Eric sat in his office, surrounded by a mountain of paperwork, but his focus was sharp. His mind was already working on the next move when Tim burst into the room, looking flustered and out of breath.

"Eric, we have a problem!" Tim blurted out, his tone urgent.

Eric immediately set his pen down and leaned back in his chair. "Tim, take a deep breath. What’s going on?"

Tim struggled to calm himself, but the worry in his eyes was clear. "Someone is spreading rumors to all the top companies that we make faulty machinery."

Eric's expression hardened. "Do we know who’s behind it?"

Tim shook his head. "Not yet, but that’s not even the worst part."

"What else is there?" Eric’s voice took on a steely edge.

"The Orion bid fell through," Tim said, almost whispering. "We had it in the bag, but I just got off the phone with Mr. Jenner. He said they’re going with another company."

Eric’s eyes narrowed. He had expected a setback like this, but hearing it confirmed sent a wave of irritation through him. "Something’s off. I have a strong feeling I know exactly who’s behind this."

Just then, Eric’s phone buzzed on the desk. He glanced at the screen, and his suspicions were confirmed. The name flashing on the screen solidified everything. He answered the call.

"Hello," Eric said, his voice calm and collected.

"Mr. Hart," came the familiar voice of the gang leader Eric had hired for information. "I have news for you."

"Go ahead," Eric replied, his eyes locking with Tim’s, already knowing what was coming.

"We followed Mr. Clements, just like you asked, and we saw him meeting with Mr. Jenner," the gang leader explained. "We got everything on camera—him bribing Jenner to sabotage your bid."

Eric’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. "Good work. Send the video to my phone, and I’ll wire your payment immediately."

"Right away, sir," the gang leader confirmed. "And if you need us to keep an eye on him, just say the word."

"I want you to keep watching him," Eric said, his tone firm. "I don’t trust him not to pull something else."

"Understood. We’ll stay on him. Goodbye."

"Goodbye," Eric replied before hanging up the phone. He turned to Tim, his grin widening. "It’s exactly who we thought. Luke Clements. He’s been the one spreading those rumors and bribing people to get the bid from us."

Tim’s face twisted in anger. "That guy is a complete asshole! What are we going to do now?"

Eric’s phone buzzed again. "Don’t worry," he said, lifting the phone to show Tim the video that had just come through. "We’ve got the evidence we need to expose him."

Tim’s eyes widened as Eric pressed play, and the two men watched the video. It showed Luke, caught red-handed, bribing Mr. Jenner with stacks of cash, shaking hands to finalize the dirty deal.

"Tim, take this video to your reporter friend," Eric instructed, his voice calm but fierce. "Tell them to post it live. Let’s expose Luke for the bastard he is."

Tim nodded, already grabbing his phone. "Give me thirty minutes, and this will be all over the news."

Eric leaned back in his chair, his smile full of satisfaction. "Luke thought he could ruin me so easily. He underestimated my power—and my connections."

"Exactly," Tim said with a grin. "Let’s make that snake pay for what he’s done."

"And while you’re at it," Eric added, "call Orion Metal. Let them know we’re resubmitting our bid. I have a feeling they’ll reconsider now."

Tim stood up, energized by the plan. "I’ll call them right after I talk to the reporter. They’d be idiots to deny us after this."

As Tim hurried out of the office, Eric turned back to his desk, satisfied that everything was finally falling into place. But miles away, things were unraveling fast for Luke Clements.

———————————————————————————

In a lavish office, a phone flew through the air, smashing against the wall. The device shattered, pieces scattering across the floor as more furniture followed—chairs overturned, a lamp knocked over, and papers strewn about.

On the large flat-screen TV, a reporter’s voice echoed through the room. "Breaking news: Evidence has surfaced linking Luke Clements to bribery involving the recent Orion Metal bid, along with his attempts to sabotage Hart Incorporated’s reputation."

Luke seethed with fury, pacing like a caged animal. "That son of a bitch! How dare he expose me like this!"

Luke’s assistant cowered in the corner, trying to calm him down. "Sir, please… it could be worse."

"Worse?!" Luke roared, glaring at the assistant. "How could this possibly be worse?"

The assistant stammered, "Orion Metal isn’t suing you. They’ve just severed ties and fired Mr. Jenner. It’s… damage control."

Luke slumped onto the couch, his head in his hands, feeling the weight of his ruined reputation pressing down on him. "My name is destroyed. Everything I’ve worked for… gone."

He sat there in stunned silence, fury and disbelief clouding his thoughts. For a moment, he had thought his plan to take down Eric was foolproof. He hadn’t accounted for Eric being more clever than he appeared.

"I’m not giving up that easily," Luke muttered to himself, his mind already working on his next move.

"Sir?" the assistant asked nervously. "Maybe… maybe it’s time to let this go. Quit while you’re ahead."

Luke’s head snapped up, his eyes blazing with anger. "What did you just say to me?"

The assistant flinched. "I-I’m sorry, sir! I didn’t mean it. Please, don’t punish me."

"Get out of my sight!" Luke shouted, gesturing toward the mess. "Clean this up and leave. Now."

The assistant scrambled to clean the broken phone and scattered furniture as Luke sat back, brooding over his next move. He couldn’t win this battle with Eric. Not yet. But the real prize wasn’t the company—it was Emily.

As the assistant left the room, Luke smirked to himself, the beginnings of a new plan taking shape.

"I won’t give up that easily," he whispered, his voice filled with determination. "Emily… my sweet Emily. I’m coming for you next."

Luke’s low, menacing laughter echoed in the empty office as his mind churned with dark thoughts. This time, he would strike where it truly hurt.