The Return Of the CEO's Daughter

Episode 003

The Solstice Tower's grand ballroom and every facet about it were opulent, and every attention was paid to impress. The room was one of wealth, from the gold leaf adorning the walls to the refracted light that shone off of the marble floors from the towering crystal chandeliers. But for all its splendour, Jason Barger, a billionaire who had long since learnt to see through the veneer of these gatherings, felt hollow.

Alone in a crowd, in this world of forced smiles and hollow laughs, he stood at the edge. He was dressed in a tailored charcoal suit that fit him like a second skin, his tie knotted with perfect neatness, but there was an iced look about his stance and an invisible force field around him that kept the fawning minions at arms length.

His hand cradled, untouched, a glass of whisky, and the amber liquid shone in the light. Jason’s dark eyes swept the room, taking in the players in this attle. Each handshake, each passing glance, and each hushed whisper was a picture. The centrepiece of it all was Carly Grover, the evening’s host.

Carly, of course, wore a crimson gown that seemed to smoulder under the light, and it draped over her like a slave to her every casual movement to command attention. Her smile was a razor blade tucked beneath a soft shawl, painful enough to bite through if it was positioned just right; smooth and delicate enough to evade the notice of all but the wilfully blind.

Jason pressed his thin lips together and watched her. She wasn’t just another socialite; she was a storm. He’d learnt to respect her cunning over the years of rivalry, but he’d never let her see it. Carly Grover was like the edge of a knife: you didn’t have to like it to respect it.

A voice came to his left, “Jason.” He watched Henry Linton turn his head to see a fellow magnate whose fortunes had lately diminished at the hands of Jason’s cleverness. Henry’s grin was as thin as the hair on his head.

He answered, his tone neutral and almost dismissive, “Henry.”

Henry swirled the glass in his hand and said, "You look as thrilled to be here as I feel."

Carly’s gaze flicked to Jason. "She naturalises people; Carly has a way of making everyone feel... welcome."

But before Henry had a chance to answer, Carly herself showed up at Jason’s side—not that it would have taken her long; she arrived like a hawk alighting in prey.

She purred in a cold false warmth, “Gentlemen.” "Hopefully you are having a good time tonight."

“Carly,” Jason said evenly. “Always a pleasure."

Her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, but her smile widened. “You’re too kind, Jason. Flattery doesn’t suit you."

He lifted his glass in a mock toast: ‘Neither does false modesty.’ Jason countered.

They were busting with tension, like static electricity, and a few curious guests turned to look. For a beat or two, Carly's gaze held his before turning to Henry and waving Jason off with not even a head tilt.

Jason felt his usual churn of unease in his gut as she moved away. Yes, she was dangerous, but it was more than a clever and uncaring mind or callous tactics. There was the personal vendetta she had against him, stemming from events neither of them ever spoke about.

He put his glass down on a passing waiter’s tray and started walking towards the exit. He walked through the crowd, the polite smiles barely concealing their discomfort, as if the crowd parted for him like waves around a rock. People didn’t trifle with Jason Barger.

As he walked across the room, an odd heat kindled in his chest and then blurred at the edges of his vision. He stumbled on his steps and banged into a table beside him.

He muttered under his breath, “Damn it.”

The signs were unmistakable. Carly had spiked his drink. Years ago, she’d done it before, during a negotiation that had cost him a valuable contract. He’d underestimated her once. He wouldn’t repeat the same mistake twice.

His movements were deliberate but heavy as Jason pushed forward. His thoughts clouded as the heat in his veins grew stronger. When he arrived at the grand entrance, his head throbbed and the world around him bobbed like a ship in a storm.

The cool night air slapped him outside, momentarily cutting through the haze. The steady hum of traffic was muted by distance; the streets of Astralis were quieter now. Jason called a car, his voice low and clipped as he gave the driver the address of a nearby luxury hotel.

---

Marble floors glistened by soft lighting under the graceful and muted elegance of the hotel lobby. Jason glided through it, smooth as water from his practiced feet, though his steps moved slower than usual. The concierge waved at him already warmly, but all Jason did was wave the pleasantries away with a single focus.

The concierge handed him the keycard, “Suite 1702.”

The elevator, the muted ding of floors passing by, the pounding in his head—Jason barely registered. The doors opened finally, and he stumbled out, his uneven footsteps muffled by the plush carpet.

Its décor was minimalist but luxurious. The view of the city stretched from floor to ceiling through large windows, if the lights weren’t scattered jewels against the inky sky. Jason didn’t bother to look.

His breathing was shallow, the drug coursed through him, and he collapsed onto the couch. His vision blurred out even further; the room was tilting and spinning. He wished the sensations would pass and closed his eyes, but the haze deepened.

---

The grin stretched across Carly Grover’s face as she raised a glass across the city to herself, the taste of victory just a little sweet to swallow. The whispers were starting, and Jason’s absence from the gala hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Someone muttered, "Barger played his hand too strong."

Carly smiled to herself; it was small but satisfied. Let them think that. Let them think she’d outmanoeuvred him. None of them realised how dangerous the truth was.

---

Hours later, Jason awoke to the faint hum of the city below. The haze started to clear; he felt leaden all over, and his head throbbed. Slowly, he sat up, and his sharp eyes searched the room. It was supposed to look normal, but, of course, he knew better than to trust appearances.

His jaw tightened, and he ran a hand through his hair. Picking apart the events of the evening. Jason wasn’t that slow to counter, though; Carly had just made her move.

There he stood by the window, the lights of Astralis spread out before him, a sea of all possible journeys and all colours of threats. Tonight, Carly thought she had won a small victory, but she didn’t get the game.

Jason Barger never folded.