Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Poison of the Shadows
“Everything he builds, I will burn to the ground,” Aaron muttered under his breath, watching his own reflection in the glass. “And this time, I won’t stop until he loses what he can’t replace.”
“I know Adrian still dreams about her,” he said casually. “I know he told her she was the only woman he ever really loved. And I know you hate that.”
It had taken months of back-channel deals, hidden favors, and well-placed moles. But he had what he needed now.
He would make sure of it.
And even confidential details about Melanie—her school, her habits, her background.
He hung up.
“Excuse me?” Her voice sharpened. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
Aaron smiled slightly. “Someone who wants the same thing you do—Melanie gone.”
Bingo.
A gruff voice answered. “Yeah?”
Leonard had always gotten the good things. The company. The reputation. The spotlight. The loyalty of those around him. And now—now even the woman.
He turned toward his desk, where a sleek laptop glowed with open files. Employee records. Vendor contracts. Private emails. Aaron’s fingers moved expertly across the keys, tapping into things he wasn’t supposed to see.
The marriage announcement that swept social media like a storm. The carefully cropped paparazzi shots of them entering event together, her delicate hand tucked into Leo’s arm. She wasn’t just a pawn in some business move. She had become something… real. And that, more than anything, made Aaron’s blood boil.
“But you didn’t hang up either,” Aaron replied calmly. “Because deep down, you know I’m right.”
And yet, none of it had been enough.
“And why should I trust you?”
Aaron ended the call and stood.
Aaron had stopped playing fair.
“I didn’t ask for this call,” Rose snapped, but her tone cracked.
Personal patterns of Leonard’s trusted board members.
They’re getting closer.
Then dialed again.
Because nothing burned brighter than the fall of something beautiful.
Another long silence.
“Move to phase two,” Aaron said simply. “Start with the factory contract. I want delays. Miscommunication. Push the partners to question Leo’s leadership. Subtly. No direct attacks yet.”
But now?
“Calm down,” he said smoothly, leaning against the edge of his desk. “Let’s not act like you’re not already thinking it. She took Adrian. Then she took Leonard. Isn’t that why you’re mad?”
But neither of them knew just how close the storm already was.
Inside information on Westwood Corporation.
She exhaled shakily. “You didn’t even tell me who you are.”
“You won’t.”
Aaron’s jaw clenched.
Rose hesitated. Her voice wavered. “She ruined everything for me.”
“To make her fall,” Aaron said. “To take back everything she’s trying to rebuild.”
Aaron’s smile deepened. “That’s the spirit. But for now, patience. When the time is right, I’ll come to you. Together, we’ll make sure she never stands again.”
“Who’s this?”
He remembered the first time he and Leonard clashed. Years ago, a deal that should’ve gone to him had landed in Leo’s lap. From there, the pattern repeated. No matter how well Aaron played the game, Leonard was always a step ahead.
“And you helped her,” Aaron said quickly, twisting the knife. “You let her walk out of your life stronger. You handed Adrian to her emotionally, even if he sleeps in your bed. Every single thing she touches turns to gold. And here you are, watching from the sidelines.”
“Let’s just say I’m someone who’s waited a long time for this,” he replied. “When it’s time to meet, you’ll know. But right now, all you need to do is decide—do you want to sit back and watch Melanie Westwood rise higher than you? Or do you want to be part of the plan that breaks her?”
He poured himself a glass of whiskey and sipped slowly, letting the warmth crawl down his throat.
He picked up his phone and dialed.
His mind flashed with images of Leonard—commanding boardrooms with a single glance, earning respect from men twice his age, and now… being married to Melanie. That part stung more than Aaron expected.
He glanced down at a printed photo of Leonard and Melanie, both smiling gently at one another.
Aaron stood by the tall windows of his penthouse office, arms folded tightly across his chest as he stared out at the glowing skyline of the city. Beneath the polished glass and shimmering towers, life pulsed—chaotic, noisy, forgettable. Just like it had always been to him.
It wasn’t fair. Leonard had wealth, power, legacy… admiration.
Aaron had been in the shadows for too long, constantly overlooked, dismissed like background noise. But not anymore. It was time to shift the spotlight.
Aaron’s POV
But Leonard Westwood? No. He was never part of the forgettable.
He walked slowly toward the wall of framed photographs—moments of victory, of corporate triumphs, of headlines where his name had once flashed with power.
This time, a softer voice. “Hello?”
Leonard always played the clean game. The hero. The leader. But what people never realized was that Leonard Westwood was just a man. One who had weaknesses. One who could bleed. And Aaron would be the one to prove it.
“And if I change my mind?”
Aaron smiled.
Silence.
“Understood.”
Soon, that smile would fade.
A pause.
Melanie.
Not because he cared for Melanie. No. But because Leonard had her, and that meant she was another one of the things Aaron couldn’t have. That made her valuable.
“You’re wrong,” Rose finally said, but her voice had lost its edge.
“Rose.”
He leaned back, sipping his whiskey again, the slow burn matching the satisfaction brewing in his chest.
“You shouldn’t,” he said, smiling faintly. “Not yet.”
And Leonard sat in a boardroom, distracted by a message that simply read:
Meanwhile, miles away, Melanie laughed over a phone call with Betty, sketchbook in hand.
Aaron smirked. “She was never supposed to matter. But she does. And that’s exactly why she’ll be useful.”
***
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“No, I’m right. And you’re furious,” Aaron continued, his voice softening with calculated precision. “You gave up everything to get what she had. And still… you’re second best.”
Then, softly: “What’s your plan?”
Rose’s breathing turned shallow. “What do you want?”
But soon…
Because Leonard had always cast a longer shadow.
