8:17 AM.
Ethan had just closed the conference room door when his phone buzzed repeatedly. Email notifications came in. Notifications from the legal team. Notifications from the finance division. Then a message from the CFO, who rarely sounded panicked.
"We're under attack."
Ethan stopped in the middle of the hallway at his headquarters.
Attacked.
Not a word commonly used in the business world. Not for ordinary stock corrections. Not for daily market fluctuations.
He opened the first email.
Subject: URGENT – Massive Short Position Against Our Stock
His heart beat faster.
Within hours of the market opening, their company's stock had dropped nearly 12%. Trading volume had spiked abnormally. Someone or rather, a large entity was aggressively short selling in massive quantities.
The company name listed as transaction coordinator?
An international holding firm.
A shell subsidiary.
And at the end of its ownership structure.
Marcus.
Ethan closed his eyes for a moment.
"So this is the payback," he murmured.
The main conference room was full within fifteen minutes.
The CFO, head of legal, head of investments, and several senior executives were already seated with tense faces. The large screen in front of them displayed a red graph that kept plummeting.
"What's our exposure?" Ethan asked without preamble.
"If this pressure continues until closing bell, we could lose institutional investor confidence," the CFO replied. "Some are already starting to divest."
"Liquidity reserves?"
"Safe for two weeks under extreme conditions. But if any banks pull their credit facilities…"
"Are there any signs of that?"
The head of legal nodded slowly. "Two banks have asked for clarification on last year's audit report. They cited 'material uncertainty'."
Ethan clenched his jaw.
This was no coincidence.
Marcus wasn't just attacking the market. He was attacking trust.
He wanted to make Ethan's company look weak.
"Release an official statement," Ethan said firmly. "We'll be transparent. We'll open all data. We have nothing to hide."
"The problem isn't transparency," the CFO interjected carefully. "The problem is sentiment. And someone is shaping a narrative that we're hiding something."
Ethan knew.
That narrative didn't stand alone.
The secret of Sophia's mother's death.
Old transactions.
Family connections.
If Marcus chose to expose everything to the public, it wouldn't just be the company that collapsed.
The family name.
Reputation.
And Ethan's relationship with Sophia.
At her apartment, Sophia had just poured herself coffee when a news alert popped up on the television screen.
"Breaking News: Ardent Holdings Stock Plummets Sharply Amid Speculative Attack."
Ardent Holdings.
Ethan's company.
Sophia's heart felt like it was being pulled suddenly.
She grabbed her phone and opened the stock graph. Red. Falling fast. Abnormal.
It didn't take her long to guess who was behind it.
Marcus.
She remembered their last conversation.
If you choose to oppose me, Sophia, don't be surprised if the world around you crumbles too.
Sophia gripped her phone tighter.
This was no longer just a business war.
This was pressure.
Coercion.
Marcus wanted to force Ethan to his knees.
And perhaps, force Sophia back to his side.
At Marcus's headquarters, the atmosphere was calm instead.
The man stood in front of tall windows, looking out at the city with an unreadable expression. In the conference room, several financial analysts were presenting market developments.
"Pressure is proceeding as projected, Sir," one of them said. "If we launch the second phase this afternoon, prices will likely drop below investors' psychological threshold."
Marcus nodded slowly.
"And Ethan?" he asked.
"No public statement yet. But his team looks panicked."
Marcus smiled faintly.
"Good."
He never did anything halfway. If he had to destroy something, he would make sure there was no room for recovery.
But beneath his calm exterior, there was something else.
Sophia.
He knew the girl wouldn't stay quiet. He knew she would see this as manipulation.
And perhaps it was just that.
But in Marcus's world, pressure was the most understood language.
1:42 PM.
The stock had dropped 19%.
Several major investors pulled their funds.
One bank officially postponed credit renewal.
Ethan stood in the middle of the conference room, both hands resting on the table. His face was calm, but the veins in his temples were tense.
"We'll buy back some of the stock," he said.
The CFO was shocked. "That will drain our reserves."
"I know."
"What if the attack continues?"
Ethan looked up. "If we do nothing, we die today. If we fight back, at least we have a chance."
The decision was made.
In the following hour, the company began limited buybacks to stem the decline.
The market responded.
The graph no longer plummeted sharply, but pressure remained.
And precisely at 3:10 PM, new news broke.
"Old Investigation Into Controversial Transactions Reopened."
Sophia froze as she read the details.
Transactions between her mother's company and one of Marcus's subsidiaries… and Ardent Holdings.
Ethan's name wasn't mentioned directly.
But his shadow was there.
This was no coincidence.
This was phase two.
Marcus wasn't just attacking financially.
He was dragging the past to the surface.
Ethan's phone rang.
The name on the screen made him pause for a moment.
Sophia.
He answered quickly. "Sophia."
"What's happening?" Sophia's voice sounded tense.
"Market attack. My father is behind it."
"And the news about the old transactions?"
Ethan was silent a fraction of a second too long.
Sophia picked up on it.
"Ethan…"
"I just learned the details today," he said quickly. "It was a transaction that happened before I truly took control."
"But your company was involved."
"Yes."
The silence between them felt heavy.
"I never knew there was a connection to my mother's company," Ethan continued. "If I had known…"
"If you had known, what?" Sophia asked softly.
Ethan had no simple answer.
"I wouldn't have let it happen," he said finally.
Sophia let out a long breath.
"Marcus is destroying you."
"I know."
"And maybe he's trying to destroy me too."
Ethan closed his eyes for a moment. "I won't drag you into this."
"It's too late," Sophia replied quietly.
She looked at the television screen, which still displayed the stock graph.
This wasn't just about numbers.
It was about control.
Marcus wanted to show that he could bring down anyone who opposed him.
"Ethan," Sophia's voice changed, softer but deeper, "if everything falls apart today, will you still fight your father?"
The question was the same as before.
But now with real consequences.
Ethan opened his eyes.
"Yes."
Without hesitation.
Because now he wasn't just defending the company.
He was defending his dignity.
And perhaps, the love that was now on the edge of a cliff.
4:30 PM.
The market was nearly closed.
The stock was still down 14%, but it hadn't collapsed.
The major attack had been launched.
But the company was still standing.
At Marcus's office, the end-of-day report was read aloud.
"We've managed to push them down significantly, Sir. But they fought back."
Marcus nodded slowly.
"Good."
"Do we continue tomorrow?"
Marcus was silent for quite a while.
He knew one thing.
Today's pressure was enough to shake them.
Tomorrow wouldn't be about numbers anymore.
Tomorrow would be about decisions.
He picked up his phone, staring at Sophia's name on his contacts screen.
Then turned off the screen without calling.
Not yet.
This game wasn't over.
Night fell slowly.
Ethan stood alone in his now-empty office. City lights glittered behind the glass, but his thoughts were far darker.
He knew this was just the beginning.
Marcus wouldn't stop until one of them surrendered.
And in the middle of this war, Sophia stood on a thin line.
If he made the wrong move.
He could lose the company.
Or lose the woman he loved.
Maybe both.
Ethan looked at the final graph on the screen.
Red.
But not dead yet.
He let out a long breath.
"If this is what you want, Father," he murmured softly, "I'll fight until the end."
And for the first time, the war between father and son was no longer hidden behind conference tables.
It had become an open battle.
And there was no turning back.