RUTHLESS DEVOTION: THE EMPIRE BETWEEN US

RISING CURRENT

The porcelain plate nearly slipped from Amilah's hands as she froze. She stared at the glowing screen of her phone, reading the text over and over until the words blurred into a living nightmare.

[Unknown]:Surprise, little bird. You've committed a very unforgivable mistake, and I'm deeply hurt. I didn't even get a chance to see your beautiful face when I woke up. But don't worry, I'll be seeing it every day until the day I die. Can't wait to see you again, little bird.

A cold, paralyzing dread swept through her. Her thoughts ran wildly. How did this psycho get my number? I didn't give him my card. Only that beast called her little bird. She tried to force a breath into her lungs, desperately looking for an escape. Maybe it's a mistake? But deep down, she knew. No one else possessed that terrifying, heavy energy. Only that psycho would track her across the country with a text like this. Amilah felt like she was going crazy.

"Amilah? Honey, are you okay?"

Her mother's voice snapped her right back to reality. Amilah blinked rapidly, quickly locking her screen with trembling fingers. "Yes, Mom. I'm fine."

Mrs. Miles offered a warm, maternal smile. "Okay, hurry up and sit down. Let me serve you your food."

"Thanks, Mom."

The family of three sat down to eat, but Amilah's mind was very far away. She mechanically turned her food over and over with her fork, her mind trapped in a fierce debate. Should I reply by apologizing for leaving or not? No, no, that's a bad idea. Why should I apologize? He should be the one begging for my forgiveness.

Mr. Miles lowered his newspaper, his sharp eyes narrowing with quiet concern. "Are you sure you're okay, Amilah? You haven't touched your food."

Amilah forced a bright, seamless smile, looking up at her father. "Yes, Dad, I'm okay. I'm just thinking about work, that's all."

"Oh, dear, don't stress yourself too much," Mrs. Miles said, squeezing her hand gently. "Eat up."

Amilah responded with a nod, but beneath the table, a sudden thought crossed her mind. She pulled out her phone, hit Block on the number, and slid the device back inside her jeans pocket. A small, victorious giggle escaped her lips.

Mr. and Mrs. Miles paused, staring at their daughter silently wondering if the stress of the fashion industry had finally made her lose her mind.

---

Across the city, vases and glasses were flying across the room. A crystal vase smashed violently against the wall, raining sharp shards over the hardwood floor.

"How can he do this to me?!" Victoria shrieked, her face flushed with unhinged rage.

"You need to calm down, Victoria," her manager, Susan, pleaded, stepping carefully around the broken glass. "Maybe he is just angry right now. You can try talking to him after he cools down."

"Do you have any idea what he told me?!" Victoria's voice dropped to a panicked whisper as Lowin's brutal words echoed in her mind like a physical weight. To cheat, I would have to care. Having enough of Victoria's endless drama, Susan stepped into the hallway and called Rose Williams, Victoria's childhood best friend and the sole heiress to Williams Security empire.

The phone rang twice before Rose answered. "What did she do now?"

"Lowin ended things with her," Susan whispered into the receiver, her voice strained. "She's destroying the apartment. Can you please come over and talk to her?"

On the other end of the line, Rose immediately sat up in her silk sheets, her eyes wide. She had spent the last three hours pretending to sketch a new gown collection, but her designs lacked depth. Her father had hired a hundred different elite coaches to teach her, but every single one had walked out, citing her impossible arrogance.

Hearing Susan's words, a dark, brilliant thrill shot through Rose's veins. He dumped her. She had been waiting for this exact headline her entire life. With Victoria out of the picture, the path to the Vance dynasty, and to Lowin himself, was wide open.

Pretending to gasp, Rose pitched her voice into a perfect tone of sisterly concern. "Oh my god, that's horrible. I'll come over right away. She shouldn't be alone right now."

"Thank you so much, Rose."

"I should be thanking you. Bye bye, I'll be there in ten."

Rose slammed the phone down, an ecstatic smile stretching across her face. She practically sprinted downstairs, snatched the keys to her luxury sports car, and tore down the driveway toward Victoria's building, her heart racing with malicious ambition.

---

Meanwhile, inside the pristine executive office of the Vance Empire, the silence was suffocating.

Lowin Vance had been staring at his phone screen for a full hour. The digital timestamp clearly indicated that his text had been delivered and read. Yet, the screen remained completely blank. No typing indicator. No reply.

What his brilliant mind hadn't factored in was that she had already blocked him.

His jaw tightened. He plunged the phone into his tailored suit pocket, his grey eyes turning completely dark as he pulled a fresh stack of corporate documents toward him, channeling his mounting frustration into his work.

---

When Rose arrived at Victoria's apartment, the scene was pure chaos. Rose immediately threw her arms around a weeping Victoria, putting on a flawless performance of grief.

"That was so incredibly cruel of him," Rose whispered, patting her back while her eyes swept the ruined room with cold amusement. "He shouldn't have discarded you like that, no matter how angry he was."

Victoria sobbed louder, burying her face in Rose's shoulder.

Rose's mind spun with dangerous calculation. She pulled back slightly, looking into Victoria's tear-stained face with a look of fake hesitation.

"Vicky... I have an idea. But... I don't know if you'll like it. Actually, never mind. Forget I said anything."

"No! Tell me!" Victoria grabbed Rose's wrists, her eyes manic. "I'll do anything to get him back, Rose. Anything!"

Rose inwardly cheered, the trap snapping perfectly into place. "Well... my dad mentioned this morning that Lowin just officially rejected the new merger contract with Houston Corporations."

Victoria blinked, wiping a tear. "And how does that concern me?"

"Think about it, Vicky. Jade Houston might be really angry with Lowin right now. Why don't you go talk to him? That way, you get Lowin back and Jade Houston gets his contract."

Victoria went completely still as a twisted, desperate plan formed in her head. A slow, venomous smile replaced her tears.

"No... no, I have a much better plan. I'll talk to Jade Houston, and he will arrange a private meeting with Lowin. Then, I'll hire someone to drug Lowin again. I'll spend the entire night with him. I don't care if he wakes up furious, if things go sideways, Jade Houston will take the blame. And then later I'll tell Lowin I'm pregnant with his heir... he won't be able to discard me."

Rose stared at her, genuinely stunned by the sheer stupidity of the plan. You really are an i***t if you think it's that easy to trap Lowin Vance, Rose thought, holding back a laugh. But it didn't matter. The more disastrous Victoria's actions were, the faster Lowin would erase her permanently.

"Well, it's a good plan," Rose lied smoothly. "What are you waiting for? Go meet him."

Victoria immediately snatched her phone, called her father's executive secretary, and demanded Jade Houston's private contact details. Within minutes, she had the number. She dialed it without a second thought.

The phone rang three times before a heavy, authoritative voice answered. "Jade Houston."

"Mr. Houston, this is Victoria Jackson," she said, her voice shifting into its most polished, elegant tone. "I was asking if you could meet me today. I have something important to discuss with you."

Houston let out a dry, dismissive sigh. "A Jackson? Unfortunately, I'm very busy today."

"Even if I have a way to get you the contract that was rejected?"

The line went silent for a heavy beat.

"Where should we meet?" Houston asked, his tone sharpening.

"The VIP lounge at the Crescent Hotel will be better."

"Don't keep me waiting." The line went dead.

Victoria threw her phone onto the sofa, practically glowing with manic energy. "I'll have him back no matter what. It's only me who deserves him."

Rose forced a supportive smile, though she internally rolled her eyes so hard it hurt. "I'm so happy for you, Vicky. Good luck."

Victoria grabbed her purse and asked Rose to wait in her apartment. Once everything was arranged, they would celebrate tonight, because tomorrow she would officially make Lowin hers forever.

The doors clicked shut as Victoria left, her face radiant with a false sense of victory.

Left alone in the empty, ruined apartment, Rose tapped her perfectly manicured fingers against the armrest of the velvet sofa, a dark, low chuckle escaping her lips. "Poor, stupid Victoria," she murmured to the empty room. "I'm afraid your little plan is going to fail miserably."

---

At the ultra-exclusive Crescent Hotel, Jade Houston sat comfortably in a secluded leather booth of the VIP lounge, sipping his dark coffee. The only reason he had agreed to this meeting was because this contract would bring millions to his company. If Vance Empire could agree to it, it would be a major win.

Victoria walked in elegantly, her head held high as she slid into the booth across from him.

"Thank you for coming, Mr. Houston," she said smoothly.

Houston didn't waste time on pleasantries, setting his cup down with a dull clink. "Let's get straight to business, Miss Jackson."

"Well, I think you deserve that contract," Victoria began, leaning forward. "But I think you should agree to Vance's demands. That's the only way he will sign the contract with you. You have to show him what he gets in return."

Houston scoffed. "I already tried negotiating. I offered him a twenty percent benefit split, and he flatly refused. The man is a tyrant, he wants forty percent. That's not a partnership, that's a hostile takeover of Houston Corporations."

Victoria remained unfazed, taking a slow sip of her coffee. "I have a plan."

"Which is?" Houston's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And why are you suddenly so interested in this contract?"

"I'm not interested in the contract," Victoria whispered, her eyes turning cold. "I'm interested in Lowin Vance."

Jade Houston raised his brows in amusement. He didn't know anything about Victoria and Lowin being in a secret relationship, so hearing her speak so possessively caught him off guard. "I'm all ears, Miss Jackson."

"Great." Victoria leaned closer across the marble table. "I'm sure signing the contract under the influence of a drug won't hurt."

Jade Houston froze for a split second, before letting out a loud, booming laugh, clapping his hands together. "Are you suggesting I drug the most powerful CEO in the city?"

"No," Victoria corrected with a sinister smile. "We will get someone here to do it. Also, I'll be in the penthouse suite on the top floor. It will be a win-win, Mr. Houston. You get your signature, and I get my man."

"Interesting," Houston murmured, his mind weighing the massive profits against the risk. He didn't care about her personal obsession,he only cared about the contract. "So how are you going to get him to you?"

"Don't worry about that," Victoria purred, a confident glint in her eyes. "I have a marketing shoot tomorrow here at the hotel that will end late. I'll fake a sudden illness, and he will come to me himself."

Houston stretched out his hand, and Victoria took it in hers for a firm handshake, sealing their unholy alliance.

---

Later that evening, the atmosphere shifted to pure terror.

Deep beneath the city, inside the reinforced concrete walls of the private Vance security compound, the air was damp and smelled heavily of rusted iron and old blood. Walking down the dimly lit corridors of the dungeon, you could hear the waiter's raw, agonizing screams as Lowin's men tortured him.

Lowin Vance stopped outside the door. He pulled out his black leather gloves and slid them over his long fingers, stretching the leather until it fit perfectly.

When the heavy steel door opened, his men straightened and bowed slightly. Lowin walked directly toward the waiter, whose hands were tied to the ceiling chains. Max the catering waiter from the gala, was beaten up so badly you could barely recognize his face, his uniform torn and soaked in blood.

Lowin pulled a cold steel chair over, placing it directly in front of the hanging man, and sat down. He crossed his legs, his posture relaxed, as if he were sitting in a boardroom.

"What's your name?" Lowin asked, his voice deathly calm.

"M-m-max..." the waiter wheezed, spit and blood dripping from his cracked lip.

"Max," Lowin repeated, nodding slowly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a heavy silver lighter, flicking the flame to life with a sharp clack. The small flame danced in his grey eyes, turning them a terrifying shade of silver.

"Max, Max, Max... how much did she pay you? I truly hope it was worth the nightmare that is about to happen to you.

"I'm sorry!" Max cried out, his body trembling against the iron chains. "She threatened me! She said if I don't do it, I'll lose my job! So I had to!"

"You had to?" Lowin murmured.

He let out a low, dark chuckle. The sound was so entirely devoid of humanity that his own seasoned security guards instinctively took a step back toward the walls.

Lowin stood up slowly, flipping the lighter between his fingers. He closed the distance between them until he was breathing the same air as the waiter. He reached out, his gloved hand gripping Max's chin and forcing his head up.

Without a word, Lowin brought the open flame of the lighter directly against the raw, open wound on the waiter's cheek.

Max screamed in agonizing pain, his body thrashing violently. But that wasn't the end. Lowin took a sharp dagger from the instrument table and extended the cut on his cheek all the way to his ear, slicing mercilessly. Before Max passed out from the sheer agony, all he heard was Lowin's cold, echoing voice.

"Remember me every time you look at yourself in the mirror."

Max lost consciousness completely, his head falling forward. Mark stepped forward from the shadows, pulling out his gun and ready to end Max right there.

But Lowin raised a single hand, stopping him midway.

"Relax, Mark," Lowin said, pulling off his leather gloves. "He has his reward already. No need to kill him."

Mark froze, his brow furrowing in total confusion. "Sir?"

Lowin turned toward the door, a sudden, genuinely warm smile spreading across his handsome face, a smile so uncharacteristically bright it made his men want to pass out from sheer terror.

"Lucky for him, his little stunt made my entire night spectacular. When he wakes up, send him home. If he ever breathes a syllable of this to anyone, remind him of what happens next. Good night, everyone."

He patted Mark's shoulder lightly and left the room.

His men were staring at the open doorway completely frozen. For the first time in the history of the Vance syndicate, a man was leaving this dungeon alive, and their boss had actually smiled and wished them a good night.

Mark slowly lowered his gun, turning to his subordinate, Logan .Did he..did he say we shouldn't kill him?"

Logan swallowed hard, wiping a sweat from his forehead. "Yes, sir. That's exactly what he said. Someone needs to find out what the hell was in that drug last night."

Lowin walked up the concrete steps to the surface, the cool night air hitting his face. He stepped into his car, slamming the door shut.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed violently against his thigh.

Thinking it was finally a response from his little bird, his heart skipped a beat. He quickly pulled it out and opened the message with intense anticipation.

But the text wasn't from Amilah. It was from another hidden, untraceable number.

[Unknown]: Jade Houston and your pathetic girlfriend are scheming a dangerous trap against you at the Crescent Hotel tomorrow night. Watch your back, CEO.

Lowin's dark brows furrowed, his jaw locking instantly. Nobody outside his inner circle even knew about his relationship with Victoria, let alone the fallout.

His eyes hardened into ice as he stared at the anonymous text. He forwarded the message directly to Debrin Salvatore, typing a swift command beneath it.

[Lowin]:Trace this source immediately. Find out who sent this.

He tossed the phone onto the passenger seat and roared the engine to life, the tires screeching into the dark city night as a new web of betrayal tightened around the empire.