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@ ODILI ONUOHA
2025-04-09 05:15:09CHAPTER THREE
“What did you just say?” she lost control after hearing the news, she hissed at Robert, gripping the arms of her chair so tightly her knuckles turned white.
Robert held his ground. “James agreed to save the company, Helen. But he’s taking over as President. It’s the only way.”
Helen shot to her feet. “You fool! You think I’ll let that bastard sit in my father-in-law's chair? Robert’s expression remained firm. “If you don’t, Ray Enterprises will cease to exist.”
Christopher, who had been silent, finally spoke. “Helen… maybe we should consider it.” Helen had never been a woman to accept defeat. For years, she had ruled over the Ray family like a queen, ensuring that wealth and power remained in her hands. But with James threatening to take over Ray Enterprises, she knew she had to act fast.
So, she did something she once considered unthinkable.
She offered herself to Mark Lawson.
Mark, the only son of the Prime Minister, had always been infatuated with Rita. He had wanted to marry her not only for love but also for power. Helen knew that his weakness was his desire for her daughter.
So, during a secret meeting at Mark’s private estate, she leaned in close, her voice smooth as silk.
“Help us,” she whispered. “Save Ray Enterprises, and I promise you, Rita will be yours.”
Mark smirked, swirling the wine in his glass. “You expect me to believe Rita will suddenly fall in love with me?”
Helen smiled seductively, running a finger along the rim of her glass. “She doesn’t have to fall in love with you,” she said. “She just has to see James as a failure. And with your wealth, your influence… you can be the man she turns to when she realizes James has nothing left to offer.”
Mark raised an eyebrow. “And if she still refuses?”
Helen leaned closer, placing a hand on his knee. “Then I’ll convince her myself,” she promised.
Mark chuckled, looking at her with newfound interest. “And what about you?” he asked, his voice dripping with amusement.
Helen smirked. “Consider me… a bonus.”
Mark’s eyes darkened with desire. He knew Helen was a cunning woman, but this? This was a new level of manipulation.
And he loved it.
The deal was struck.
That very night, Mark wired eleven million dollars into Ray Enterprises’ account. The company was still in crisis, but for now, it was enough to keep them afloat.
With Helen’s full support, Mark wasted no time showering Rita with gifts.
He sent luxury cars to her doorstep. He booked private jets to take her on weekend getaways. He filled her office with bouquets of rare flowers and custom-made jewelry that no one else in the country owned.
Every time he visited the Ray family mansion, he publicly declared his love for Rita, making it clear that he was ready to give her everything James couldn’t.
Rita, however, remained indifferent.
She didn’t love Mark. She never had.
But her family’s pressure was unbearable.
Her mother, Helen, constantly reminded her, “James has nothing compared to Mark. If you stay with him, we’ll lose everything.”
Her father, Christopher, said, “Think of the family name, Rita. James was never one of us. But Mark? He’s from true power.”
And her brother, Stephen, scoffed, “You’re being stubborn, sis. Stop holding onto a dead marriage. Mark can give you the life you deserve.”
The walls were closing in on Rita.
And Mark knew it.
One evening, Mark arrived at the Ray family mansion once again, bringing yet another gift for Rita: a diamond necklace worth over a million dollars.
But this time, James was waiting for him.
As Mark stepped out of his sleek black car, James approached him, his expression cold and unreadable.
“Lawson,” James greeted, his voice low and firm.
Mark smirked. He responded mockingly. “Shouldn’t you be at work? Oh, wait, my money is currently keeping your wife’s family from bankruptcy.”
James clenched his jaw but kept his voice steady. “Let’s cut the games. Stop buying gifts for my wife.”
Mark chuckled. “Oh, come on, James. It’s just a friendly gesture. Can’t a man be generous?”
James took a step closer, his eyes dark. “Generosity? Or desperation?”
Mark’s smirk faded slightly.
James continued, his tone dangerous. “You think you can buy her love? Drown her in wealth until she forgets about me? You’re pathetic, Mark.”
Mark’s nostrils flared. “Pathetic?” He scoffed. “I have power, connections, and influence. You? You were thrown out like trash, James. The only reason you’re standing here is because your Ray adopted you here,But let’s be honest, you don’t belong in our world.”
James exhaled slowly, shaking his head. “You still don’t get it, do you?” He chuckled darkly. “Rita isn’t some prize you can buy. She doesn’t love you. She never will.”
Mark’s smirk returned. “Maybe,” he admitted. “But tell me, James… How long can a woman resist luxury, security, and power?”
“I’m warning you, Mark,” he said, voice like steel. “If you ever try to buy my wife again… you’ll regret it.”
Mark raised his hands mockingly. “Ooooh, I’m so scared. What are you going to do, James? Fight me?”
James didn’t answer.
Instead, he gave Mark one last look, one filled with silent promise before turning away and walking back inside.
Mark stood there for a moment, watching him go.
Then, he smirked.
Because this wasn’t over.
Not by a long shot.
That night, Rita sat alone in her bedroom, staring at the extravagant gifts Mark had sent.
She hated how her family was trying to force her into a life she didn’t want.
And most of all… she hated the way James was fighting this battle alone.
Her love for James had never wavered. But how much longer could she endure? How much longer could she watch him stand against the entire Ray family and Mark Lawson’s power?
Because deep down, she knew…
This wasn’t just about business anymore.
This was war.
And someone was going to lose everything.
James sat in his study, his mind clouded with frustration. The confrontation with Mark still burned in his chest. He knew the man wasn’t helping the Ray family out of generosity he was buying his way in. And Helen, blinded by desperation, was handing everything over to him, including her own daughter.
Just as he took a sip of water, the door to his study swung open. Helen stormed in, her heels clicking against the floor like gunfire.