Chapter 4

Jason’s POV

The moment I stepped onto Quinn's porch, I felt the bitterness settle in my gut. I lifted my hand to knock but the door opened before I could. Quinn stood there, leaning against the frame with that familiar arrogant grin.

“Jason,” he drawled, raking his fingers through his dark blonde hair. “What a surprise.”  

I took in his disheveled shirt, the fact that it was unbuttoned, the lipstick smudge on his collar. And there, just behind him, Mia Parker. 

“Hello,” she greeted, leaning into Quinn’s side, her red lips curled into a satisfied smile while her fingers traced lazy circles on his shoulder.  

I ignored her and met Quinn’s eyes. “Where’s Vanessa?” I asked.

Quinn didn’t stop smiling, but something flickered in his gaze—something cold and dismissive. He shrugged. “Gone. Finally.”  

“Gone?” I repeated, my voice low.  

He tilted his head, as if bored by the entire conversation. “Please, come in,” he offered.

“I asked you a question, Quinn,” I said in a low voice and he sighed, almost in frustration.

“What can I say? Vanessa was too dull. Too… predictable.” His lips curled into a sneer. “I got tired of playing house with someone so boring.”  

Those words hit harder than I cared to admit. My fingers curled into fists at my sides, but I kept my expression blank.  

What an ungrateful little bastard.

I had never expected much from Quinn. I knew who he was—a self-serving opportunist who wore charm like a well-fitted suit. But hearing him dismiss Vanessa like that, like she was nothing… it twisted something sharp inside me.  

I’d brought Quinn into my life for a reason. Not because I cared for him, but because I saw potential. Not in him, but in what he could give her. Vanessa had been the one person who made my cold, empty world feel less… bleak. 

I’d thought Quinn could give her happiness. But I was wrong.  

My voice was tight when I spoke. “You always were shortsighted.”  

Quinn’s eyes darkened, but he didn’t say anything. 

I took a step back, letting the cold air clear the disgust in my chest. “Enjoy it while it lasts, Quinn. Because sooner or later, you’ll realize just how much you lost.”  

“I haven’t lost anything.” He slid his arm around Mia’s waist, pulling her closer. “I simply traded up.”  

I didn’t bother responding. He wasn’t worth it. He never had been.  

I turned around and walked to my car, ignoring whatever he said while calling after me.

As the car pulled away, I stared out the window, watching the city pass by. I had no time for distractions I told myself, least of all the mess Quinn was creating. The meeting ahead was too important.  

We arrived at the downtown high-rise, where my company’s name gleamed in silver letters—Nexus Group. Inside, the boardroom was filled with a dozen pairs of eyes turned to me as I entered—some filled with respect, others with barely concealed fear. Good. That’s how it should be.  

The meeting went by in a flurry of figures, charts, and tense discussions. When you were one of the most powerful men in the country, people hung onto your every word, your slightest nod. By the time we wrapped up, my mind was already on the interview I had scheduled.  

The studio lights were harsh, but I barely noticed. I sat across from the journalist, a woman with sharp eyes and a practiced smile. She asked a couple of questions before proceeding to ask about my personal life. 

“Mr. Knight,” she began, “you’ve built an empire, one of the most successful in the country. But the world wants to know more about the man behind the power. Is there anyone special in your life?”  

Her question was predictable, yet the air in the room seemed to tighten as everyone waited for my answer. For a moment, I considered dodging it, but then a vision of her crossed my mind. Vanessa, with her fiery hazel eyes and trembling strength.  

“Yes,” I finally answered. “There is someone.”  

The journalist’s eyebrows lifted in interest. “Really?”

I nodded and leaned back slightly, “Infact, she’s carrying my child, and we’ll be married soon.”  

I heard low murmurs in the background. Cameras flashed, and I could feel the curiosity in the air.

“Can you give us her name?”  

“Vanessa,” I answered after giving it a thought. No last name. No further details. Just enough to set their imaginations on fire.  

The interview wrapped up shortly after that. I could already see headlines forming in their eyes, the speculation, the frantic digging that would follow. Let them look. They’d find nothing until I wanted them to.  

By the time I got home, it was already evening. I loosened my tie as I stepped inside my house. Just as I was pouring a glass of whiskey, my phone buzzed.

It was Roger, my assistant. “Sir, I have the information you requested.”  

“Go on.”  

“Quinn’s been siphoning funds from the company,” Roger reported. “He’s been diverting them into offshore accounts under dummy corporations. But that’s not all—he’s been feeding insider information to his parents. I believe they’re making a move.”  

I tightened my grip on the glass, but I slowly swirled the contents to keep calm. So, that was Quinn’s game. A pathetic attempt to bite the hand that had been feeding him all along. He thought he was clever, but I would always be one step ahead.

“Prepare everything we need to shut him down,” I said, my voice cold. “I want the board notified, legal action ready to go.”  

“Yes, sir.”  

“And Roger,” I added, “make sure to freeze those accounts. I want him to feel the walls closing in.”  

“Understood.”  

I hung up and took a slow sip of whiskey, the burn sliding down my throat. Quinn had betrayed me, but he didn’t realize the full extent of what he’d lost.  

I’ve decided that everything he had—his status, his career, even his fleeting moments of success—had been handed to him because of her. Because I allowed it, for her, I was taking it all back.

I set the glass down

Quinn thought he could play games in my world, but he forgot one important fact: I never lose.