CHAPTER 123: CHAPTER 123

At that moment Cora’s eyes hardened as she stared at Samuel, her expression curling into something almost venomous. Every line on her face screamed disgust, her lips pressed into a thin line that trembled only from the force of her restrained anger. The silence between them was loud, Malisa stood just behind her, uncertain whether to intervene or stay quiet.

"I warned you," Cora said finally, her voice low and cutting, each word deliberate, like a blade sharpened before battle.

"Didn’t I? I told you not to cross me. I told you not to overstep your bounds." then she took a step forward, her heels striking against the polished floor.

"But you refused. You pushed anyway. And now... you have to be punished for it."

Hearing what Cora just said, Samuel’s jaw flexed, his eyes locked on hers, though a muscle in his cheek betrayed the tension rippling beneath his carefully constructed façade. He didn’t speak, he didn’t need to. The faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth was enough to infuriate her further.

"You know what you did," Cora continued, her tone rising, authority layered over the anger simmering beneath. "Don’t you dare pretend you don’t. It was you, Samuel. You started this, every rumor, every headline, every picture conveniently leaked to the public. You orchestrated it all."

Then Malisa gasped quietly at her side, hands gripping the folder she carried as she darted her eyes between the two. Samuel didn’t even glance at Malisa; his attention stayed glued on Cora, the faintest glimmer of amusement flickering behind his otherwise furious glare.

"I don’t care what your plan was," Cora said sharply, stepping closer until the space between them was barely an arm’s length. "I don’t care what you were trying to achieve, or how you thought this would play out. All I care about is shutting this down before it grows into something bigger. Something worse."

Her voice dropped into a low, dangerous whisper as her final words left her lips, the weight of her threat settling heavy in the air.

"I need to deal with the mastermind quickly... before it can materialize into something else, which I have just done."

Then Samuel let out a short laugh, sharp and humorless, his fingers tightening around the phone in his hand until his knuckles went pale. His eyes glinted with a dangerous mixture of disbelief and mockery as he leaned slightly closer toward Cora, his voice dropping to a low growl that only the three of them could hear.

"So you’re accusing me," he said, each word dripping with feigned calm, "to be the mastermind behind all of this? Really? Me?" He gestured toward himself, his tone laced with arrogance. "When you know I’m one of the biggest names in this entire industry, the best actor, the biggest celebrity and you think I have the time, the reason, to orchestrate some pathetic rumor about you?" Then he shook his head slowly, a smirk curling at his lips. "Do you even hear how ridiculous you sound right now?"

Still Cora didn’t flinch. Her gaze stayed locked on him, cold and unwavering, the disgust in her eyes cutting deeper than any words could. "Did I say something else?" she shot back, voice steady yet razor-sharp. "Did I stutter? Yes, Samuel. You are the mastermind. You know about this. You started this. And now, you’re trying to play smart, like you always do, hiding behind your fame, hoping everyone’s too starstruck to see through you."

Samuel’s smirk faltered for just a split second, enough for Cora to notice, enough to push her further. She stepped in, erasing what little space remained between them. Melissa shifted uncomfortably behind her, gripping the strap of her bag tightly, sensing the tension thickening by the second.

"I don’t give a damn about your fame," Cora continued, her voice rising slightly, echoing off the walls of the corridor. "I’m not one of your fans, Samuel. I’m not one of those people you can charm or manipulate with fake smiles and rehearsed lines. I’m more than that. I see through you."

Samuel’s jaw tightened, but Cora didn’t stop. Her tone lowered, deadlier now, every word deliberate, like a hammer nailing down her resolve.

"If you want me to prove it to your face," she said, "I will. And when I do... just know you’re not going to love my action. I will destroy you, Samuel. I will crumble you. I will drag you from something to absolutely nothing."

Cora words made Samuel’s jaw clenched so tightly it looked as if he might shatter his own teeth. His nostrils flared slightly, his now chest rising slowly and falling with barely contained anger. Yet instead of letting it show fully, he forced himself to stand taller, painting an arrogant smirk on his face to mask the storm boiling beneath his skin.

"So that’s it?" he scoffed, his voice low at first before rising in indignation. "You’re threatening me now, Cora? You think I’m like those ordinary actors you handpick for MK the ones you dangle contracts in front of and make them dance like puppets just to keep you happy?" He stepped even more closer, pointing a finger at her with mock emphasis, his grin widening into something far more dangerous. "I’m not one of them. You can’t manipulate me, and you damn well can’t break me either."

Cora didn’t flinch. Her glare was steady, her disgust carved into every inch of her face. Malisa stood stiffly by her side, her hands nervously clasped together as her gaze darted between the two, sensing the thick hostility crackling in the air.

Samuel let out a sharp laugh, bitter and mocking. "My name goes farther than MK, farther than you. If you think being CEO makes you untouchable, makes you powerful enough to wipe me out you’re wrong. Dead wrong." He jabbed a thumb at his chest, his voice deepening into a growl. "You can say whatever lies you want, spin whatever story suits you. But me? I don’t owe you an explanation. I won’t prove a damn thing to you."

His voice rose with a mix of fury and pride, reverberating through the hallway. "Do you even realize how many bigger organizations are calling me right now? Everyone wants me their studios, their production houses, their entire industries. So what the hell are you raising your shoulder for?"