Rejected by Three, I Chose Revenge Chapter 10
The intercom crackled with static before Ethan’s voice filled my study again, more desperate this time
“Hazel please I know you’re listening I can see the lights on in your study window.
I glanced toward the window, noting how the security floodlights illuminated his figure slumped against his car at the estate’s main gate Eves from thes distance, his defeat was visible in every line of his posture.
“I lost everything today, he continued, his voice breaking “My career, my sponsors, my team Seven years of work, gone in a single moming But you know what the worst part is? I deserved it. Every bit of it.”
I pressed the intercom button, my voice cutting through his rambling confession like ice. “Mr. Hayes, you’re trespassing on private property
“God, Hazel, I was such a fool. We all were. The way we treated you, the things we said… I kept telling myself it was just business, just playing the game But it wasn’t a game for you, was it? It was your life we were destroying.”
His words hung in the air, heavy with regret that came years too late. I felt nothing-no satisfaction, no pity, nothing but cold indifference
“I remember that night at Jaxson’s club,” Ethan’s voice cracked. “When you walked in and heard us talking about you like you were nothing. The look on your face… Christ, I should have stopped them right then. I should have-*
“You should have done many things differently,” I interrupted, my tone flat. “But you didn’t. And now you’re facing the consequences
“I know! I know I can’t undo it. But please, just let me apologize properly. Face to face. Let me try to-”
I pressed the button to Lucas Thorne’s security office. “Lucas, please escort Mr. Hayes off the property. He’s not to be granted access again under any circumstances.”
“Understood, Mrs. Vance,” Lucas’s professional voice responded immediately.
Through the intercom, I could hear car doors slamming, the low rumble of security vehicles approaching the gate. Ethan’s voice became more frantic
“Hazel, wait! Please! I need you to know that what I felt for you was real. Before Vivian, before everything got so twisted, there was something genuine between us. You have to believe that!”
I switched off the intercom without another word, cutting his desperate pleas into silence. Whatever he thought he’d felt was irrelevant now. He was already becoming a memory, fading into the background of a life he’d helped destroy.
My phone buzzed with a text from Caleb: “”Interesting development with our friend Jaxson. Come to my office when you’re free**
I found Caleb in his private study, multiple monitors displaying complex financial charts and data streams. His wheelchair was positioned at the center of
his command station, gray eyes sharp with predatory focus.
Jaxson’s made a critical error, he said without preamble, gesturing to the central screen “He’s gone heavily short on Meridian Tech-nearly two hundred
million in borrowed stock, betting the price will crash.”
I studied the charts, recognizing the patterns from my crash course in financial warfare That’s a massive position What triggered it?
“Meridian’s announcing their quarterly earnings next week Jaxson’s betting on disappointing numbers, probably has inside information suggesting weak performance Caleb’s fingers moved across his keyboard, pulling up additional data ‘But here’s what he doesn’t know- Meridian’s about to announce a
major acquisition that will send their stock soaring
“How do you know this?”
Caleb’s smile was razor-sharp “Because Vance Industries is providing the Al infrastructure for the acquisition The deal’s been in stealth mode for months, completely off the public radar.”
I felt excitement building in my chest as I understood the implications “If we can drive the stock price up before he can cover his short position
“His fund hemorrhages money with every point the stock rises,” Caleb finished “And given the size of his bet, we’re talking about catastrophic losses
We spent the next hour crafting our strategy. Caleb would use his network of tech industry contacts to create artificial demand for Meridian stock, spreading
carefully crafted rumors about breakthrough innovations and expansion plans Meanwhile, I would leverage my new connections from the
and charity circuits to generate buying pressure from wealthy individuals seeking the next big opportunity
Timing is everything.” Caleb wamed as we finalized our plan “We need to move fast and coordinate perfectly Jaxson’s smart-if he catches and of what
we’re doing, he’ll try to cover his positions early
“Leave the social manipulation to me,” I said, already mentally composing messages to my growing network of contacts I’ve learned a fine things abmat
playing games above my level
The next morning, our campaign began in earnest. I started with targeted calls to three prominent venture capitalists I’d met at recent events each conversation carefully crafted to plant seeds of interest in Meridian Tech.
“I’ve been hearing whispers about some revolutionary developments in their Al division,” I mentioned casually to Margaret Thornfield, a tech investor know for her early-stage intuition. “Nothing concrete, of course, but the patterns remind me of the early days of quantum computing breakthroughs
Margaret’s interest was immediate and predictable. Within hours, she’d purchased fifty thousand shares, her buying activity triggering algorithmic trading systems that amplified the upward pressure.
Caleb’s approach was more direct but equally effective. His morning call with the CEO of Pinnacle Ventures resulted in a strategic investment
announcement that sent ripples through the tech sector. By noon, Meridian’s stock had climbed twelve percent.
I monitored Jaxson’s situation through financial news feeds and market data. His short position was already underwater by tens of millions, and the day was
far from over. Each percentage point increase in Meridian’s stock price represented another nail in the coffin of his hedge fund.
By market close, Meridian Tech had surged twenty-eight percent in a single day, one of the largest single-day gains in the company’s history Financial news networks scrambled to explain the sudden surge, interviewing analysts who spoke in vague terms about “market sentiment” and “institutional confidence
That evening, Caleb and I reviewed the damage from his study. The numbers were even more devastating than we’d projected.
“Jaxson’s fund is facing margin calls totaling three hundred million dollars,” Caleb reported, his voice carrying quiet satisfaction. “His prime brokers are demanding immediate collateral, forcing him to liquidate other positions at massive losses.”
I watched the cascade effect unfold in real time through market data feeds. Jaxson’s forced selling was creating downward pressure on multiple stocks. triggering stop-loss orders and algorithmic selling that amplified his losses exponentially.
“It’s beautiful,” I murmured, watching the destruction spread through his portfolio like wildfire. “How long before complete collapse?”
“Forty-eight hours, maybe less,” Caleb estimated. “His clients are already demanding explanations. By tomorrow morning, the redemption requests will start flooding in”
As if summoned by our conversation, my phone buzzed with a news alert: “Cole Capital Management Under Investigation by Federal Regulators Following Massive Trading Losses”
The article detailed the preliminary investigation into possible market manipulation, triggered by the suspicious timing and scale of Jaxson’s short position. His wealthy clients, facing potential losses in the hundreds of millions, were already distancing themselves and threatening legal action
I set down my phone, feeling the cold satisfaction of perfect revenge settling over me like armor Jaxson Cole, who had publicly humiliated me with his arrogant dismissal of my intelligence, was about to learn exactly how costly underestimation could be
Two down One to go
