The sharp clatter of Alexander's coffee cup echoed through the conference room as he tossed the morning paper across the table, rage contorting his usually calm demeanor. The bold headline screamed in black ink: *"Ethan Pierce and Olivia Carter Expose Fashion Tycoon Francis Harrington's Dark Secrets!"* A picture of Olivia and Ethan standing united outside her mansion accompanied the article. They looked strong, resolute, and very much together—everything Alexander had worked so hard to destroy.
He stood up abruptly, pacing back and forth, his mind racing with fury. "It was supposed to end them!" he barked, his voice filled with frustration. "Every move we've made to tear them apart has only made them stronger." His fist slammed against the polished table, the sound reverberating around the room.
Francis, meanwhile, was a shadow of the powerful man he once portrayed himself to be. He was tied to a chair in the dark corner of the conference room, bruised and beaten beyond recognition. His face was swollen, and blood trickled from his mouth where he had been struck repeatedly. He winced as he tried to shift, the ropes biting into his skin, but he remained silent, humiliated and broken.
The door to the conference room creaked open, and Jenna strolled in, her heels clicking on the marble floor. Her eyes flicked briefly to the crumpled newspaper on the floor before landing on Francis. She bent down and picked it up, skimming the front page before shaking her head in dismay.
"You really messed up, Francis," she said coolly, her voice dripping with disappointment. "All of this—your lies, your manipulations—was supposed to help us. But you couldn't even handle that." She tossed the paper back onto the table, the disdain in her eyes clear as she regarded the beaten man before her.
Francis looked up at her, his voice hoarse and weak. "It wasn't supposed to go this way," he rasped. "I had Olivia right where I wanted her. If it weren't for Ethan—"
Jenna interrupted him with a sharp laugh. "If it weren't for your arrogance, none of this would've happened. You underestimated Olivia, and now look at you—useless." She walked over to Alexander, who was still pacing, his anger simmering beneath the surface.
"Alex, what's our next move?" she asked, her voice calmer but still edged with impatience. "Clearly, this plan was a disaster. We need to rethink everything."
Alexander stopped, glaring at the wall as though it held the answers to his frustration. His jaw clenched, and he took a deep breath, trying to regain control. "The goal remains the same," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "I want Ethan and Olivia to fall apart. I don't care what it takes. They need to be destroyed—both personally and professionally."
He picked up the newspaper again, staring at the image of Olivia and Ethan. They stood together, looking stronger than ever, their eyes filled with determination. "They're making headlines, but they've exposed their weakness," Alexander muttered, his mind already whirring with new plans. "They rely on each other. If we can find a way to drive a wedge between them—something bigger than this scandal—it'll break them."
Jenna nodded thoughtfully. "We need to hit them where it hurts. Something that will shake their foundation."
Alexander's lips curled into a cold smile. "Exactly. We've been too focused on external attacks—Francis, the press. What we need now is something internal. A betrayal, something they can't recover from."
Francis, barely able to keep his head up, muttered, "They're too strong together now. You'll never—"
"Shut up," Alexander snapped, his icy gaze cutting through Francis. "You're done. I don't need your pathetic schemes anymore."
Jenna smirked, her eyes gleaming with intrigue. "It's time we play smarter, Alex. If we're going to take them down, we need to find out what really matters to them. We'll make them turn on each other."
As Alexander mulled over her words, the darkness of his intent grew deeper. Ethan and Olivia had weathered every storm thrown at them, but he was far from finished. With each attempt, they had grown stronger, more resilient, but Alexander's next move would be different. He would strike from within, where their bond was most vulnerable.
"We'll find their weakness," Alexander murmured. "And this time, we'll make sure they don't rise again."
For now, Ethan and Olivia were making headlines as the couple who exposed the truth. But Alexander knew that fame and strength were fragile—he just had to find the right crack to shatter their world for good.