Chapter 149 Clash of Empires
Chapter 149 Clash of Empires
AXIOS finally officially accepted the meeting offer proposed by Moza Group. The golden opportunity Alpha Cimone had long been waiting for was now wide open. He intended to make the most of this moment to officially introduce himself as the new leader of the giant company Cassen had once painstakingly built.
The crucial meeting was scheduled to take place in a luxurious, modern skyscraper standing tall in the city center—where the AXIOS headquarters operated under extremely strict privacy.
Cimone arrived right on time according to the agreed schedule. He wore a sharply tailored black suit, paired with a white shirt and a dark tie. His face radiated high confidence, reflecting the aura of a new leader ready to expand his business network and stake his claim among the elite. With firm and upright steps, he walked into the skyscraper's atrium made of imported marble.
An elegantly dressed receptionist greeted him with a formal smile. "Welcome to AXIOS, Mr. Cimone. Please, let me escort you to the main boardroom on the top floor."
"Thank you," Cimone replied briefly with a slight nod.
They took an exclusive elevator that glided rapidly to the top floor. Along the quiet, upscale main hallway, Cimone adjusted his suit sleeves, rehearsing his best negotiation lines in his head.
However, as the heavy teak boardroom doors were pushed wide open by the receptionist, Cimone froze in his tracks. His body went rigid at the doorway. The figure sitting and waiting in the head chair at the end of the massive conference table was not a typical business representative or shadow director as he had envisioned, but Alpha Rolex himself. The man sat with absolute calm, his sharp gaze locking onto him the moment their eyes met.
"Alpha... Rolex?" Cimone muttered in disbelief. His eyes widened, staring at the figure before him with unhideable shock. "So you... you are the actual owner of AXIOS?"
Alpha Rolex did not answer right away. He observed the shock on Cimone's face for a few seconds before a faint, cold smile curled on his lips—a smile loaded with calculated intent.
"A pleasant surprise, isn't it, Cimone?" Alpha Rolex said, his deep voice echoing softly in the soundproof room. "Please, come in and sit down. We have a lot to discuss in detail."
Cimone swallowed hard, trying to regain his composure. He stepped inside cautiously, pulling out the plush chair right across from Alpha Rolex. Even as he sat, his mind remained in complete turmoil. He never expected that the mysterious company aggressively expanding, buying up investments, and drawing elite attention was owned by Alpha Rolex—a man he had believed for years was dead along with his family in that past tragedy.
"I... I still don't fully grasp this situation," Cimone said carefully, trying to steady his breath and clear his caught voice. "What do you actually want from me, Alpha Rolex? Why did you invite a Moza Group representative to this private meeting?"
Alpha Rolex leaned back casually against his luxurious chair, lacing his fingers together over the table. Beneath his relaxed posture, however, his eyes bore into Cimone with a look that mixed deep disappointment and long-suppressed rage.
"I only want to know one simple thing, Cimone," Alpha Rolex said, his tone flat yet pressuring. "By what right did you dare take over Moza Group the company Cassen built without anyone's knowledge, and especially without my approval?"
The question, delivered in a frigid tone, made Cimone flinch slightly in his seat. He picked up on the distinct undertone of accusation in every word.
"I don't know what you mean, Alpha," Cimone replied, maintaining his composure. "Why would I need your permission to take over a company abandoned after Cassen's fall? The leadership seat was vacant and neglected."
"Because we were allies, Cimone!" Alpha Rolex hissed. His voice sharpened, holding back the burning anger in his chest as he leaned forward over the table. "You knew the grand plan I crafted with Maya and Mr. Tama to bring Cassen down! Yet when chaos struck, you exploited it for your own gain. You snuck in and seized Moza Group without a single word to me!"
Cimone went silent for a moment. He adjusted his posture, weighing the heavy accusation. While a sliver of guilt crossed his mind, his sheer ambition and conviction that he deserved Moza Group kept him from swaying under the charge of betrayal.
"I don't feel I betrayed you, Alpha Rolex," Cimone answered firmly, his posture showing a resolve equal to Alpha Rolex's. "I worked hard, broke my sweat, and backed Cassen for years as his main business partner. When he fell, it was only natural that I be the one most entitled to carry on the business legacy I helped build from scratch."
Alpha Rolex scoffed heavily. He leaned back again, narrowing his sharp eyes as his disappointment peaked.
"Is that how you view friendship and loyalty, Cimone?" Alpha Rolex cut in coldly. "Exploiting a friend's downfall and your ally's oversight for personal profit?"
"The business world knows no such sentiment or feelings, Alpha Rolex!" Cimone countered quickly, showing no remorse. "I merely seized a ripe opportunity right in front of me. Besides, if I hadn't taken it, someone else would have stepped in and grabbed it first!"
The tension in the spacious room reached a boiling point. Two influential men who once stood side by side to take down a mutual enemy were now facing off directly with suspicion, tension, and bitterness.
Alpha Rolex took a deep breath. Innerly, he realized the power game he was in was far more complex, dark, and treacherous than he had imagined. In this arena, even the most trusted ally could swiftly become a dangerous new threat.
"Very well, Cimone," Alpha Rolex finally said, his voice dropping back to a quiet calm that held a clear, hidden threat. "If this is how you choose to play, then I will play my way too. Prepare yourself, because the real fight between us has just begun."
Cimone met Alpha Rolex's eyes directly, his jaw tight. He showed no fear toward the veiled threat.
"I am ready for whatever consequences come my way, Alpha Rolex," Cimone stated without hesitation. "Moza Group is legally mine now, and I will not yield it easily to anyone including you."