CHAPTER 271: CHAPTER 271

For a moment, it was just silence.

The man finally sighed, then shook his head slowly. "No," he said firmly, his voice calm but resolute. "I’m still not going to accept it."

Victoria’s eyes twitched. Her jaw tensed.

But he wasn’t finished.

"It wasn’t my plan to begin with," the man added. "Your friend brought it to me, and since she’s pulling out now, there’s no reason for me to take on the job. That was our agreement. I don’t go solo on these kinds of assignments. If the other party steps away, then it’s done. That’s just how I work."

Victoria felt her throat tighten.

He’s serious, she thought. Really serious.

But so was she, this wasn’t just about money anymore. It was about pride. About victory. About making sure Cora never had the last laugh.

She clenched her fists, then took another step forward this time getting right in front of him. Her heels echoed lightly against the floor, and her face showed no hesitation.

"I’m going to triple it," she said, her tone sharp. "Yes. Triple. That’s not a joke. I’m not bluffing. You know I have the money. I’ll send it right now if that’s what you want. Just tell me are you still walking away?"

That was the moment everything changed.

Immediately the man’s eyes flickered, he wasn’t expecting that. Triple?

He rubbed his chin slowly, staring at her with a long, unreadable expression. Then he let out a faint, tired chuckle not one of amusement, but of reluctant agreement.

"Well..." he said, dragging out the word. "It’s only because we’ve done business in the past. And I mean that sincerely. I just can’t shut you down that easily. If not for that history, I wouldn’t even be standing here talking to you like this."

He gave one last look at her sharp, piercing and added, "This is not the way I operate. But your money... and the amount of times we’ve worked together before... no problem. You have a deal. The plan still stands."

At that moment, upon hearing what the man just said, Victoria’s jaw tightened slightly. Though she wore a small smile on her face, anyone with sharp eyes could see through it it wasn’t joy. It was fury carefully hidden behind the curve of her lips. She was furious not just at the man, but at Abigail. The same Abigail who had once confidently designed this plan with her, had now suddenly turned her back on it as though it was nothing. That betrayal didn’t sit well with Victoria, not in the slightest.

Her arms folded as she took a step closer to the man, her tone sharper than before, though still calm. "Alright then," she began, keeping her voice steady. "Now that we’ve both agreed the plan still stands, I want more than what we discussed before."

The man raised his brow, curious.

"I want you to double the intensity," she said firmly. "Not just carry out the job quietly like before. I want everything recorded. I want every part of it sent to me unedited, raw footage. You hear me?" she asked, staring him down.

The man stayed quiet for a second, and Victoria continued, "And that’s not all. I want it published too. You know those hidden networks you people always run to the dark web forums, those local underground sites where these things get passed around like candy?" Her eyes narrowed. "Yes. I want it everywhere."

There was a short silence. Then the man slowly nodded. He didn’t ask why she wanted that much destruction. He didn’t care. That wasn’t his business.

Victoria exhaled and adjusted her purse slightly. "After you do that," she added, her voice colder now, "I’ll take it from there myself."

The man remained seated, but he leaned back, observing her a little differently now. There was something unsettling about how calm she sounded while plotting such destruction.

Victoria then took out her phone. "I still have your number," she said, glancing at him briefly. "I’ll transfer half of the payment to you now. Once the job is done... and I mean done completely... I’ll send the rest."

***

At that moment, Oliver had barely pulled his car into the driveway when his eyes fell on a familiar figure standing quietly in front of his house. It was Cora. She wasn’t moving, wasn’t on the phone, just standing there, arms folded lightly in front of her as if she’d been waiting not in a hurry, but not completely at ease either.

Oliver’s brows furrowed slightly in confusion. He quickly parked the car, turned off the engine, and stepped out. His shoes crunched softly on the pavement as he walked toward her, still a bit puzzled.

"Cora?" he called out, his voice carrying a mix of surprise and curiosity.

"What are you doing here? You didn’t go inside? Why are you just standing here like this? You could’ve at least called me or something. What’s going on?"

Then Cora turned her head slowly, her expression soft and calm, as though she had been lost in her thoughts and only now returned to reality. She gave him a small smile, nothing too wide, just enough to ease the moment.

"I didn’t get here too long ago," she said gently. "I wasn’t in a rush or anything. I just... wanted to take a moment, you know? The air felt nice and I noticed you made some changes around the house. It looks different. More alive. I was just admiring the new look."

Her tone was light, but there was something hidden in her eyes maybe uncertainty, maybe something more.

Oliver glanced around and chuckled. "Oh, that? It’s nothing major, really," he said, rubbing the back of his neck with a modest shrug. "Just some small, minor changes here and there. Little updates."

Then, narrowing his eyes slightly in curiosity, he leaned in a bit closer. "But now I’m curious. What actually brought you here, Cora? I mean, you didn’t even think to call me first or give me a heads-up. You just showed up like this."