Chapter 13 That night's video
Lucian's POV
When I got home, a message appeared on my phone from an unknown number. I furrowed my brows. I wasn't the type of person who picked up unknown calls, so I didn't bother to pay attention to it. The phone kept ringing with messages, until I finally checked my inbox.
It was a video, and the sender was unknown. I arched my brows, wondering what the video was about. I had dinner, took my bath, and when I was in my bed, I clicked on the video. I was greeted by moaning sounds, and it immediately caught my attention because who on earth dared to send porn to me. When I watched closely, I noticed that the moaning sound was coming from Sonia as I thrust harder into her pussy.
Fuck! He recorded us having sex. I immediately called the unknown number, but there was no answer. After hours of trying to contact the person, a message with a single sentence entered my inbox.
“Dearest Lucian, I am watching you!”
I froze, it looked exactly like what Gawin would send to me, and I began to suspect him. If the video is released, then my plan for revenge is as good as gone, and everyone would target Sonia, calling her all sorts of names.
Having sex with a lady wasn't wrong, the problem was that this particular lady was my subordinate, and she was getting married to another man. If the wedding was canceled, everyone would accuse her of cheating, and not only would she lose her job, but she might lose her life.
“Fuck! This is bad, really bad!” I muttered under my breath and quickly stood up. I took out my second phone, the one I used back in Singapore, and dialed a number. The person answered the call on its first ring.
“Hey, Ruth,
I need your help,” I said to the person at the other end, and there was a momentary silence.
“What's going on? You stole money and need a lawyer?” Ruth asked with a calm voice.
“If only. I have my sextape and it's on the verge of releasing,” I informed her, and I could hear her giggling.
“You finally got laid? Wow, so surprising. Our Lucian is no longer a virgin,” she teased me, and I couldn't control my smile. Ruth had a way of making me happy.
“So, can you help? Any legal advice?” I asked, getting down to business.
“Was the sextape recorded without your permission?” Ruth asked with a professional voice, and I knew she'd entered her business mode.
I nodded, “Yes, I was drugged and the lady I slept with was also drugged,” I explained, and once again, there was silence.
“Are you sure she was drugged? Maybe she's lying and planned it with them?” Ruth asked politely.
“Yes, I'm sure. But if the video gets out, it wouldn't just ruin her, it would destroy me too,” I explained, and sat down on my desk.
Ruth hummed softly as if going through a file. “There's a simple way to afford this implication,” she informed me, and my eyes widened.
“Really? What do I have to do?” I asked eagerly.
“Get married to her. That way, she's not your subordinate but your wife, and no one will care that a husband is having sex with his wife. Also, the drug part wouldn't matter, they'd think you're into some kinky shit,” Ruth said to me in a plain voice.
I furrowed my brows, she made it sound so easy. “What do you mean by marriage? I can't possibly spend the rest of my life trapped with a woman I don't fancy. Also, she's engaged, and her wedding may be called off soon.”
Ruth snapped her fingers excitedly, “That's your opening. Immediately after the cancellation, get married to her in her fiancé's stead. You don't have to do a ceremony, just sign a one-year contract marriage. After a year, you either divorce each other or fall in love. Haven't you read enough novels?” She asked, and I snorted.
Her solution seemed fast and simple, but how was I supposed to tell Sonia this? She'd think I was trying to take advantage of her naivety.
“How can I inform her without raising suspicion? She probably no longer trusts men,” I said to Ruth.
Ruth hummed. “Show her the video, tell her the fucking truth. I don't know, just find a way to tell her what's happening. She deserves to know.”
\~~~~~
Sunlight crept into the room through my window, and I turned to face the other side of the bed, determined not to stand up. I couldn't sleep last night because I kept thinking about Ruth's words, and the revenge I promised my mother.
Reluctantly, I stood up, determined to conquer the day's challenge. I had a hot bath, a quick breakfast and I left my mansion with my driver. My mansion was big but empty. And I spend every night plotting my revenge.
Daniel had already left three unread briefings on my desk when I arrived. His messages were simple, the kind of communication I preferred: summarized problems, proposed solutions, times, and names.
I went through the first briefing, which was the current trending topic in the country; “Sonia Magnus / CEO rumor.” Item two: Smithfield's second heir, Gawin, returns. Item three: Smithfield Corporation's stock price is gradually losing its worth.
I read them all clinically, feeling the old, pleasant adrenaline that accompanied the hunt. Problems that mattered were solved with will and resources. Personal problems had the habit of becoming the only problems that mattered.
“Good morning, my friend,” Daniel greeted me as soon as he saw me. He sounded tired, but a smile was plastered on his face. He closed the door behind him and stood like a quiet sentinel.
I really appreciated his efforts and how he was willing to go the extra mile just to help me.
“You look tired, maybe -”
Daniel interrupted my sentence. “I'm fine, Lucian, I just had a rough night,” he said, but I knew he was lying.
He put a tablet on my desk and tapped the screen. “Staff forum picked up a post this morning with a grainy photo of Miss Magnus leaving your office. Miss Tabitha amplified it and tried posting it. Luckily, HR flagged it but…” He pointed to a red tag. “....but someone uploaded the image to a news aggregator. We’re managing removal requests for now.”
“And the messages I received?” I asked.
“No registered owner. It’s been routed through a series of throwaway servers.” Daniel paused. “I think someone doesn't want you as the company’s CEO.”
I clenched my jaw. Silence was a weapon but only if you could control the awkward moment that followed. “Track the chain,” I said to him. “Get me physical locations for the messages. Also, I want to know who pinged the hotel network near room 201 that night?”
Daniel hesitated; the questions required a deeper pull on resources. “I can have Marcus, head of security pull the logs. But if it were obfuscated, it'd be slow. We’ll need a private trace.” he said, and at the mention of Marcus, his cheeks turned red
“Do it.” I rose and walked to the window, staring out over the city I’d been raised to rule and punish. The rain had stopped overnight; the sky was a clean sheet of gray, and you could see the green flowers as they bloomed in a distance. “Also,” I added, “call Clara. I need to speak with her. She's the smartest being I know.”
Daniel bowed. “On it, sir.”
When he left, I picked up the photograph the forum had reposted. The image was grainy, yes… but the angle suggested an internal camera or someone close to the elevator. Someone who had access and boldness. People who were careless left breadcrumbs. That’s how you caught them.
The phone rang before I could call Marcus. “You pick up fast,” Gawin’s voice said through the line. It was syrupy, insolent.
“Gawin,” I sighed, feeling frustrated. “I expected civility. Why are you calling me?”
“Oh, we can be civil.” Gawin laughed like a fool, and I had the urge to cut the call. “I wanted to warn you to be careful with how to dismiss the rumors at my company.”
“You called this morning to tell me nothing?” I asked, trying to control my rage.
Gawin scoffed, and there was a knock on my office door. “Nope, I came to take the other half of my company.”