CHAPTER 202: CHAPTER 202 THE ENEMY REVEALED

Author’s POV

The morning light filtered through the massive windows of Ryan’s office, casting long shadows across the polished marble floors. Simon stood rigidly before Ryan’s desk, his expression grim as he delivered the findings of their investigation.

"We’ve finally uncovered something about the accident, sir," Simon reported, his voice carefully measured. "The driver wasn’t connected to Lucian West’s people as we initially suspected. He was working for Kane Blackwood."

Ryan’s jaw tightened visibly. He leaned forward in his leather chair, fingers steepled beneath his chin. "You’re certain it was Kane who orchestrated this?"

"Yes, sir. The driver’s child was critically ill with no money for treatment. Kane paid for everything—the medical bills, the specialists, everything." Simon shifted uncomfortably. "It explains the inconsistencies we found earlier."

Ryan nodded slowly, the pieces falling into place. "So Lucian must have discovered something that made Kane nervous enough to act. He was trying to turn us against each other—create an irreparable rift between two potential allies."

"What would you like us to do with this information, sir?"

Ryan drummed his fingers against the mahogany desk, considering his next move. "Leak it to Lucian. Make it seem casual, not deliberate. Let’s see how he reacts."

"Understood, sir." Simon bowed slightly before exiting the office, leaving Ryan alone with his thoughts.

Across town, Lucian West sat in his own office at Celestial Gems headquarters, his expression thunderous as he reviewed the conflicting evidence before him. The stack of papers on his desk told a very different story from what Kane had fed him.

"Mr. West," his assistant approached cautiously, "our surveillance team reports that Mr. Blackwood was involved in a car accident two days ago. He escaped unharmed."

Lucian looked up sharply. "An accident? Or something more deliberate?"

"Definitely deliberate, sir. According to our investigation, it was a planned attack."

"Who’s behind it?" Lucian’s voice was dangerously soft.

The assistant hesitated, shifting his weight nervously. "The driver claims... he claims it was ordered by you, sir."

"WHAT?" Lucian slammed his hand against the desk, sending papers flying. "That’s absurd!"

"I understand, sir. But that’s what he’s saying."

Lucian’s eyes darkened ominously. "This reeks of Kane. He’s setting me up." A cold, humorless laugh escaped him. "So that’s his game. Frame me to turn Blackwood against Celestial Gems when we’re in the middle of our domestic expansion."

He shook his head, disgusted with himself. "And I’ve been foolish enough to consider him a business partner. Like inviting a viper into my bed!"

"Has there been any response from Blackwood?" Lucian asked, already formulating contingency plans.

The assistant considered for a moment. "None so far. Both Blackwood Enterprises and Dreamland Studio seem focused entirely on the jewelry season preparations."

Lucian exhaled slowly, relieved that Ryan hadn’t immediately launched a counterattack. Explaining this mess face-to-face would be beneath his dignity, and Ryan likely wouldn’t believe him anyway. Better to find another approach to repair the damage.

"Get the car ready. We’re going to Dreamland Studio."

Unfortunately, timing wasn’t on Lucian’s side. When he arrived at the studio, Maya informed him that Serena was absent.

"She’s resting at home," Maya explained as they sat in the sleek conference room overlooking the city. "I’ve taken over most of the jewelry season preparations since returning from my business trip."

Lucian nodded, quickly adjusting his approach. Maya was also a key decision-maker at Dreamland, after all. "As you may know, Celestial Gems has fully established its presence in the domestic market. The collaboration we previously discussed with Serena could be beneficial for both parties."

Maya hesitated, her expression carefully neutral. She knew Serena had already declined Celestial’s cooperation offer, but outright rejecting Lucian again would be unnecessarily harsh.

"Mr. West, we’re flattered that Celestial Gems sees Dreamland as a worthy partner," she replied diplomatically. "However, we’ve just completed the main work for the jewelry season, and we’re still wrapping up several projects. I’ll need to discuss this with Serena before making any commitments."

Lucian accepted her response gracefully. "Of course, I understand completely." He reached into his briefcase, extracting a polished portfolio. "Here’s our proposal, prepared by my team. Perhaps you could review it before making your decision."

He stood up, recognizing when it was time to make a strategic retreat. "Since you’re busy, I won’t take up any more of your time."

Maya rose quickly to escort him out. "Thank you for stopping by, Mr. West."

After Lucian’s departure, Maya flipped open the portfolio, her eyes widening slightly as she scanned the contents. Celestial Gems controlled a significant portion of the international jewelry market, making them an extremely powerful ally.

The proposal was impressively thorough—complete with marketing plans, revenue projections, and a profit-sharing model that was surprisingly generous. If Dreamland accepted this collaboration, their earnings would skyrocket beyond anything they’d projected for the year.

Only a fool would turn down such an opportunity!

Maya could barely contain her excitement as she called Serena. "Serena, guess who just stopped by?" she asked, her voice bubbling with enthusiasm.

Serena responded calmly. "Who? Did we land another big deal?"

Maya laughed. "My brilliant friend! You guessed it - a massive opportunity, hand-delivered by Lucian West himself."

Serena frowned at the mention of his name. "Lucian? He came to the studio?"

"He did," Maya confirmed. "And he brought a partnership proposal with profit margins at least three points higher than our previous collaborations!"

"Serena, I’ve reviewed the terms thoroughly. Everything looks solid. Should we accept?"

Hearing the excitement in Maya’s voice, Serena hesitated. "Maya, send me the proposal first. I’d like to review it myself."

"Of course, I’ll send it right away. Honestly, Lucian being this generous feels strange. Do you think he has ulterior motives?"

Maya couldn’t help worrying. Lucian was a businessman after all - offering such favorable terms without reason seemed suspicious.

She wasn’t aware of the complicated history between Lucian and Ryan, but any reasonable person would question why Lucian was being so generous. It felt like a fox paying respects to a henhouse.

"Don’t overthink it. Let me look at it first," Serena replied.

"You didn’t immediately accept, did you?"

"Of course not! This is something we need to discuss thoroughly before making any decisions."

Serena sighed with relief at Maya’s words.

"Good. You’ve been working so hard with all the jewelry season preparations."

"It’s no trouble. I’m planning a dinner for the team in a couple days to celebrate our hard work."

"Sounds perfect. I’ll leave the arrangements to you."

They discussed a few more work-related matters before ending the call.

Minutes later, Lucian’s partnership proposal arrived in Serena’s inbox.