated them, and secured his position as the true heir of Vosstech.
But the victory came at a cost.
The image of Stephanie's face as she watched the events unfold haunted him. He could still see the hurt in her eyes as he humiliated her family. He had used Kiara to further drive the wedge between them, and he knew it had only added fuel to the fire.
Nathan sighed and poured himself a drink. He didn't want to hurt Stephanie, but he also didn't know how to fix things between them. He had no intention of dragging her into his family's war, but everything had become so complicated.
Just then, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and saw Stephanie's name.
He hesitated, taking a deep breath before answering.
"Stephanie," he said, his voice calm, but with a trace of uncertainty.
"I saw what happened at the gala," she said, her tone distant. "You didn't have to do that. You didn't have to use me like that."
Nathan's heart sank. He could hear the pain in her voice.
"I didn't use you," he replied, his voice low. "I just had to protect myself. You don't understand what's at stake here."
"I understand more than you think," she said, her voice growing more strained. "I thought we had something. But maybe it was all just a game to you."
Nathan ran a hand through his hair, frustration building inside him.
"It's not a game, Stephanie. I'm trying to protect everything—everything that belongs to me, to my family. I didn't want to hurt you. But sometimes, sacrifices have to be made."
There was silence on the other end of the line, the tension palpable.
Finally, she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know if I can do this anymore."
Before Nathan could respond, she hung up.
As Nathan stood there, the weight of his actions sinking in, he realized that the battle for control of Vosstech was far from over. His enemies were humiliated, but they weren't defeated. And the woman he was starting to care for… she was slipping through his fingers.
Damien and Victor may have been publicly shamed tonight, but Nathan knew that they wouldn't stop. This was just the beginning.
And for the first time in a long time, Nathan felt truly alone.
**
At Vosstech, Nathan threw the envelope on his desk.
"I gave them a chance," he muttered.
Samson nodded. "We begin freezing assets tomorrow. You've got approval from the private board to move ahead."
"Good."
But Nathan wasn't celebrating.
He leaned back, exhausted.
"Sir?" Samson asked.
Nathan exhaled. "She's gone."
"Stephanie?"
"She doesn't look at me the same. I saw it in her eyes last time." He rubbed his forehead. "Everything I do to protect her just pushes her further away."
Samson spoke gently. "Maybe it's time to stop hiding. If she's part of your future, she needs to know your past."
Nathan nodded slowly.
Then whispered, "She deserves the truth. About everything."