Chapter 26: The Rise Before the Fall
Anthony shake the golden liquid in his glass, watching the city lights flicker beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse suite. He took a slow sip, savoring the smoky burn of his whiskey. This was the taste of victory.
The AI startup he invested in was making waves. News media were buzzing about the new technology, stock prices were soaring, and investors were practically fighting to buy in.
It had been a brilliant move, and he knew it.
A smirk played on his lips as his phone vibrated. He glanced at the phone and answered.
"Mr. Raymond," his secretary voice came through, his excitement could be heard in his voice. "the AI company's rating has tripled in just twenty-four hours. Investors are fighting to secure shares."
Anthony chuckled, shaking the whiskey in his glass. "Let them beg."
He had played his cards right. This was just the beginning.
From across the room, Rachel observed him with curiosity. She had noticed the change in his demeanor over the past few days, a mix of arrogance and relief.
"Why making you so happy?" she asked, approaching him with a sultry smile.
Anthony set his glass down and pulled her onto his lap. "I just pulled off the biggest financial play of my life. Let's just say, very soon, I will soon become the largest shareholder of Camelo Corporation."
Rachel's eyes sparkled with intrigue. "That's what I like to hear."
Little did he know his empire was built on sand.
———
Two days later, Anthony woke to a round of phone calls. The never ceasing ringing of his phone dragged him from sleep. He groaned, grabbing it off the nightstand.
"What?" he snapped, still half-asleep.
His assistant's panicked voice blasted through the speaker. "Sir! The AI stock is crashing!"
Anthony shot upright. "What the hell are you talking about?"
He reached for his laptop, fingers fumbling as he opened the stock market tracker.
Stock Price: -78%
His chest tightened. His vision blurred for a second before sharpening with plain disbelief.
"How?" he barked. "This makes no sense! We were rising yesterday!"
His secretary stammered. "N-news reports are coming in, sir. Claims of fraudulent technology… fake patents… undisclosed investors. People are pulling out fast."
Anthony's jaw locked. He scrolled through the latest headlines.
"Overhyped Scam? AI Startup Faces Credibility Issues"
"Major Investors Pull Out, Stock Crumbles Overnight"
"Who Really Owns This Company?"
His stomach turned. This isn't possible.
He had personally reviewed the company's financials and projections. Everything had checked out. How could it unravel so fast?
Unless…
He had been played
———
Anthony shoved his phone into his pocket, throwing on a suit faster than he could blink his eyes.
"Where are you going?" Rachel asked, startled by his sudden movements.
"There's a problem," he muttered. "A big problem."
He stormed out before she could press further.
The moment he stepped into his office, his financial team was already waiting. The tension was suffocating.
"Talk," Anthony commanded, slamming his briefcase onto the table.
His secretary wiped his forehead nervously. "We tried stabilizing the stocks, but the damage is done. Investors are pulling out, and no one wants to buy in."
"Then find a way to fix it!"
The assistant hesitated. "Sir, the company isn't even responding to inquiries. The executives who signed the deal with you have… vanished."
Anthony's heartbeat thundered in his ears. "What do you mean, vanished?"
"We checked their office. It's empty. There's no sign they were ever there."
Anthony's face drained of color.
That office had been real, he had sat in those chairs, shaken hands with those men. It couldn't just disappear.
He dialed the number of Leo Feng, the supposed tech genius behind the AI project.
The number you have dialed is unavailable.
He tried again.
Disconnected.
His fingers curled into fists.
"No… No, this doesn't make sense," he whispered, more to himself than to the room.
He had just transferred millions into this company.
His lawyer entered, his expression grim. "Mr. Raymond, we have a bigger problem."
Anthony turned to him sharply. "Bigger than losing millions in a scam?"
His lawyer hesitated before handing him a document. "This is the contract you signed."
Anthony barely glanced at it. "I know what I signed."
The lawyer's expression darkened. "Do you? Look at Section 7.2."
Anthony's eyes flickered across the text, then froze.
His blood turned to ice.
He reread the lines, his breath catching.
As per the agreement, the investor willingly transfers the aforementioned shares in Camelo Corporation as collateral, with no possibility of taking ownership back.
…no possibility of taking back ownership...
Anthony's vision blurred.
His grip on the document tightened.
"No."
His lawyer exhaled. "Mr. Raymond… You legally signed away your entire stake in Camelo Corporation."
It hit him so hard he almost couldn't breathe.
Not only had he lost millions, but in his eagerness to dominate Camelo Corporation, he had unknowingly handed it back to Ariana.
The very company he had spent years scheming to control was no longer his.
It was hers without him knowing.
———
Anthony stormed out of the office, fury burning through his veins.
He would fix this.
He had to.
But the moment he reached the AI company's supposed headquarters, he knew there was nothing left to fix.
The once-polished buzzing office was completely abandoned.
No employees. No executives. No records.
Nothing.
His hands trembled as he dialed his lawyer. "We're going to court."
There was a pause. Then a heavy sigh. "Mr. Raymond… You'll lose."
Anthony gritted his teeth. "I was scammed! That contract has to be invalid."
"Sir, you willingly signed it. There was no fraud on paper. You offered your shares as part of the investment deal. The AI company might be gone, but the contract remains legal."
Anthony's breath hitched.
He staggered back, the weight of his mistake pressing down on him.
Ariana had lured him in. Fed him the perfect dream, knowing he would bite the bait.
And now she owns everything.
Anthony's hands balled into fists.
And for that, he had just lost everything.