As Brandon drove away, he flexed his jaw which still ached from the hit.
Every pulse of pain throbbed beneath his skin like a reminder, a humiliation stamped into his bones.
Levi.
Levi had dared to lay hands on him.
And worse, Lyse had stood by and let him. He had wrongly believed that he had stamped Levi out of Lyse’s mind but at the first sign of his appearance she was running into his arms... Unbelievable!
Brandon stood in his living room, still breathing hard, the ice pack in his hand half-lted, his reflection in the mirror swollen and furious. His pupils were blown wide with anger.
"Unbelievable," he hissed, tossing the ice aside.
He paced across the room like a caged animal, fingers running through his hair again and again until it stuck up in jagged angles. His mind replayed the mont on a vicious loop: Lyse in Levi’s arms, clutching him, crying into him like he was her savior.
Her protector.
Not Brandon.
Brandon had done everything for her. Boosted her career. Invested in her projects. Handled problems she didn’t even know existed.
And she ran to Levi.
His teeth ground together.
No.
No, that wouldn’t stand.
Levi had stolen the mont that should have been Brandon’s, stolen her vulnerability, the intimacy she owed him, the gratitude she owed him. Instead of thanking him for everything he had done for her, Lyse had looked at him like he was the threat.
He grabbed the nearest whiskey bottle, unscrewed the cap, and took a long, burning swallow.
His phone lit up on the counter, vibrating twice.
Brandon forced himself to breathe slowly before checking it.
Unknown:
We didn’t find the body.
A spark of irritation flared through him, the sa unfinished business he’d tried to put behind him. Luca. That coward should’ve been a closed Chapter by now.
He typed back:
Brandon:
Not now. Handle it. Quietly and imdiately.
A beat.
Another ssage:
Unknown:
You sure you don’t want to deal with the guy who hit you?
Brandon’s hand tightened around the phone.
That was the problem, wasn’t it?
Dealing with Levi wasn’t as simple as dealing with Luca. Levi wasn’t so disposable nobody. Levi had influence. A network. A shadow of security around him. And, most annoyingly, an image the public liked.
If Brandon pushed too hard, he’d co out the villain.
He needed sothing smarter. Cleaner. Sothing that would pull Lyse back where she belonged without anyone tracing fingers in his direction.
He lowered the phone, mind sharpening.
Maybe retaliation didn’t have to be loud.
Maybe it just had to be devastating.
He walked to his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a sleek black tablet. He tapped a few files awake, docunts, photos, contracts, schedules.
Lyse’s schedule.
Lyse’s brand projections.
Lyse’s endorsent deals, all delicately tied to her new public image.
An image that could shatter from one well-tid scandal.
His lips curled.
"Oh, Lyse," he murmured to himself, "you shouldn’t have walked out on ."
He scrolled further.
He had information. Old modeling shots she hated. Footage of her snapping at an assistant during a stressful shoot. A half-finished collaboration contract she hadn’t approved yet, with language that, if leaked it made her sound demanding and disloyal.
Nothing illegal.
Nothing direct.
But enough to turn the public against her.
Enough to make Levi look like a fool for playing knight in shining armor.
Brandon sat down, leaned back, and steepled his fingers beneath his chin.
He didn’t want to destroy Lyse.
He wanted to remind her.
Remind her who had built her when she lay crumbled after Levi dropped her.
Who had invested in her when she had no one to run to.
Who had believed in her talent before the world even noticed she existed.
Who had been willing to eliminate obstacles for her.
He cursed loudly and angrily.
She didn’t need Levi.
She needed him.
Brandon picked up his phone again.
Brandon:
I think it’s ti we shook things up. Prepare a package for release. Nothing too strong. Just enough to soften public sentint around Lyse Rivers.
A pause, then another ssage:
Unknown:
You want her career damaged?
Brandon:
No. Not damaged. Controlled.
He set the phone down.
He knew Lyse, her pride, her independence, her desperate desire not to be seen as weak. A dip in public favor would terrify her. She’d seek comfort. Stability. Soone who could weather the storm with her.
Soone whose arms were already open.
Brandon smirked to himself.
Levi might have had one night. One mont.
But Brandon had the long ga.
And the long ga always won.
He walked to his balcony, pushed open the door, and stepped into the cold night air. The city spread before him, glittering, alive, pulsing with opportunity.
He took a deep breath.
He wasn’t going to let Levi steal anything from him. Not his pride. Not his image. And certainly not Lyse.
He held the railing, knuckles white.
"She’ll co back," he said softly. "They always co back."
He didn’t know whether he ant Lyse.
Or fate.
Or the inevitable way things always fell into place for him.
He turned back inside, shutting out the city lights and locking the balcony door with a firm click.
Tomorrow, the plan would start.
And by the ti it ended, Lyse would realize...
She never should have cried in anyone’s arms but his.
As for Levi, the best was would be to target his precious company, If everything crumbled around him he would be too busy chasing fires to focus on Lyse, and she would be needing a saviour and who better than himself.
He took a swig of his drink with narrowed eyes, his anger not sated but he felt calr now that he had at least decided on a course of action.
"This ti i won’t let you slip out of my hands." He swore resolutely.
He would do anything to keep Lyse by his side where she belonged.
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