❝ You make this messed-up world look so much more beautiful. ❞ Gathering me in his arms, he pulled me close -- his lips seeking mine hungrily.
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The only thing Summer Hale has ever wanted was to live peacefully away from her secrets...
I dine with the blood on my hands Thrive when I'm beatin' the man All I learned in the pen Is never get caught — Wreak Havoc by Skylar Grey
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Sipping the glass of chocolate milkshake, the man's gaze remained focused on the television screen, his patience waning with every passing second. He was deeply engrossed with the inauguration of HJ Corporation's new CEO. It was the most awaited event of the year since it was formally announced to the press. Everyone in the corporate world was eager to know who was going to take over.
There were about a hundred guests invited to the life-changing event, but they weren't there to show their support. All they wanted to know was if the new person-in-charge would be easy to manipulate and control. Everyone wanted HJ Corporation for themselves. How could they not, when that group controlled most of Asia.
They were the gods on earth — untouchable and beyond powerful.
"Today, we celebrate HJ Corporation and a new beginning."
The man's lips lifted into a smirk as he heard the announcement. He had been waiting for this day, longing for it even. He was desperate to know who was going to handle the business from here onwards, an opportunity for him to seize.
He glanced down at his half-filled glass with anticipation.
"We welcome the new CEO of HJ Corporation, Samantha Gonzales!"
He paused in complete and utter shock, his mind unable to comprehend the notorious name. It had to be a mistake — a grave mistake at that. Angrily, the man raised his chin and watched as Samantha walked up the platform dressed in a red pantsuit. She strode towards the host with confidence and power, the faint gasps of the guests filling the man's ears. They, too, were not expecting for her to be the one who would sit in such a high position and control them. Sure, the founder still held his power as the chairman, but he only called the final shots. Samantha was now in charge of the day-to-day operations, and she was unyielding, pathetically loyal to the company.
The man sneered, tossing the glass across the room. It shattered to the ground as he glowered over at the screen, unimpressed by whatever Samantha had to say. He felt the rage tearing at his lungs, plucking at his nerves until he wanted to break Samantha's neck.
"Haven't you been waiting for this moment?" asked the woman to his right.
The man snarled, "They fucking cheated."
"Cheated?" the woman scoffed. "That bitch has been there for more than fifteen years. I'm not surprised that she was chosen. She's the only one in the company who knows who the former CEO was too."
The man snapped his head in the woman's direction with a deep scowl, his menacing aura allowing her to raise a perfect eyebrow. She wasn't the least fazed by his temperament, having lived with it for years.
"Haven't you heard the rumors circulating about a daughter?" the man said through gritted teeth.
The woman snickered. "It's unlikely for you to believe such a thing with no solid evidence. Have you finally gone insane?"
"That information came from a source in a tabloid."
"You're kidding, right? You believed a fucking tabloid?"
"This tabloid listed every wealthy person on this goddamn earth, including precise details of their lives. There was a profile named CEO of HJ Corporation, but they didn't have any pictures, and the details were the same shit we've heard for years. The only difference was that they listed a daughter."
The woman leaned back on the couch with a wicked glint dancing in her eyes. "How intriguing," she said. "Then what's your theory on this disappointment of an inauguration?"
"They're hiding the daughter somewhere."
The man glanced back at the television, his head tilting slightly to one side as he watched the inaugurated CEO offer a wave to the public with a devious smile etched on her lips.
"I've seen that look in your eyes before," the woman coaxed. "What are you planning to do now? Clearly, your initial plan is out of the question. You can't manipulate Samantha, and you can't do anything to them since you're technically powerless."
The man let out a laugh as he turned to face the woman. "You better watch your words, little witch. I'm not powerless, and I will never be powerless."
"Your father isn't even going to let you manage the company, and you call yourself powerful," the woman ridiculed, chuckling under her breath to taunt him further.
"Have you not learned anything from me?" he questioned, throwing his head back on the couch as he let out a breath. "All good things come to those who wait."
The man stared at the round chandelier draping from the ceiling with a smirk tugged on his lips. This was going to be more troublesome than he thought. Gaining HJ Corporation was not going to be an easy feat.
It was going to be one hell of a battle.
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