Aryan's hands gripped the carbon-fiber steering wheel of the Lamborghini. Every time he tapped the gas, the car roared like a beast hungry for blood. His mind was racing faster than the engine. $6.7 Million. It was a lot of money, but in a city like Haddon, it was just the entry ticket. To destroy a man like Steve's father, Richard—a man who owned half the skyscrapers in the district—Aryan needed more. He needed a kingdom.
"System," Aryan whispered, his eyes cold as ice. "Show me the next mission."
[Ding!]
[Mission: The Art of Dominance.]
[Task: Acquire a controlling stake in a struggling company within 2 hours.]
[Bonus: If the company is linked to your enemy, the Cashback Multiplier will double for this transaction.]
Aryan's lips curled into a dangerous smirk.
"Struggling company, huh? I know just the one."
He pulled a sharp U-turn, the tires screaming against the asphalt. He headed toward 'The Zenith Tower.' It was the headquarters of 'Skyline Interiors,' a high-end design firm that had been the pride of the city until Richard's company, 'Haddon Real Estate,' started a price war to crush them.
Aryan knew this because two weeks ago, he had delivered cold noodles to the CEO of Skyline, Mr. Miller. The man looked like he was about to jump off the balcony. Richard was trying to buy Skyline for pennies just to shut it down and take their clients.
[The Zenith Tower - 45th Floor]
Aryan walked into the glass-walled lobby. He was still in his drenched, muddy delivery jacket, but he didn't care. He carried the Lamborghini keys in his hand like a scepter.
"I'm here to see Mr. Miller," Aryan said to the receptionist, a young woman who looked like she hadn't slept in days.
"Do you have an appointment? And... are you the delivery guy? We didn't order anything," she said, her voice exhausted.
"Tell him the man who is going to save his company is here," Aryan said, leaning over the desk. "And tell him he has exactly sixty seconds before I walk out and let Richard eat him alive."
The mention of 'Richard' acted like an electric shock. Within seconds, Aryan was ushered into a massive office. Mr. Miller was there, looking gray and broken. Sitting across from him was a man in a sharp grey suit—Richard's lawyer.
"Look, Miller," the lawyer was saying, "The offer is $2 million for the whole company. It's either that or bankruptcy. Sign the papers."
"Two million?" Aryan's voice cut through the room like a knife. "That's not an offer. That's a robbery."
The lawyer turned around, laughing. "And who the hell are you? A homeless guy who got lost on the way to the shelter? Guards, get him out of here!"
Aryan didn't move. He walked straight to the desk and looked at Miller. "Your company is worth $15 million, even with the debt. Richard is trying to kill you. I'll give you $20 million. Cash. Right now."
The room went dead silent. The lawyer's laughter died in his throat. Miller stood up, his hands shaking. "T-Twenty million? Son, do you even know how many zeros are in that number?"
Aryan didn't answer. He took out the black titanium card and placed it on the desk. "I don't play games, Mr. Miller. Check the funds. Verify the card. I want 51% of Skyline Interiors. I want it now."
The lawyer sneered, "This is a prank. Miller, don't listen to this brat. He's probably some YouTuber doing a stunt."
Miller, with nothing left to lose, called his bank. He ran the card through their secure corporate portal. His face went from pale to bright red. His eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"The... the funds are verified," Miller stammered. "Twenty million dollars... it's... it's actually there."
Aryan looked at the lawyer. "Tell Richard that the boy he called a 'beggar' just bought his biggest rival. And tell him to check his own company's stock. Because I'm coming for that next."
"Sign it," Aryan commanded Miller.
As soon as the digital pen touched the screen and the transfer was authorized, the world seemed to shift.
[Ding!]
[Major Acquisition Completed!]
[Spend: $20,000,000.00]
[Bonus Detected: Enemy-Linked Asset!]
[Multiplier Doubled: 15x x 2 = 30x Cashback!]
[Calculating Cashback... $600,000,000.00 Credited!]
Aryan felt a rush of adrenaline that was almost painful. Six hundred million dollars. He was no longer just a millionaire. He was a shark in a tank full of goldfish.
"Mr. Miller," Aryan said, standing up. "You're still the CEO. But from now on, you don't take orders from Richard. You take them from me. First order: Fire every contractor who has a contract with Richard's company. We're going to starve him out."
Aryan walked out of the office, leaving the lawyer frozen in shock. He took the elevator down to the lobby.
As he stepped out into the night air, his phone rang. It was an unknown number. He answered.
"Aryan?" It was Maya's voice. She sounded hesitant, sweet, almost like she was crying.
"Aryan... is that really you? I... I saw you in that car. Steve said it wasn't you, but I knew. I made a mistake, Aryan. Steve is a monster. He forced me to say those things. Can we talk? I'm at our old spot... the street stall."
Aryan looked at the glowing screen of his phone. Balance: $606,765,012.45.
He remembered the muddy ring in the puddle. He remembered Steve's shoe on his hand. He remembered Maya's cold eyes.
"The street stall, Maya?" Aryan whispered into the phone, his voice devoid of any emotion. "Sorry, I don't eat at cheap places anymore. But don't worry. Since you like Steve's world so much, I'll make sure you stay there... right until I burn it down."
He hung up.
"System," Aryan said, stepping into his Lamborghini. "Find me the most expensive penthouse in Haddon City. It's time I moved out of the basement."
💖Author's Note:💖
> "BOOM! $600 Million Cashback! Aryan is officially the most dangerous man in Haddon City. Did you see how he handled Maya's fake apology? Cold as ice!
To my awesome readers:
* Add to Library: The war is just starting. Aryan vs. Richard (Steve's dad) is going to be legendary. Save the story so you don't miss the 'Penthouse Reveal'!
* Power Stones: We are so close to the Top 100! Your stones give Aryan the power to unlock Level 3!
* Comment: Should Aryan find a new girl who actually loves him, or should he stay a 'Lone Wolf' billionaire for a while? Tell me your thoughts!"