Antony Raymond has this pride of himself on always being one step ahead. But today, as he stared at his laptop screen, his entire world was crashing down in front of him.
The AI company he invested in, his golden ticket to take control of Camelo company and become the CEO had collapsed overnight. The stock had plummeted by over 80% in a matter of hours, and investors were pulling out like rats fleeing a sinking ship.
His hands clenched into fists, his jaw tightening as he read the latest report.
Breaking News: AI company accusations of fraud
The new AI startup is now under investigation after reports of fake documents and unreal investors begin to appear. The CEO and founding members have disappeared, leaving investors with massive losses…
His office was silent, except for the occasional tap of a keyboard as Kim George his frantically searched for solutions.
"Sir," Kim George stammered, "we..we have lost almost everything."
Antony's head snapped up, his cold, sharp gaze locking onto the man. "What do you mean by everything?"
Kim George swallowed hard. "The company has been liquidated. The funds are gone. And because of the contract you signed… there is no way to claim your investment back."
A deadly silence filled the room. Antony froze, realization sinking in.This was a trap. Someone had played him. And doesn't know anyone cunning enough to plan something like this.
His grip on the chair tightened. He had let his guard down again. His voice came out cold and controlled. "Find those men. I want to know where they are, and I want it done today."
His assistant hesitated. "Sir, we… we can't find them. It's like they were never real."
Antony hit his fist against the desk. "They exist. Someone is covering their tracks. Find them."
But even as he shouted the order, a nagging feeling settled in his gut.
He had walked straight into a trap. And worse he had used his own shares in Camelo Corporation to seal the deal.
That meant…
The very thing he had been secretly stealing from under Ariana's nose for years was now gone. And he had given it away himself.
———
Across town, Rachel Lawrence sat on her designer couch, tapping her new polished nails against her phone screen in frustration.
Her informant who could usually dig up anything had failed her.
No matter how much money she threw at the problem, she couldn't find a single trace of who had picked up Ariana that night in the luxury car.
It didn't make sense.
Ariana had always been just a pawn,a naive, sheltered woman with no real power. Someone that does everything she tells her. So why did it feel like she was suddenly untouchable?
She turned to Antony, who sat across from her, still agitated over his losses.
"This is her doing," she muttered. "I know it is."
Antony barely acknowledged her, his mind clearly elsewhere.
Rachel's frustration grew. "Antony, we have to do something before she completely destroys you."
Finally, Antony looked at her. And for the first time in weeks, Rachel saw something new in his eyes.
Resolution.
"I am going to announce the wedding," he said suddenly.
Rachel blinked. "What?"
Antony stood, adjusting his tie, his voice hard and sharp. "If I publicly announce it, Ariana will have no choice but to agree. She can't back out without ruining her family's reputation."
Rachel's lips curled into a slow, pleased smile.
"Smart," she murmured. "If she marries you, then she won't be able to fight you anymore."
Antony smirked. "Exactly. And once she's legally mine, I will get the shares under her name and Camelo company will be mine."
Rachel's heart raced in excitement. Finally, they were back in control.
———
The next morning, Ariana's phone exploded with messages. "Congratulations"
"You're getting married?!"
"Is it true?!"
Frowning, she was about to reply when she saw trending news on notification popped up on her screen with her name on it.
BREAKING: CEO ANTONY RAYMOND ANNOUNCES HIS UPCOMING WEDDING WITH ARIANA CAMELOE.
Ariana's entire body stilled.What..The....Hell.
Her phone buzzed again, this time Leo Feng was calling.
She answered, her voice dangerously calm. "Leo."
"Boss," Leo said, exhaling sharply. "We have a situation. Antony just announced to the world that you are marrying him."
Ariana let out a slow breath, her lips curling into a smirk.
"How bold of him," she murmured. Leo sounded amused. "Want me to crash his PR stunt?"
Ariana tapped her pink nails against her desk, thinking. "Not yet. Let's see how deep he digs his own grave first."
———
A knock sounded at her office door. Leo entered, holding his phone.
"There is more," he said, his tone serious. "I did more research into Antony's transactions. He's been secretly buying shares of your father's company for years. He was planning to take over Camelo Corporation completely."
Ariana's breath caught. So that was his plan all along.
It wasn't just about destroying her, he wanted to take everything her father had built and leave her with nothing.
She set her phone down, her fingers curling into a fist, squeezing the document on her table.
"Then he wants a wedding?" she said, voice icy. "Let's make sure his walk down the aisle is straight into a trap."
In a smooth, dull, high rise office overlooking the city, Jesse Ren leaned back in his leather chair, reading the latest headlines.
His phone buzzed. A message from Lincoln Park, his secretary: Antony announced the wedding. He thinks he can still control her.
Jesse chuckled, shaking the glass of whiskey in his hand.
"Interesting." He set the glass down, his sharp eyes scanning the article. He had not expected Antony to make such a reckless move so soon. "A desperate man makes desperate choices," he mused.
Jesse wasn't going to interfere just yet. No, he wanted to see how Ariana handled this. Because if she was truly the woman he believed she was…Then Antony had just made the biggest mistake of his life.
Ariana wasted no time. She called a private meeting with Leo and their team.
"We are not just going to ruin his wedding," she declared. "We're going to make sure this hit him hard so badly that he never recovers."
Leo smirked. "I love a good disaster. What's the plan?" Ariana leaned forward, her voice filled with amusement. "If he wants to use this wedding to trap me, then I'll use it to destroy him."
She turned to Leo. "Start digging. I want every skeleton in Antony's closet." Leo grinned. "Consider it done."
Ariana's gaze darkened.This time, Antony wouldn't just lose money. He will lose everything.