Tainted Love

Vjnfsz

It had been three days…… three painfully slow days…… since everything spiraled out of control.

Victor barely slept during those nights, and not because of worry…… but because of anticipation.

He carried excitement like poison in his bloodstream, intoxicating him…… making every passing second feel like he was on the brink of finally becoming someone.

Ever since Vivian walked out that day to secure his inheritance, something inside him shifted…… as though the universe had finally agreed with him that he deserved more.

He didn’t bother asking her whether she succeeded…… whether papers were signed…… or if everything now belonged to him.

To him, those details were trivial…… in Victor’s head, it was already done.

Vivian would get everything…… transfer it to him…… and that was that.

In the secrecy of his thoughts, he built an entire empire…… one where his only responsibility was to enjoy his new life like an untouchable king.

He imagined how he would spoil Bianca without limits…… and at the same time keep Eric tightly at his side…… hidden, wrapped in secrecy and danger.

He pictured himself sitting on a throne of deceit…… with Bianca in daylight and Eric behind closed curtains.

Two different lives…… one man in the center, feeding off adoration and secrets.

He fantasized about expensive cars with doors that opened like wings…… the kind of cars that announced wealth before the engine even started.

He envisioned walking into rooms and having half the people worship him…… simply because of the power attached to Mr. Dary’s empire.

He didn’t picture management…… responsibility…… or paperwork.

He pictured champagne…… expensive vacations…… luxury and screaming attention.

Victor was convinced that once the Dary wealth was his…… the world would bow.

When the morning of the third day arrived, he woke up feeling like the air was lighter…… like destiny had finally checked his name.

Eric burst through the door wearing the loudest, most exaggerated designer suit…… shimmering silver, almost blinding under the sunlight.

Victor appeared moments later……. his suit jet black, sharp, intimidating…… as if cut by a blade.

Without speaking, the two locked eyes…… a silent agreement forming between them.

Victor felt invincible…… Eric felt untouchable.

They made their way out of their apartment, each step echoing with overconfidence…… like a power soundtrack played beneath their shoes.

Outside, parked like a trophy waiting to be claimed, was the new limousine.

It wasn’t rented…… Victor had bought it impulsively on credit…… already assuming the inheritance would pay for it later.

“Let’s go claim what’s ours……” Victor whispered, voice thick with arrogance.

Eric laughed sharply, flicking imaginary dust off his sleeve…… as if preparing for a photoshoot.

They slid into the limousine, the leather seats smooth beneath them…… and the doors closed with a soft, possessive click.

Inside, Victor stared at his reflection in the tinted glass…… imagining headlines calling him the new power king of the country.

He could almost taste the future…… and it tasted like champagne.

“He’s gone…… Vivian is naive…… and this empire will bow to me,” he murmured…… feeding his ego with every breath.

Eric crossed his legs, moving with exaggerated grace…… the type that demanded attention without trying.

He pulled a makeup compact from his pocket and adjusted his highlighter…… as if preparing to walk onto a runway.

“You’re going to own this country’s biggest company…… they should at least know what greatness looks like,” Eric replied with a smirk.

Victor inhaled deeply…… and exhaled pride.

When the limousine pulled into the vast courtyard of Dary Industries, the tower stood like a god of wealth…… glass panels reflecting the sky, the city, and their greed.

Victor felt the building welcome him…… or so he believed.

Eric felt the glamour…… the way expensive things felt when they were close enough to touch.

They stepped out slowly…… deliberately…… wanting every person who saw them to believe this moment was historical.

Victor buttoned his suit jacket…… Eric flipped his hair.

They walked into the massive lobby without hesitation…… like they owned the marble floor beneath them.

The reception area was silent…… workers typing, phones ringing softly, the professional hum of efficiency.

Eric’s heels clicked loudly, echoing like gunfire across the polished tiles…… demanding acknowledgment.

Victor frowned slightly, annoyed that no one stopped what they were doing to stare.

He wanted reverence…… worship…… silence swept away by awe.

Eric suddenly paused, right in the middle of the lobby…… and spread his arms dramatically.

“Everybody…… hope you know who I am!” he declared, voice echoing through the hall.

Heads snapped up…… some startled…… some confused.

A few people exchanged uneasy glances…… not knowing whether he was joking or insane.

A young receptionist hurried forward…… trying to maintain professionalism, even with her confusion.

“Sir…… please lower your voice,” she said, forcing a polite smile.

Victor smirked…… loving the attention.

But Eric wasn’t finished.

He leaned toward her, lips parted…… ready to lash out.

Before the receptionist could even finish her sentence, he cut her off sharply.

“Keep quiet…… and shut that mouth,” Eric snapped, flicking his wrist dismissively.

The receptionist blinked, stunned…… her composure shaken.

“I’m trying to be respectful…… but you cannot just walk into this company and display misconduct,” she replied.

Victor chuckled…… low and patronizing.

“Can’t you see I am the newest CEO of this company?” he asked loudly…… as if announcing royalty.

A hush spread across the lobby…… like a wave of disbelief.

Employees stopped typing…… even the security guards exchanged glances.

The receptionist swallowed, struggling to keep her voice calm.

“Sir…… until you are introduced to the board…… we cannot treat you as such,” she said, standing straighter.

“But we will treat you as a visitor…… with respect.”

Victor leaned forward, his eyes dark with arrogance…… a smile crawling across his lips.

“People are going to lose their jobs today……” he murmured.

Employees gasped…… startled and confused.

Suddenly, someone brushed past Victor, accidentally stepping on his polished shoes.

Victor snapped.

He stormed toward the man…… fury boiling over…… and with no hesitation, landed a vicious slap across the man’s face.

The slap cracked through the lobby like thunder…… echoing in painful clarity.

“How dare you step on the new CEO’s shoes?!” Victor shouted…… chest heaving with ego-driven rage.

Eric followed behind him like a shadow with attitude…… chin raised…… looking around as though the entire place reeked.

Victor strutted through the lobby as though he owned it…… while Eric trailed him like a sassy spouse accompanying a powerful partner.

In that moment…… reality shattered.

Another slap connected…… but not from Victor.

It snapped across his face so hard that his vision blurred.

Everything froze……

His jaw dropped……

The entire lobby fell silent.

Standing directly in front of him…… eyes blazing, face carved with authority…… was Emelia Dary.

Widow of Mr. Dary.

Mother of the empire.

A woman sculpted from grief, power…… and iron.

“Leave this building right now,” she commanded…… her voice sharp like shattered glass.

Victor staggered backward, touching his cheek…… stunned.

“Mrs…… Mrs. Dary?” he stuttered.

Emelia’s presence sucked the arrogance out of the room…… leaving the air charged with fear.

Her suit was black…… severe…… fitting her like armor.

Her heels sounded like judgment as she stepped toward him again.

“What are you doing in my company?” she said, each word precise…… deadly.

Victor stuttered, trying to regain his arrogant composure.

“This company belongs to Vivian. She is the only heiress of the Dary…… and I am her husband. I have every right to be here.”

The look Emelia gave him could freeze a volcano.

“Really……?” she asked quietly.

She tilted her head slightly…… as if examining a piece of dirt stuck to her heel.

“It seems Vivian did not tell you the truth,” she said.

Victor felt the room tighten around him…… as if oxygen decided he wasn’t worthy anymore.

“What…… what truth?” he asked.

Amelia leaned closer…… her voice low…… lethal.

“Go and ask her if she even has any right…… to anything that belongs to the Dary.”

Eric’s eyes widened…… the first crack in his confidence appearing.

Victor tried to speak…… but Emelia lifted a finger, silencing him with a single gesture.

She didn’t raise her voice.

She didn’t need to.

“Security.”

Her command was soft…… but it was law.

Within seconds, guards surrounded Victor and Eric…… not roughly, but firmly…… professionally…… decisively.

Eric gasped…… stumbling backward as the guards seized his arm.

Victor tried to resist…… but the guards were stronger, dragging him across the polished floor.

“No…… you can’t do this! I am the next CEO! I own this place!” Victor shouted.

Employees watched silently…… some with pity…… some with relief…… some with quiet satisfaction.

In less than a minute, the grand entrance doors swung open…… and Victor and Eric were tossed out onto the pavement.

They stumbled…… fell…… and landed pathetically near the curb.

The limousine was gone…… the driver apparently too embarrassed to wait.

Victor stood there, dust on his suit…… fear in his eyes…… humiliation burning like fire under his skin.

Eric fixed his disheveled jacket, voice trembling.

“This is your fault,” he hissed.

Victor didn’t reply.

He stared back at the towering building…… glass reflecting the sky like a kingdom he would never hold.

His heart pounded…… not with excitement now…… but with fear.

Reality had arrived.

And it didn’t bow.