Debt Repaid Chapter 2

From that night on, wherever Seraphina Vereen appeared, I was sure to be there.

If she bid on a parcel of land, I doubled her offer. If she competed for a contract, I undercut her by half.

When it came to a war of wealth, she was still an amateur. While she was struggling to turn her hundred million into something in some forgotten corner of the country, I was already the undisputed king of Veridia City.

Finally, she broke. She came to my office alone, ready to surrender.

She stood before me, tears shimmering in her eyes, but her gaze was as defiant as ever. “This isn't doing you any favors, Mr. Shaw. Even the Shaw fortune has its limits. You can't keep burning money like this.”

So, she was here to lecture me.

I glanced past her shoulder toward the empty doorway. “Where’s your fiancé?” I asked, my voice flat. “Isn’t he going to apologize?”

Her full, red lips pressed into a thin line. She lowered her gaze, her voice laced with forced sincerity. “I apologize on his behalf for what happened that night.” Then, her tone shifted. “However, you were the one who resorted to violence first. Regardless of the circumstances, both sides share the blame.”

Fine. So much for an apology.

A smirk played on my lips. I leaned back, feigning regret. “I admit, I was too soft on him. You’d better tell him to stay far away from me. Next time, it won’t be just a piece of cake.”

Seeing that I was immovable, Sera dropped the pretense of compromise. Her face darkened. “If you refuse to leave my fiancé alone, then there’s nothing more to discuss. I’ll see you on the battlefield.”

I leaned back on the sofa, crossing one leg over the other, the very picture of arrogant power. “Excellent. I’ll be waiting.”

After leaving my office, Sera began reaching out to industry leaders, trying to forge new alliances. But in Veridia, all it took was one word from me, and no one dared to work with her. On top of that, the Vereen collapse had entangled many powerful figures. Besides me, plenty of people wanted to see her fail.

What I hadn’t anticipated was that her fiancé, Leo, was an influencer with millions of followers. He posted a video online, a tearful tirade accusing me of monopolistic practices and deliberately targeting Sera. He spun a sob story about their struggles, painting them as victims and himself as a devoted hero. It struck a chord with his audience, and sympathy for them poured in.

My assistant showed me the video. I just laughed.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Sera’s number. “That video your fiancé posted. You have two minutes to take it down.”

“Everything Leo said is the truth,” she replied, her voice steady.

“The truth?” My voice turned to ice. “Are you really prepared to sacrifice the last shred of your dignity?”

There was a long silence on the other end. “I’ll have him delete it.”

Only a handful of insiders knew about the hundred million I’d given her. If that story got out, she would be the one humiliated. She was a businesswoman, after all. When it came to a cost-benefit analysis, what was a fiancé?