Although Nicholas was always aware of his father's brutality, something felt off this time. After the Unity Coalition meeting, he received a message that was more than a warning; it was a declaration of war.The battle between Davenport Global and them would not be confined to boardrooms. Everything they had constructed would be destroyed if Nicholas didn't act quickly to stop them from dismantling it.He had to know what his dad was up to.And being incognito was the only way to accomplish that.Sitting in his office, Nicholas gazed out the glass windows at the metropolitan skyline. The weight of his decision descended upon him like a dense mist. Not only was he entering enemy territory, but he was also jeopardizing his reputation in the process.With her arms folded and a worried yet irritated expression, Cassie sat across from him.She shook her head and replied, "You can't be serious." "This isn't a game, Nicholas. If your dad discovers”"He won't," Nicholas cut in. "I am aware of
Cassie glanced at the vast hall in front of her while adjusting the collar of her fitted white jumpsuit, her fingers shaking slightly. She had been preparing for this day for years; it was the night her name would be mentioned with the respect she had valiantly earned rather than being a whisper in the art world.Critics, collectors, and industry pioneers attended the Vienna International Art Summit, one of the most prominent art events in the world. Reputations were built or broken at this event, and Cassie was one of the main acts tonight.She found it hard to believe.Echoes of Humanity, her show, has captured the attention of viewers worldwide. Each piece was more about the unadulterated, unrefined passion that went into it than it was about skill or beauty. The collection told the experiences of impoverished communities her program has aided by fusing traditional arts with cutting-edge digital installations. It was art with a mission, and that mission had drawn attention.Nichola
The headlines in the morning were harsh."Nicholas Scott: Billionaire or Business Bully?""Scott Enterprises Exposed—Shady Dealings Behind the Empire?""Cassie Scott's Husband: A Philanthropist or a Fraud?"Cassie's gut twisted as she gazed at the news report on her phone. The campaign of smears had started.Nicholas sat beside her in their home office, reading the same reports impassively. She knew his habit of tapping lightly against the wood desk as a form of controlled frustration.Even though she already knew, she said quietly, "How bad is it?"With a sigh, Nicholas tossed his phone on the table. "They're digging up everything they can. Old business deals, contracts, partnerships—twisting them to make me look corrupt."In her throat, Cassie swallowed the lump. "It's all lies.""Mostly," he remarked while massaging his face. "But that's not the problem. The problem is that perception is often stronger than the truth."She recognized his correctness. Blackwood Global, the competito
The sunlight pouring in on the floor-to-ceiling windows gave the art studio a golden glow as Cassie walked in. The soft scent of acrylic paint and the comforting feel of fresh paper permeated the room.However, the two tiny figures in the middle of the room really captured her interest.Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Emma and Ethan were engrossed in their worlds. With a charcoal stick in his hand, Ethan drew frantically on the enormous piece of paper before him, his tiny fingers covered in black dust. When he was focused, he was a little replica of Nicholas, his brow wrinkled in intense concentration and his small mouth set in a determined line.Conversely, Emma moved with natural grace, her paintbrush moving quickly across the canvas. Emma's painting was entirely colored, with hot oranges and brilliant blues melting into something Cassie couldn't yet identify, in contrast to her brother's dramatic shading and crisp lines.As Cassie watched them, her heart grew. She had never anti
In the softly lit area of his private study, Nicholas's face was illuminated by the brightness of his laptop screen. Tension permeated the air as his mind, like a machine, processed all the data before him. For weeks, his team had been searching for a weakness in the defenses of the competing business.He had finally located it tonight.Horizon Global, the competing business, had been attacking him, Cassie, and all they had constructed nonstop. However, they had erred in their pride.Leaning forward, Nicholas looked over the private documents his hacker contact had recovered. He went through internal memos, emails, and financial transactions until he came across a file that completely stopped him cold.A scam. An offshore account that is hidden. The laundering of money under the pretense of "philanthropic donations."His pulse was furious but steady as he exhaled softly.You got it.Reaching for his phone, Nicholas entered a secure number. A voice responded in a matter of seconds."Mr
Gazing at the proposal before her, Cassie sat at her desk. The potential impact was evident, and the figures were astounding. Expanding the program into this new market would reach thousands more people and provide opportunities to others without them. However, it was also a risk—a contentious decision that might backfire and jeopardize everything she had worked so hard to achieve.She looked at the framed picture next to her laptop, which showed her, the twins, and Nicholas in utter happiness. They had gone through so much and come so far. These days, she made decisions for herself and them, their future, and the innumerable individuals who relied on her employment.A gentle knock on the door startled her from her reverie. "Come in," she beckoned.Lily, her assistant, entered with a deliberately neutral expression. "The board is waiting, Cassie. Are you prepared?”Cassie took a deep breath and braced herself. "Yes. Let's get this done.”A dozen eyes turned to her as she walked into t
Nicholas waited with his hands clenched in the darkened hotel suite. The thick, almost suffocating air inside had little to do with the room's opulence. It was the waiting. The moment he had been waiting too long for.The communication had come from him. This is a straightforward request.We must speak. In person. No more games.And now, as the seconds stretched into minutes, he felt the consequences of his choice. In a last-ditch effort to dominate Nicholas's life, his father, who had tortured him for years, threatened him, misled him, and now sided with Horizon Global.No more.Nicholas was going to end it tonight.A jarring tap on the door.Nicholas let out a breath and walked confidently. Charles Scott was standing there when he opened it.There had been little change in his father. The same cold, evaluating eyes, the same calculated arrogance. The only things that had changed were the faint traces of age and the faint sense of despair that clung to him like a second skin."Nichol
The moment Nicholas had been waiting for arrived in the shape of a breaking news alert flashing across his screen."Breaking News: Horizon Global Faces Collapse Amidst Financial Scandal."The news anchor's voice echoed through his office."After a federal probe into financial malfeasance, Horizon Global CEO Robert Langley resigned. The once-dominant behemoth is on the verge of collapse after its shares fell by approximately sixty percent in the last twenty-four hours. According to sources, whistleblower reports and internal leaks were essential in revealing fraudulent activity connected to accounts offshore and unlawful lobbying attempts”.Nicholas sat back in his chair, a deep breath departing his lips.It was over.Months of struggle, sabotage, and corporate warfare had led to this point. Horizon Global, the firm that had done all in its power to ruin his proposal, was finally collapsing under its own corruption.A harsh knock on the door shook him from his thoughts. Richard, his he
The moment Nicholas had been waiting for arrived in the shape of a breaking news alert flashing across his screen."Breaking News: Horizon Global Faces Collapse Amidst Financial Scandal."The news anchor's voice echoed through his office."After a federal probe into financial malfeasance, Horizon Global CEO Robert Langley resigned. The once-dominant behemoth is on the verge of collapse after its shares fell by approximately sixty percent in the last twenty-four hours. According to sources, whistleblower reports and internal leaks were essential in revealing fraudulent activity connected to accounts offshore and unlawful lobbying attempts”.Nicholas sat back in his chair, a deep breath departing his lips.It was over.Months of struggle, sabotage, and corporate warfare had led to this point. Horizon Global, the firm that had done all in its power to ruin his proposal, was finally collapsing under its own corruption.A harsh knock on the door shook him from his thoughts. Richard, his he
Nicholas waited with his hands clenched in the darkened hotel suite. The thick, almost suffocating air inside had little to do with the room's opulence. It was the waiting. The moment he had been waiting too long for.The communication had come from him. This is a straightforward request.We must speak. In person. No more games.And now, as the seconds stretched into minutes, he felt the consequences of his choice. In a last-ditch effort to dominate Nicholas's life, his father, who had tortured him for years, threatened him, misled him, and now sided with Horizon Global.No more.Nicholas was going to end it tonight.A jarring tap on the door.Nicholas let out a breath and walked confidently. Charles Scott was standing there when he opened it.There had been little change in his father. The same cold, evaluating eyes, the same calculated arrogance. The only things that had changed were the faint traces of age and the faint sense of despair that clung to him like a second skin."Nichol
Gazing at the proposal before her, Cassie sat at her desk. The potential impact was evident, and the figures were astounding. Expanding the program into this new market would reach thousands more people and provide opportunities to others without them. However, it was also a risk—a contentious decision that might backfire and jeopardize everything she had worked so hard to achieve.She looked at the framed picture next to her laptop, which showed her, the twins, and Nicholas in utter happiness. They had gone through so much and come so far. These days, she made decisions for herself and them, their future, and the innumerable individuals who relied on her employment.A gentle knock on the door startled her from her reverie. "Come in," she beckoned.Lily, her assistant, entered with a deliberately neutral expression. "The board is waiting, Cassie. Are you prepared?”Cassie took a deep breath and braced herself. "Yes. Let's get this done.”A dozen eyes turned to her as she walked into t
In the softly lit area of his private study, Nicholas's face was illuminated by the brightness of his laptop screen. Tension permeated the air as his mind, like a machine, processed all the data before him. For weeks, his team had been searching for a weakness in the defenses of the competing business.He had finally located it tonight.Horizon Global, the competing business, had been attacking him, Cassie, and all they had constructed nonstop. However, they had erred in their pride.Leaning forward, Nicholas looked over the private documents his hacker contact had recovered. He went through internal memos, emails, and financial transactions until he came across a file that completely stopped him cold.A scam. An offshore account that is hidden. The laundering of money under the pretense of "philanthropic donations."His pulse was furious but steady as he exhaled softly.You got it.Reaching for his phone, Nicholas entered a secure number. A voice responded in a matter of seconds."Mr
The sunlight pouring in on the floor-to-ceiling windows gave the art studio a golden glow as Cassie walked in. The soft scent of acrylic paint and the comforting feel of fresh paper permeated the room.However, the two tiny figures in the middle of the room really captured her interest.Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Emma and Ethan were engrossed in their worlds. With a charcoal stick in his hand, Ethan drew frantically on the enormous piece of paper before him, his tiny fingers covered in black dust. When he was focused, he was a little replica of Nicholas, his brow wrinkled in intense concentration and his small mouth set in a determined line.Conversely, Emma moved with natural grace, her paintbrush moving quickly across the canvas. Emma's painting was entirely colored, with hot oranges and brilliant blues melting into something Cassie couldn't yet identify, in contrast to her brother's dramatic shading and crisp lines.As Cassie watched them, her heart grew. She had never anti
The headlines in the morning were harsh."Nicholas Scott: Billionaire or Business Bully?""Scott Enterprises Exposed—Shady Dealings Behind the Empire?""Cassie Scott's Husband: A Philanthropist or a Fraud?"Cassie's gut twisted as she gazed at the news report on her phone. The campaign of smears had started.Nicholas sat beside her in their home office, reading the same reports impassively. She knew his habit of tapping lightly against the wood desk as a form of controlled frustration.Even though she already knew, she said quietly, "How bad is it?"With a sigh, Nicholas tossed his phone on the table. "They're digging up everything they can. Old business deals, contracts, partnerships—twisting them to make me look corrupt."In her throat, Cassie swallowed the lump. "It's all lies.""Mostly," he remarked while massaging his face. "But that's not the problem. The problem is that perception is often stronger than the truth."She recognized his correctness. Blackwood Global, the competito
Cassie glanced at the vast hall in front of her while adjusting the collar of her fitted white jumpsuit, her fingers shaking slightly. She had been preparing for this day for years; it was the night her name would be mentioned with the respect she had valiantly earned rather than being a whisper in the art world.Critics, collectors, and industry pioneers attended the Vienna International Art Summit, one of the most prominent art events in the world. Reputations were built or broken at this event, and Cassie was one of the main acts tonight.She found it hard to believe.Echoes of Humanity, her show, has captured the attention of viewers worldwide. Each piece was more about the unadulterated, unrefined passion that went into it than it was about skill or beauty. The collection told the experiences of impoverished communities her program has aided by fusing traditional arts with cutting-edge digital installations. It was art with a mission, and that mission had drawn attention.Nichola
Although Nicholas was always aware of his father's brutality, something felt off this time. After the Unity Coalition meeting, he received a message that was more than a warning; it was a declaration of war.The battle between Davenport Global and them would not be confined to boardrooms. Everything they had constructed would be destroyed if Nicholas didn't act quickly to stop them from dismantling it.He had to know what his dad was up to.And being incognito was the only way to accomplish that.Sitting in his office, Nicholas gazed out the glass windows at the metropolitan skyline. The weight of his decision descended upon him like a dense mist. Not only was he entering enemy territory, but he was also jeopardizing his reputation in the process.With her arms folded and a worried yet irritated expression, Cassie sat across from him.She shook her head and replied, "You can't be serious." "This isn't a game, Nicholas. If your dad discovers”"He won't," Nicholas cut in. "I am aware of
The Scott mansion was oppressively tense. Despite being completely rocked by the security breach, Nicholas and Cassie did not back down. For the past two days, they had been strengthening security, deploying more guards, and planning their next course of action.Cassie knew Nicholas was thinking about his father's most recent danger. The warning and the chess piece had put him in a gloomy, strategic frame of mind. He was getting ready for battle.Cassie, however, had no intention of passively waiting for the next assault.They needed to bolster their initiative, which was the exact thing that Davenport Global and Nicholas's father wished to undermine. She refused to allow their adversaries to control their destiny.And she thought of something.It is a bold, contentious, and revolutionary concept.Despite the gravity of what she was about to propose, Cassie sat across from Nicholas in his office, her heart steady. His head was elsewhere as he studied security data, his jaw clenched ti