"Seraphina Chase! She's behind all this, isn't she?" Ethan Bishop gasped, his voice strangled with fear.
Alexander cocked his head, annoyed. Why stop now? The idiot had only stated the obvious, desperate to make pointless offers to save his skin.
Without hesitation, Alexander grabbed Ethan by the throat, ready to resume his mission—beating Ethan Bishop into the afterlife.
"I CAN FIX IT!" Ethan screamed, panic filling his eyes.
"I heard you," Alexander replied, his voice shifting, his vocal cords manipulating the sound into something far more terrifying than his natural tone. "Doesn't mean I believe you."
"I swear on my father's name, I can fix it! The Pantheon Valley News is live right now. All I need to do is call in and clear it all up."
"And what if it doesn't work?" Alexander's interest was piqued, but his grip didn't loosen.
"Trust me, it will. But I need your word—no harm comes to me once it's done."
Alexander's eyes narrowed. "I owe you nothing. You deserve no mercy."
By now, a few of Ethan's men had begun stirring, some even rising to their feet.
"That's true. I don't deserve your mercy," Ethan rasped, "but she does."
"What?" Alexander's grip tightened.
"Seraphina Chase deserves mercy. She needs my word to have any hope of saving her reputation."
Alexander hesitated. As much as he wanted to crush Ethan, clearing Seraphina's name was more important. He dropped him to the ground.
"You have fifteen minutes."
"Get me up!" Ethan barked at his men, struggling to his feet. "And set up the call to Pantheon Valley News. Now!"
"Yes, sir!"
Within minutes, the call was patched through.
**News Anchor**: "In our top story this week, the Maverick Contract continues to dominate headlines. Tonight, we focus on Seraphina Chase and the rumors surrounding her acquisition of the contract. We've just received word that Sir Ethan Bishop is on the line to shed light on the matter. Sir Bishop?"
**Ethan Bishop**: "Thank you for having me. I'm here to set the record straight."
**News Anchor**: "Please, go ahead."
**Ethan Bishop**: "The rumors are completely false. Nothing inappropriate transpired between Mrs. Seraphina Lockwood and me in relation to the Maverick Contract. In fact, I don't even have the authority to influence such a decision. On the contrary, I offered assistance, but she rejected it because she believed in herself—rightfully so. Mrs. Lockwood earned the contract through her own merit."
**News Anchor**: "Well, this is certainly unexpected, but I'm sure our audience is relieved to hear the truth. Thank you for clarifying, Sir Bishop."
**Ethan Bishop**: "It was my pleasure. I couldn't stand by and let someone else's reputation be tarnished."
**News Anchor**: "And we thank you for your honesty. Folks, you heard it here first—Seraphina Lockwood won the Maverick Contract fairly. Now, moving on to our next topic…"
Ethan turned to Alexander, a smug grin on his battered face. "See? I told you. Now your bosses can sit back and watch the ripple effect unfold."
Alexander exhaled quietly, relieved that the situation appeared resolved. He turned, walking toward the exit, ready to leave it all behind. But then Ethan made the mistake of speaking again.
"But as for you," Ethan sneered, his voice thick with malice, "I'm going to find out who you really are. And when I do, you'll regret ever crossing me."
Alexander paused but kept walking. He could ignore the threat.
"And not just you," Ethan continued, his voice rising, "everyone you care about will pay. That's a promise."
In an instant, Alexander stopped, the image of Seraphina flickering in his mind. A threat to himself, he could ignore. But a threat to her? That crossed the line.
He calmly closed the door and bolted it. Turning back to face Ethan and his men, he saw fear creeping into their eyes, though they tried to stand firm.
Alexander smirked beneath his mask.
"Who's ready for round two?"