Chapter 9

After a long pause, Damian sighed. "I've been trying to reach Maurice."

Justin’s head snapped up. "What did you just say?" He leaned forward, his expression sharp.

"I can't get through to him," Damian repeated.

Justin shot to his feet, pacing the room as sweat formed on his forehead. "You shouldn’t have involved Sheila!" His voice was laced with anger.

"That was your biggest mistake. Asher won’t forgive her, and Gabriel won’t stay quiet either." He clenched his fists.

Damian frowned. "Sheila claims Asher didn’t question her. He only came to see her."

"Because he doesn’t need her help," Justin muttered.

"That visit wasn’t about getting answers, it was a message. A warning. He’s letting us know that he won’t stop until he destroys everyone involved." He turned to his son, eyes blazing.

"I warned your mother not to meddle. I told you all to leave Sheila alone. But no, you had to push! And now, look where we are!" His voice thundered through the room.

Damian opened his mouth to defend himself. "Mom was only—"

"Shut up!" Justin roared. "You should have learned from me. I've spent decades in this business. I know Asher better than any of you!" His veins bulged as rage consumed him.

Damian shifted uncomfortably but held his father’s gaze. "Dad, calm down—"

"Calm down?" Justin let out a bitter laugh. "You can’t reach Maurice. Sheila's family was deported within hours. And you still don’t see the connection?"

He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "That’s why Asher will always be ahead of you!"

Damian stiffened at the words.

"You should be leading this family," Justin continued. "You were supposed to inherit the business, but your grandfather isn’t a fool. He knows you’re not ready. And now, because of your reckless choices, Asher has the upper hand, again."

"Dad!" Damian snapped, his fists clenching. He hated the comparisons. He had been in the business world longer than Asher! He should be the stronger one.

Justin smirked coldly. "You claim he’s not better than you? Then tell me, how did he deport the very family you smuggled out of the country in just two days?" He watched as anger flared in Damian’s eyes. "Even disabled, he’s still outmaneuvering you."

"I will destroy him!" Damian snarled, his rage boiling over. "I won’t let him surpass me!"

Justin’s lips curled into a satisfied smirk. "Good. Then fix this mess before it comes back to destroy us all."

Damian exhaled, his mind already racing with plans.

Justin leaned back against the sofa, rubbing his temples. This wasn’t just about business anymore, it was about legacy. The Wood family had always been led by the eldest son, a tradition that had remained unbroken for generations.

His grandfather had inherited the position. His father had taken it next. Then him. But now? His own son, the rightful heir, was at risk of losing it all to Asher. That was unacceptable.

If Asher was out of the way, Damian would be the strongest contender. But with the way things were going, that future was slipping further out of reach.

As Damian turned to leave, Justin spoke once more. "Whatever you do to clean this up, make sure it doesn’t come back to haunt you."

SOMEWHERE IN SUNRISE CITY

A grand chandelier hung from the ceiling, flooding the spacious living room with bright, warm light. The polished marble floor gleamed under its glow, reflecting the room’s luxurious decor.

In the corner, a side table held a decorative lamp filled with colored liquid. Inside, tiny artificial insects buzzed and crawled, their iridescent wings casting mesmerizing rainbow hues against the glass.

The room was furnished with three large sofas and two smaller ones. On one of the oversized couches, a man sat with effortless confidence, lazily puffing on a cigarette. A small stool in front of him held an ashtray overflowing with ashes, proof of how many cigarettes he’d already gone through.

Across the room, another man paced back and forth, his expression dark and brooding. His eyes were bloodshot, his jaw clenched so tightly the veins in his forehead bulged.

He cracked his knuckles repeatedly, his frustration building with every step. Suddenly, he stopped, shot a glare at the younger man, then punched the air in sheer anger.

The younger man barely reacted, exhaling another thick cloud of smoke as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

Without warning, the older man stormed over to the side table and kicked it hard. The ashtray flew off, shattering into pieces as it hit the marble floor.

"You’re just sitting there chain-smoking while everything’s going to hell! What are you, a damn chimney?" he barked.

The younger man looked down at the mess, then casually stood up. He brushed the ash off his pants and started walking away.

"Don’t take another step, Ryder!" the older man snapped.

Ryder Oakley stopped but didn’t turn around.

"You were supposed to kill him!" Albert Tanner’s voice was thick with frustration.

At that, Ryder slowly turned, his expression sharp and unreadable. "What did you just say?" His brows furrowed as his eyes locked onto Albert.

Albert sighed heavily, rubbing a hand down his face. "That’s not what I meant, but—"

"For the record," Ryder cut him off, "I didn’t pull the trigger. I just recommended a crew."

Albert threw up his hands. "And that crew was supposed to eliminate him!"

Ryder let out a short, humorless laugh, stepping closer. "Oh, they did their job, alright. He just happened to slip through the cracks." His voice was calm, almost amused.

"They followed your orders, didn’t they, Albert?"

"Then why is he still breathing?" Albert shot back.

Ryder shrugged. "Some people are just too stubborn to die."

Albert’s patience snapped. "You’re acting like this isn’t a big deal! Sit your ass down and figure out our next move!"

Ryder’s expression darkened in an instant. "You don’t give me orders, Mr. Tanner." His voice dropped into a dangerous growl.

"I decide what I do, how I do it, and when I do it. You don’t run me!"

Albert scoffed. "I thought we wanted the same thing, his downfall!"

Ryder’s lips curled into a smirk. "His downfall? Yeah. His death? That’s your problem, not mine."

He let that sink in before adding, "And you lied to me, Mr. Tanner. You lied." His breathing was slow and deliberate, but the tension in his body said otherwise.

Albert arched a brow. "And? Even if I did, does it really matter? The end result’s the same. I thought we were on the same side, but I see now, I was wrong."

Ryder let out a dark chuckle. "You don’t hate him like I do," he said, his tone laced with venom. "But I don’t want him dead. I want him to suffer."

Albert studied him for a moment, then slowly nodded. Good. That fire was still there. He still had an ally.

He sighed and sank back onto the couch. "I’ve waited three years for this, Ryder. How much longer do I have to wait?"

Ryder’s face twisted with loathing. "I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t care how long it takes."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking. "See, you and I? We’re not after the same thing. You want him gone. I want him broken. And newsflash, he already is. So technically, you got what you wanted." A slow, wicked grin stretched across his face.

Albert’s jaw tightened. "He’s not dead."

"But he’s worthless," Ryder countered, stepping even closer.

"He’s still alive," Albert pressed.

Ryder exhaled sharply. "Maybe you haven’t been keeping up with the news. His name is trashed, Albert. Asher Wood isn’t showing his face in public anytime soon. His empire is going down. That’s as good as dead."

Albert scoffed. "You mean that story about his, what, erectile dysfunction? You really think that’s enough to take him out? Anyone could make up something like that."

Ryder smirked. "It’s not made up. It’s real. I got it from a very reliable source."

Albert narrowed his eyes. "And how reliable is this so-called source?"

Ryder crossed his arms, his smirk deepening. "One hundred percent."

Albert’s amusement faded. "Did your source also tell you that Giant Tech and all its branches are still running just fine?"

Ryder’s smirk disappeared. "That’s the real problem. Someone’s keeping it afloat. And once I find out who they are? They’re next."

"Then we take down Giant Tech completely," Albert stated firmly.

Ryder held out his hand, and Albert grasped it in a strong shake.

"Now we have a real target. Asher Wood is no longer the priority," Ryder said, his voice dripping with malice. "His body will destroy itself. If not, watching his company burn to the ground will finish the job for us."

The two men locked eyes before breaking into deep, sinister laughter.

"Mr. Albert Tanner," Ryder said, sealing their plan, "Giant Tech is the target now."

Albert nodded in agreement.

As they settled back onto the sofas, their conversation turned to strategy. The game had changed.

And this time, they were going to win.