Brett entered the house , his usual smug smile plastered on his face. He exuded an air of confidence, of soone who knew that he had all the winning cards.
"Chris," he greeted him, his voice smooth as silk. "I trust you have everything ready to my specifications?"
Chris nodded, pushing the docunt across the desk. "Here it is," he said, his voice pained.
Brett snatched the docunt and took a seat, crossing his legs leisurely while his eyes scanning the pages quickly. A slow smile spread across his face as he reached the crucial clause.
"Excellent," he murmured, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Just as we discussed. Now, was that not easy?"
"There is one thing," Chris said, his voice firm. "This stays between us. Levi can never know about that I betrayed him."
Brett chuckled, his eyes eting Chris’s. "Don’t you worry, Chris," he said. "Levi will never know. This is our little secret."
He handed the docunt back to Chris, his eyes filled with triumph.
"Why are you doing this?" Chris asked as Brett started to leave. "What could you possibly hope to gain from this?"
Brett stopped and turned around, he examined Chris for a mont before he spoke. "Chaos." He said simply.
"Since I can’t have Van Doren Group, I am going to be content to watch Levi and Brandon burn it to the ground. They will destroy the legacy that was ant to be mine, if I can’t have it then no one else can." Brett said, in a deadly voice which lightened up in the next minute. "And you my betrayer has given exactly what I needed to make this happen."
Chris watched with repulsion as Brett left the apartnt, a heavy weight settling on his shoulders. He had just set in motion a chain of events that could have devastating consequences for Van Doren Enterprises. But he had to trust Levi. He had to believe that there was a plan, a strategy that he wasn’t privy to.
Later that evening, Chris t with Levi at his house. He showed him the finished docunt, his expression filled with concern.
"It’s done, Levi," he said. "When I had this over to Lily and Brandon signs it, he will own majority shares."
Levi took the docunt, his eyes scanning the pages quickly. He nodded slowly, his expression unreadable.
"Thank you, Chris," he said quietly. "I know this was not easy for you."
"What is the plan, Levi?" Chris asked, his voice laced with anxiety. "What are you going to do now?"
Levi looked at him, his eyes filled with a steely resolve. "I am going to take back what’s mine," he said, his voice firm. "And I’m going to make sure Brett pays for thinking that he can manipulate my people."
He paused, a grim expression crossing his face. "He thinks that he has won," he said. "He thinks he has outsmarted . But he is wrong and this is just the beginning."
Chris looked at Levi, his heart filled with a mixture of fear and admiration. He knew Levi was a force to be reckoned with, a man who would stop at nothing to protect what he loved. He had trusted Levi’s judgnt, and he knew he had to continue to trust him now.
"What about Lyse?" Chris asked, his voice laced with concern. "How do you plan on getting her out of there?"
"I am working on it, there is no legal way to get Jeff out of jail so he will have to be broken out." Levi said, his voice softening slightly. "I will do anything to get her away from Lottie and Brooke. I’m going to make sure she is safe away from their clutches."
He paused, his gaze eting Chris’s. "And then," he said, his voice low and dangerous, "I’m going to deal with Brandon and Brett. Once and for all."
Chris nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew that Levi was on a dangerous path, a path that could lead to devastating consequences. But he also knew that he could not stop him. He could only stand by his side, support him, and pray that they could both erge from this unscathed.
***
Brett entered Sutton’s opulent apartnt, his deanor radiating an air of ruthless confidence. He moved with a sense of ownership, as if he already controlled the space, a stark contrast to the deferential attitude he usually adopted around the Sterling family. He found Sutton perched on a velvet chaise lounge, a half-empty glass of champagne resting on a nearby table.
"What do you want?" Sutton asked, her voice sharp, her eyes scrutinizing him. "You can’t waltz in here anyti you feel like? And how did you find ?"
She had since moved out of Levi’s apartnt but it seed that it did not matter where she went, she could move in with a hermit crab and Brett would find her.
Brett smirked, a predatory glint in his eyes. "You should treat nicer you know. I know things about you that could hurt your image."
Sutton’s lips curved into a frustrated frown. "Excellent," she murmured. "Are you going to blackmail at every turn."
"Not quite," Brett countered, his smile fading slightly. He walked over to the window, gazing out at the city skyline. "Just a couple more blackmails and you are free."
Sutton felt a shiver of repulsion run down her spine at his words, she felt truly trapped." "What is it? What do you want now?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion.
Brett turned back to her, his eyes eting hers. "I need you to convince Brandon to sign over the shares that he will receive to ," he said, his voice firm.
Sutton’s eyes widened in surprise. "Sign them over to you?" she repeated, her voice incredulous. "Are you mad? I have gone through too much to just lose everything that i could have!"
"Things have changed," Brett said, his voice cold and hard. "I am the one who orchestrated this whole thing. I am the one who deserves to be rewarded."
"You can’t do this to ." Sutton pleaded, going on her knees and grabbing his pant leg.
"Get off!" Brett said roughly as he pushed her away. He took a step closer to her and bent to her level, his eyes boring into hers. "Let’s be clear," he said, his voice low and threatening. "I’m not asking you. I’m telling you. You will convince Brandon to sign over those shares to . Or..."
He paused, letting the unspoken threat hang in the air.
Sutton stared at him, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew what he was implying. She knew he was capable of anything.
"Or what?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Brett’s smile returned, but it was a cruel, predatory smile that sent a chill down her spine. "Or I will tell the entire world the truth," he said, his voice smooth as silk. "I’ll tell them who is really the father of your bastard."
Sutton’s face paled. "You wouldn’t," she stamred, her voice trembling.
"Oh, I would," Brett said, his eyes narrowing. "In a heartbeat. If I don’t get what I want, I’ll expose you. I’ll tell Brandon the truth about his parentage. I’ll tell him that Levi isn’t his father too, he will be pleased to find out how much of a whore his mother is."
Sutton’s breath caught in her throat. The thought of Levi finding out the truth, the thought of him discovering that she had lied to him the entire ti, was unbearable.
"If I do that," Brett continued, his voice low and nacing, "Brandon won’t have a chance at the Van Doren fortune. He will be nothing. A bastard, disowned and disgraced."
He paused, letting his words sink in. "But," he continued, his voice softening slightly, "if you cooperate... if you convince Brandon to sign over the shares... I promise you, he’ll be very rich. Richer than he ever would have been with Levi."
Sutton stared at him, her mind reeling. She was trapped. She was caught between a rock and a hard place. She could refuse Brett’s demands, and risk Brandon finding out the devastating truth about his parentage. Or she could comply, and betray her son’s trust, delivering him into Brett’s manipulative hands.
She knew she had no choice. Brett had her cornered. He had discovered her deepest, darkest secret, and he was using it against her.
"What do you want to do?" she asked, her voice resigned.
Brett’s smile widened, his eyes gleaming with triumph. "Simple convince Brandon that it’s in his best interest to sign over the shares to ," he said. "Tell him it’s a temporary arrangent, a strategic move. Tell him whatever you need to tell him. Just make sure he signs those papers."
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