Chapter 235: Chapter 235
At that moment, Oliver leaned back in his chair, his sharp eyes scanning Abigail’s picture with a calculating stare. His jaw tightened as if he were weighing every word Lisa had just said.
"So," he muttered slowly, his tone heavy with disdain, "this is the real puppeteer. The others bark, but she is the one pulling the strings." He flicked the edge of the photo with his finger, almost as if daring the woman in the picture to defy him. "A woman born into power, spoiled by influence, and protected by her family’s media empire. No wonder she thinks she can play God."
Lisa nodded firmly, keeping her voice steady. "Yes, sir. Her family’s reach is deep. Owning two major television stations under different names gives them a strong advantage. Her mother controls one, her father the other, and Abigail herself has built a radio station with significant influence. They’ve used these outlets to twist narratives in their favor for years. People believe what they see on those screens, and she knows it. She knows how to bend public opinion to crush her enemies."
Oliver’s lips curved into a cold smile, one that didn’t reach his eyes. "Manipulating stories, bending truths, rewriting reputations... she thinks this makes her untouchable." He tapped the picture against his desk before laying it down with a deliberate calmness. "But arrogance has always been the downfall of the powerful. When a person believes their lies are stronger than truth, they stop watching their blind spots. And that’s when they fall."
At that moment Lisa lowered her gaze but dared to add, "Sir, this isn’t the first time she’s done it. From the little digging I’ve managed so far, it seems Abigail has a long history of destroying anyone who stands in her way. She is... meticulous. Almost ruthless. Once she sets her eyes on someone, she doesn’t stop until their name is dirt."
Oliver chuckled under his breath, a sound laced with mockery rather than amusement. "So she’s equipped, you say? Equipped to bring down anyone she wants?" He leaned forward, his voice sharp, clipped, and filled with a dangerous calm. "Well, I too am equipped, Lisa. Only difference is I don’t need to hide behind cameras or screens. When I strike, people don’t forget it. If Abigail believes she can target Cora and walk away clean, then she hasn’t met me yet."
He pushed Abigail’s picture aside and drummed his fingers on the desk. The weight of his words filled the office like smoke. "This woman may have her family’s wealth, her media stations, and her games. But I promise you, Lisa, I’ll peel every layer of her armor until she realizes that the world she built isn’t bulletproof. If she wants a war..." Oliver’s eyes narrowed, his tone dropping low, "then she just declared it with the wrong man."
However Lisa remained silent, but the look in her eyes said it all Abigail had no idea what storm she was inviting.
At that moment, lisa’s chest tightened as she watched Oliver’s expression harden, the anger practically seeping from his pores. She hated seeing him like this, but from the fire in his eyes, she knew there was no turning him back this time. The calm, calculated Oliver she was used to had shifted into something far sharper, and it unsettled her.
She drew in a breath, steadying her voice. "Oliver," she said carefully, "I know exactly what you’re capable of. I won’t stop you because I know it’s pointless when you’ve already made up your mind. But I need you to promise me one thing. Be careful. Don’t overstep. Don’t let this anger push you too far. Do it smart, do it clean. Handle it gently, or you’ll burn bridges you may not be able to rebuild."
Her words hung in the air, heavy with worry, but Oliver didn’t soften. He lifted his gaze from the photographs spread across his desk and locked eyes with her, his tone flat yet carrying a dangerous edge.
"Lisa, that is not something I can promise." He tapped his finger firmly against Victoria Jackson’s picture. "This is where I begin. Victoria Jackson. She thinks she can give Cora a hard time, that her family’s name will shield her. No. I’ll start with her, and I’ll make sure that entire Jackson family shuts their mouths completely."
At that moment, hearing what Oliver just said, Lisa then nod her head slowly. There was no hesitation in her eyes, only quiet determination. She leaned slightly forward and said in a soft but serious tone, "No problem. I really want to help you with this."
Her voice carried a calm resolve, but her gaze was firm, focused on him.
"So... what do you want from me?" she asked gently. "What step are you willing to take? Do you want to go all in... or do you want to take it gradually?"
There was a brief silence between them.
Oliver looked down at his hands for a second, then glanced back at her. His voice came out with a bit of restraint, but it was clear that he had already spent time thinking about this.
"Well," he began, slowly, "I’m feeling as if I really want to go all in."
His tone shifted slightly, tinged with a quiet frustration. "But at the same time, I don’t really know if this is the true course of everything. If Victoria is just acting out of her proportion like out of her own will."
He paused, exhaling. "Because the two of us... we need to actually understand what is really going on before I’m going to crush an innocent family."
His face showed how much this matter was weighing on him. "That is what I don’t like," he added. "And that is what I really want to avoid."
At that moment, his mind brought back something Lisa had mentioned earlier.
"I remembered when you said Victoria actually has a brother," Oliver said, narrowing his eyes slightly as if trying to piece the puzzle together.
Lisa nodded once again. "Yes, that is true," she confirmed. "Victoria actually has a brother."
She hesitated a little, as if deciding how to frame what she was about to say next. "But do you know the most important," she continued, "and I think I actually missed that detail..."
Oliver tilted his head slightly, curious.
Lisa leaned in, her voice lowering. "Victoria’s brother, which is Robert, actually has met with Cora multiple times. And from all indications..."
She looked at him closely now. "Do you still remember that estate in which you forcefully made sure that everything luxury partnered with her?"
Oliver nodded slowly, his expression beginning to shift.
"Well," Lisa said carefully, "I’m sorry to inform you that this Robert actually, his company is partnering with Cora for the building of that, like the structure of that estate, so they have met before."