CHAPTER 148: CHAPTER 148

At that moment, upon hearing Oliver’s firm words, his father’s tone shifted, no longer measured, no longer calm, but rising with frustration that had been building for a long time.

"What is wrong with you, Oliver?" his father demanded, his voice cutting through the phone. "Why are you so proud of yourself? Why are you carrying yourself like this? Instead of doing the simple thing apologizing now, come back to the family immediately, you’re still raising your shoulders like some arrogant prince, as if where you’re headed will take you somewhere without fear or consequence. What exactly is wrong with you?"

However He didn’t even wait for Oliver to reply before pushing on. "You know what? I won’t hold back anymore. I know exactly why you came back to this family before, it’s because you knew the family was ready. That’s the only reason you returned. If we weren’t ready, you wouldn’t have bothered. So tell me, why did you come back if not for that? And now you’re standing here, so stubborn, refusing to help your brother, refusing to help your family get what we need, all because of some so-called friendship with a girl who doesn’t even look your way!" His father scoffed harshly. "For God knows how long you two have been friends, and still she has never never looked at you the way you look at her. So what is wrong with you, Oliver?"

He paused only to deliver his final warning, his voice cold and deliberate. "This is the last chance I’m giving you. The last chance. If you blow this up, just know that I will personally remove your name from the Victor family immediately."

Oliver’s lips curved into a humorless smile, his tone steady and unshaken. "Then remove it. You should remove my name. In fact, I thought you would have done it by now. Go ahead, remove it. The time I’ve spent with that family was a complete waste. If I had put that same energy into something important, I would have built something richer than the family already, not to mention what I currently have."

His voice sharpened as he continued, "So stop whining up and down, Father. Money is not my problem. Very soon, you’ll come back to your senses then you’ll understand exactly what I was trying to prevent you all from walking into. But since you’re not ready to listen, I’ll excuse myself from the family completely. Do what you’ve been threatening all along remove my name immediately."

And with that, without giving his father a chance to respond, Oliver ended the call.

**

Samuel stood in the middle of his lavish living room, the warm golden light from the crystal chandelier glinting off the rim of his glass. Whether it was NSC or champagne didn’t matter, what mattered was the taste of victory on his lips. He paced slowly across the polished marble floor, his expensive leather slippers making the faintest sound, a satisfied smirk fixed on his face.

In his mind, everything was falling into place. By now, Rebecca would be in front of the cameras, doing the live conference, debunking everything just as he had orchestrated. Once she said those words, her role in this game would be over. Immediately after that, she would vanish from his life for good gone without a trace. And that daughter of hers, that unwanted burden he had never acknowledged, would vanish too. She could grow up in some orphanage for all he cared. His career, his public image, and his own life, those were what mattered. Nothing else.

Then his thoughts drifted to Cora, and his smile twisted into something darker. He thought of her with a cold, simmering contempt. He would destroy Cora so completely that not even the shadow of her influence would remain. Everything she owned, every ounce of credibility, every connection gone. She dared to pick a fight with him? Him, a man with deep credit, power, and the backing of almost everyone that mattered? She had no idea who she was dealing with. If he was going easy on her for now, it was only because he chose to. And that, he thought, made her the luckiest woman alive at least for the moment.

At that moment Samuel took another slow sip from his glass, savoring the drink, and leaned back against the edge of the couch. The room was silent except for the soft hum of the air conditioning, and he was content to wait for the good news. He could almost taste it already.

But then, the heavy double doors swung open, and his manager who also served as his personal secretary, stepped inside. Her steps were quick, her breathing uneven, her face pale and anxious. The sight of her made Samuel pause mid-sip.

"Well," he said lazily, tilting his head at her, "I hope all is right. Don’t tell me the press conference didn’t go as planned." He set his glass down on the side table, his tone shifting into mock curiosity, then he picked it up again "Or... is she dead?"

At that moment the manager opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get a word out, Samuel raised a hand, almost dismissively. "Actually, I think... yes, she’s dead," he said with a smirk, as if the thought pleased him. "So why are you looking at me like that? Why so sad? Did you expect me to keep her? Someone who almost destroyed my life? And you want me to just forgive her all of a sudden?" He scoffed, his voice cold. "No. That is not possible. I cannot forgive her. Now that she is gone, I have peace of mind, peace that no one is going to come outside tomorrow to spread any kind of rubbish anymore."

At that moment, Samuel threw his head back and began to laugh loud, sharp, and full of satisfaction. The sound echoed through the high-ceilinged living room, bouncing off the marble floors and expensive art on the walls. He even lifted his glass, as if to toast the moment, savoring the thought of her death.

"This," he said between chuckles, "calls for celebration. No more celebration. Finally... she’s dead." He took another sip, the alcohol warming his throat, and his grin widened.

Without wasting another second, he turned toward his manager. "Well," he said, his voice dripping with confidence, "the next plan is to deal with Cora. That’s the next move. We need to strike now, while everything is fresh." He gestured with his hand as though mapping out the destruction in the air. "We’re going to capitalize on this live conference. We’ll make Cora look like the villain, like the fool she really is. Since she’s the one who spoke to her, we’ll twist the story, make it look like Cora pushed her into everything before of her hated, and because I refused to date her. This... this will drag Cora down completely. This will humiliate her and destroy her for good."