My Milf Conqueror System novel Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Shots fired

The Pad Thai was spicy, the champagne was cold, and for the first time in days, my shoulders weren’t up to my ears.

We were sitting on the floor of Sofia’s living room, the coffee table pushed aside. The Prince lay on the sofa where I’d tossed it.

Sofia picked up a spring roll, eyeing the book.

"Machiavelli," she said, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. "Elena is subtle as a brick, isn’t she?"

"She said it was a manual."

"It is," Sofia agreed. "For people who think power is a zero-sum game. Elena believes that for her to win, someone else has to lose. I prefer... expansion. Why conquer a kingdom when you can just build a new one?"

She dipped the roll in peanut sauce.

"She likes you, you know. In her own terrifying way."

"She thinks I’m useful," I said, grabbing a fork. "I got her the grant."

"It’s more than that," Sofia said, her eyes darkening slightly. "Elena doesn’t mentor people. She utilizes them. If she’s giving you reading lists, she sees a reflection of herself. Just... be careful. She plays chess with people’s lives."

"I can handle Elena."

"I know you can." Sofia leaned over and kissed my cheek, lingering there. "Just remember who saw you first."

The moment was warm, perfect.

Then her phone rang.

It wasn’t her personal ringtone. It was the harsh, jarring buzz of her crisis line—the number only three people had.

Sofia pulled back instantly, the warmth vanishing. She picked up the phone.

"Aldridge."

I watched her face change. The relaxed, playful girlfriend disappeared. The CEO arrived. Her jaw set, her eyes went cold, and her posture straightened.

"When?" she asked. A pause. "Send me the filing. Now."

She hung up and stood, walking to the window. She didn’t look at me.

"Sofia?"

"Thorne," she said, her voice like ice. "He just filed a motion to block our acquisition of the Singapore tech firm. He’s citing ’regulatory concerns’ regarding our consulting partners."

My stomach dropped. "Consulting partners?"

She turned to me. "He’s not attacking the deal, Jake. He’s attacking the diligence. He’s claiming we used unvetted, unlicensed advisors to manipulate the market data."

She didn’t have to say it.

He was talking about me.

...

The next morning, the campus felt different. The sun was shining, students were throwing frisbees on the quad, but the System was flashing a red warning icon in the corner of my vision.

[Threat Detected: Corporate Espionage]

[Source: Marcus Thorne]

[Target: Credibility]

I met the Inner Circle in the basement of the library—Nia’s domain. It was the only place I felt safe from prying eyes.

"It’s bad," Nia said without preamble. She spun her monitor around.

On the screen was a legal filing. It was redacted, but the keywords were highlighted. Independent Consultant. Lack of Credentials. Potential Fraud.

"Thorne hired a PI," Nia explained, typing furiously. "A guy named Varga. Ex-FBI. He’s been digging into ’Hart Consulting.’ And guess what he found?"

"Nothing," I said. "Because it doesn’t exist."

"Exactly," Nia said. "He found a ghost. No LLC. No tax ID. No office address. Just a sophomore with a nice suit and a connection to the Dean."

Ethan looked pale. "So... what does that mean?"

"It means," Darius rumbled from the corner, "that Thorne is going to prove Jake is a fraud. And if he does that, Sofia looks like she’s incompetent, and the Dean looks like she’s corrupt."

"He’s trying to hit all three of us," I realized. "He knows he can’t beat Sofia in the market, so he’s trying to humiliate her in the boardroom. And I’m the weapon."

My phone buzzed.

From: Office of the Dean

Subject: URGENT

Mr. Hart. My office. Now.

Dean Vance wasn’t sitting when I entered. She was pacing.

The copy of The Prince was gone from her desk. In its place was a letter from the University Board of Trustees.

"Sit," she commanded.

I sat.

"Do you know what this is?" she asked, slamming her hand on the letter.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify