Chapter 4

The first step of my plan was to make him dependent on me.

I pulled every string, leveraging every resource to brand him as the city’s newest “business prodigy.”

I arranged interviews for him with top financial magazines, portraying him as a visionary investment genius.

Anonymously, I planted meticulously crafted stories on various forums and social media platforms: a deeply devoted man who, after his fiancée’s ruthless betrayal, endured hardship and, with his current wife, built a commercial empire from the ground up, creating a miracle.

In no time, the love story of Julian Vance and Celeste Miller became a celebrated tale in the city's elite circles.

The Vance & Miller Group’s reputation soared to unprecedented heights.

Julian grew increasingly satisfied, increasingly reliant on me.

He’d call me in the middle of the night because a headline wasn't "impactful" enough, or immediately seek my advice over a competitor’s minor negative news.

He started inviting me to dinner, and the conversations weren't always strictly business.

He’d talk about his future plans, his market insights, even his ridiculous “philosophical musings.”

The look in his eyes, which had initially been one of scrutiny, gradually became tinged with curiosity and… interest.

Once, in a private room at a club, he’d had too much to drink and suddenly grabbed my hand.

“Sarah, you remind me a lot of someone I used to know.”

My heart lurched, but I calmly pulled my hand away, my expression unchanged.

“Really? The world is full of similar people.”

“No.” He shook his head, his eyes slightly unfocused.

“It’s a feeling… an unyielding fire.

Too bad she wasn’t as smart as you.”

I picked up my glass and took a sip of the icy liquid.

“You flatter me, Mr. Vance. I’m just an employee.”

Damn him.

I truly wanted to splash that drink in his conceited face.

Evelyn Reed wasn’t smart?

If I hadn’t been smart, I would’ve jumped from a tall building three years ago, instead of standing here now, listening to his garbage.

The web of evidence I was secretly collecting was tightening around him.

I needed an accomplice, someone who could transform this evidence into a bullet aimed straight at Julian’s heart at the most crucial moment.

I found Marcus Thorne.

The Editor-in-Chief of ‘Market Watch’.

A man known for his uncompromising integrity in the industry, from humble beginnings, unafraid of power or influence.

Julian Vance had once used his capital to suppress Marcus after he investigated a financial fraud case.

I arranged to meet him at an unassuming cafe.

I pushed an anonymous tip-off package across the table to him.

Inside were preliminary leads on Julian Vance’s early insider trading activities.

Marcus read it, then looked up, his gaze sharp as an eagle’s.

“Who are you? What do you want?”

“Someone who wants to see justice served.”

I met his eyes.

“These are just appetizers. I have the real evidence, enough to put him behind bars.

But I need the right timing, and a platform that can make this explode across the entire internet instantly.”

He was silent for a long time, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

“Why should I trust you?”

“Because we share a common enemy.”

I stared directly into his eyes.

“And because of ‘Market Watch’s’ reputation, Mr. Thorne.

You wouldn’t want to miss the biggest financial scandal of the century, would you?”

His eyes lit up.

“Tell me your plan.”

Our alliance was forged.