𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰

29 - High Stakes.

Ruin.

The word that could never be removed from Hans Westerguaard's vocabulary.

He saw the world merely as his playground, and he would do anything just to amuse himself. He was a man who was raised and taught to be attached to his own self-pleasures, not that he had a teacher, his mentor was himself and himself alone. And never did he pay attention to others, especially the ones living below his shoes. It was all the luxury and the pride he could afford.

Hans always compared the business world as a pitiful flock of birds, and while he was among them, it's his game to kill one bird after the other to be the only one left flying. Soaring. Winning. Some people just want the prize, but everyone has an aggressive nature towards victory, no matter what level and no matter what method. He had his.

And that method was ruining, basically. His family had never tasted defeat before, and never did they plan to. Being the thirteenth son who was neglected, shunned and the one in the shadows, he had this unquenchable thirst for triumph, an insatiability he developed as years pass. He doesn't have the ability to win, though he still has the stronger hand to be the last one standing.

Arendelle Co's image is immaculate, pristine. That fact was widely known all over the country, perhaps even the globe. Not even the most meddlesome journalists could dig a single dirt they had no capability to find, since as long as it's under Elsa Arendelle's rule, that tidiness will always be maintained. Or so he thought.

If there was something money can buy aside material possessions, it was the loyalty of someone. Hans learned that when he met Payne for his skills in delving, and he also learned that the guy has watched many people from the top crumble within his fingertips due to the countless scandals and secrets he publicized without a care.

It seems Payne had dug way past his limitations, and Hans paid him a thousand for such an achievement. Elsa opened an opportunity and it danced right into his hands. He wanted her downfall to happen slowly, excruciatingly, he wanted to take his sweet time watching an all powerful tower collapse under his reach. One block after the other.

He eyed the phone slowly, his fingers beginning to dial a certain number.

"Hello? Payne?" He snarled.

"Oh. Hey there boss. I got what you needed."

"Excellent. Is it just as I suspected?"

"Yes, I have to hand it to you for the smarts. He used to be her secretary but he came into the position as designer in a span of... Dang, it's too quick. Not bad. But do you think this is enough dirt?"

Hans smirked, running a gloved hand on his desk to pick up a document he needed to look over.
"More than enough. Go do your thing, and I want that article published tomorrow, sharp. Make it sound like one of those slanders you expose, and play with your words nicely."

"Aye-aye."

••••

Payne exasperatedly sighs, sinking sluggishly in his office chair. His nostrils suckled the earthy whiff of caffeine from the recently refilled cup placed in front of him, his mind was debating if he should shift to decaf this week, the dark bags under his eyes were evidence enough. Shooting the half-bitten donut beside the ceramic a tempted glance, he knew his break isn't over until five minutes anyway–