Chapter 2
Half an hour later, a globally limited-edition Bugatti Veyron screeched to a halt at the villa entrance with a showy drift.
The door swung open, and a man in a flashy pink suit stepped out.
He had a stunning face that could make anyone swoon, with slightly upturned eyes that seemed to spark with charm whenever he looked at someone.
He took off his sunglasses, revealing eyes that shared a strong resemblance to Amelia's. Only his were sharper, more predatory. This was Christopher Harrison, Amelia's older brother and the undisputed heir to Harrison Group.
"Ugh, how terrible. The air smells like it's broke," Christopher scoffed, wrinkling his nose in disgust as he strode over to his precious little sister, Amelia.
He gave her a once-over, and when he saw the red mark on her face, his eyes instantly turned cold. "Did he hit you?"
Amelia shook her head. "I scratched myself by accident, nothing serious."
Christopher let out a cold laugh. "So Daniel's got some nerve now, huh? He actually dared to lay a hand on my sister."
He took off his suit jacket and draped it over Amelia's shoulders, wrapping her delicate frame in its warmth. "Come on, let's go home."
Amelia nodded and followed Christopher into the car.
*****
Upstairs, at the villa's second-floor window, Harper watched the flashy sports car below, her eyes burning with jealousy. She'd only ever seen cars like that in magazines, worth a fortune, one of the rarest in the world.
'How did Amelia manage to snag a rich guy?' Harper grumbled to herself.
She immediately turned and ran over to Daniel, putting on her best puppy-dog eyes. "Daniel, look."
Daniel followed her gaze, but all he saw was the sports car speeding off into the distance. He frowned, that annoying feeling bubbling up inside him again.
"Ignore her," he said coldly. "I already dumped her. She probably found herself a new sugar daddy. Good riddance, now she won't bother me anymore."
In his eyes, the best Amelia could do was land some nouveau riche nobody, not worth mentioning compared to the Foster family.
Harper felt a little better after hearing that. 'Yeah, Amelia must've gotten herself a sugar daddy. What kind of future could a divorced woman possibly have?' she thought.
She snuggled up to Daniel, her voice sweet and soft. "Daniel, when are we going to make our relationship public?"
Daniel ran his fingers through her hair, a calculating glint in his eyes. "Not yet. Once the company's next quarterly report comes out and I've solidified my position, I'll make sure you become my wife in style."
He'd only taken over as CEO of Foster Group, and his position wasn't exactly secure yet. There were still plenty of old-timers on the board watching his every move.
If a scandal about him cheating on his wife and kicking her out got out now, it would be a disaster for his career.
Harper felt a pang of frustration, but she knew not to make trouble. "Alright, I'll listen to you."
The two of them were lost in their world of romance at the villa, completely oblivious to the storm that was quietly brewing, one that would turn their lives upside down.
*****
Inside the Bugatti Veyron, Christopher kept glancing at Amelia in the rearview mirror as he drove.
"You really don't want me to stand up for you? Say the word, and Foster Group will be gone for good by tomorrow morning." Christopher sounded so casual that it was almost like he was talking about the weather.
Amelia leaned back in her seat, eyes closed, looking worn out. "Christopher, I want to take back what's rightfully mine by myself."
She paused, then opened her eyes, her gaze icy. "And I want him to pay for everything he's done to me."
Christopher raised an eyebrow. "Alright, whatever makes you happy. So, how do you want to play this? I will get your back."
A cold, sharp smile curled on Amelia's lips. "Daniel treasures his CEO title more than anything, right? Give me three days. I'll make sure his reign as CEO comes to an end."
Christopher whistled. "Savage. I like it."
He turned the wheel, merging the car into the heavy traffic. "Go home and get some rest. Leave the rest to me."
Amelia stayed silent. She knew how terrifying her seemingly carefree brother could be when he got serious.
To the Harrison family, Foster Group was nothing but a bug they could squash without trying.
Back then, for what she thought was love, she'd hidden her claws and acted like a harmless kitten. But now, love was off the table. It was time for Daniel and Harper to find out what it really meant to mess with a tiger.
*****
The next two days passed without a hitch. Daniel and Harper were living sweetly, basking in their fairytale bliss.
With that annoying woman Amelia finally gone, Daniel felt like the world was finally peaceful.
Harper was on cloud nine, parading around the villa as if she were the queen. She tossed out everything Amelia had ever used and replaced it with her favorites.
She was showing off as Mrs. Foster at high-society events, mingling with the wealthy wives.
Daniel turned a blind eye to it all. To him, Amelia was ancient history, someone he didn't bother thinking about anymore.
*****
On the third day, Monday, Daniel walked in, brimming with confidence, like any other day.
But barely had he stepped into his office when his secretary burst in, white as a sheet. "Mr. Foster, it's a disaster."
Daniel frowned. "Why are you freaking out? Calm down."
The secretary was nearly in tears. "Mr. Foster, our stock crashed the moment the market opened. It's all locked at the bottom."
"What?" Daniel's face drained of color as he shot up from his chair and rushed to his computer.
On the screen, Foster Group's stock ticker was drenched in green. Prices had plunged off a cliff, stuck at the bottom with no hope of recovery. Sell orders flooded in like a blizzard, but not a single buyer could be found.
"How could this happen?" Daniel's face twisted in shock and fury.
'Everything was fine last Friday. How did it all fall apart over the weekend?' he thought.
"Go to find out. Who's behind this?" he roared at his secretary.
But before he could figure anything out, his phone rang. It was the CFO. "Mr. Foster, all our major partner banks suddenly called in their loans at the same time. We're about to run out of cash."
"What?" Daniel felt like he'd been struck by lightning. His vision blurred, and he almost hit the floor.
The stock market crashed, and banks called in their loans. Someone was out to wipe Foster Group off the map.
'Who the hell is behind this? Who did I piss off?' Daniel frantically searched his mind for anyone he might've crossed, but he drew a blank.
Just then, the office door slammed open. The board of directors stormed in, led by Joshua Jenkins, his face dark with fury. "Daniel, look at the mess you've made. You're about to sink this whole company."
Daniel barely managed to stay on his feet. "Mr. Jenkins, please, let me explain. Someone's definitely targeting us, shorting the stock on purpose. I'm already looking into it."
"Looking into it? What's the point now?" Joshua threw a document down in front of him. "We got the notice. Over 51% of our shares have been snatched up by some investment firm called Legacy Group.
"From this moment on, Foster Group doesn't belong to you anymore. And we've been ordered by the new shareholders to call an emergency board meeting. You're out as CEO, effective immediately."
"What?" Daniel's mind went completely blank.
'Legacy Capital? I've never heard of them. When did they manage to snap up so many shares without anyone noticing? This can't be real,' Daniel wondered.
"I don't believe it. This is impossible," he shouted like a madman.
Joshua looked at him coldly. "Believe it or not, that's the truth. Now, pack your things and get out. You're fired."