Serenade in a Coffee Cup

Dominoes Fall

Apinan's fall had already begun the blinding flashes of cameras and the incessant roar of reporters' questions were enough to send Apinan's head spinning. His usually composed demeanor had frayed. Pushing through the crowd, he could feel the weight of the investigation looming over him like a noose tightening with each passing second.

"Mr. Apinan! Is it true that you're linked to insider trading?"

"Do you have any comments about the collapse of your subsidiaries?"

"Are the rumors about your involvement in illegal activities true?"

The questions came in rapid succession, with microphones shoved in his face and camera lights piercing through his calm facade. His lips tightened into a thin line, but he offered no response, his mind racing to find a way out of this hellish situation. How did it come to this? He had thought he had control over everything. But now, the empire he built brick by brick was crumbling around him.

As Apinan finally reached the safety of his car, he slammed the door shut, the reporters' voices still echoing in his ears. He took a deep breath, wiping the sweat from his brow, and clenched his jaw. There had to be a leak, a crack somewhere in his operation, and he needed to find it before everything was lost.

While Apinan dealt with the media chaos outside, Kai and his men were slipping unnoticed into the company building, disguised as police officers conducting a routine part of the investigation. Moving with practiced precision, they infiltrated the depths of Apinan's empire, gathering intel with swift efficiency.

Kai's eyes scanned the room as his men moved silently, downloading files, copying sensitive information, and retrieving physical documents. Apinan's empire was like a labyrinth, but Kai had mapped every corner of it, and today was the day they would gather enough evidence to end Apinan's reign.

"Move fast," Kai whispered into his earpiece, his voice calm but urgent. His men nodded, their hands already working furiously at extracting data from servers and filing cabinets.

With each passing minute, they were getting closer to exposing everything. Kai smirked slightly as he tapped his fingers against the gun holster hidden under his jacket. Apinan would never see this coming. The pieces were falling into place, just as Ling had planned.

In a dimly lit corridor, the sound of Ling's high heels clicking against the cold cement floor echoed ominously. Each step was deliberate, powerful, as if she were marking her territory with every inch she crossed. The guards at the end of the hallway glanced nervously at her, but none dared to say a word as she made her way toward Bright's cell.

The metal chair scraped loudly as she dragged it across the floor, positioning it right in front of his cell. She sat down, crossing her legs, her eyes never leaving him. Ling's expression was calm, unnervingly calm, as if she owned every corner of this place.

Bright, disheveled and ragged after hours of confinement, glared at her from behind the bars, his once confident demeanor reduced to desperation.

"You...," he growled, his voice hoarse. "You think you can just sit there? Huh? Look at me like that?"

Ling didn't respond. She just smiled, a slow, predatory smile that only served to enrage Bright further.

"Say something, dammit!" he screamed, slamming his fists against the bars. His voice reverberated down the hallway, but Ling remained unmoved, her smirk deepening.

"You think you're so smart, don't you?" Bright's voice rose in desperation. "You think you can mess with me? You think you won?!"

Finally, Ling spoke, her voice like silk, cold and sharp at the same time. "I already have."

Bright flinched, his fury bubbling over. "You don't get it, do you? I'll get out of here. You can't keep me locked up forever!"

Ling leaned back in her chair, her expression never faltering. "I don't have to keep you here forever. I just need you to stay long enough to ruin your life."

Bright's eyes widened, a flicker of doubt creeping into his expression. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how you'll lose everything," Ling said coolly. "Everything you've ever cared about. Everything you thought you had control over. It's all slipping through your fingers, Bright. And you don't even realize it."

Bright's face twisted into a sneer. "You think you're in control? You think you can take everything from me?"

Ling's smile turned vicious. "Oh, I already have. Orm? She's mine now. All those sleepless nights you spent obsessing over her? All those twisted thoughts of getting her back? Gone. I've taken away the one thing you always wanted."

"You're lying!" Bright's voice cracked, desperation seeping in. "She—she wouldn't..."

"Oh, but she has," Ling purred, leaning forward. "And every night, I get to hear her beautiful voice. Every. Single. Night. She sings for me, Bright. She loves me. While you? You're stuck here, rotting, dreaming about something you'll never have."

Bright's breath hitched, rage and heartbreak warring in his eyes. He lunged at the bars, screaming, "Shut up! Shut the hell up!"

But Ling remained unfazed, her expression one of sheer amusement. "What's the matter? Can't handle the truth? Can't handle the fact that you've lost? It's over, Bright. You lost Orm, and you lost everything else along the way."

Bright was shaking now, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. "You think you've won? You're just a—"

"I'm just what?" Ling interrupted, her voice dangerous, her eyes gleaming with cold fire. "Just a woman? Just someone you underestimated? Tell me, Bright, how does it feel to be outplayed by someone you thought was weak? How does it feel to know that I've been pulling the strings all along?"

Bright let out a guttural scream, slamming his fists against the bars again and again, but Ling just stood up, her smirk never fading.

"You see," she said, her voice dripping with satisfaction, "I didn't just take Orm. I took everything from you. Your pride, your control, your life. And there's nothing you can do about it."

She took a step closer to the bars, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You'll rot here, and I'll enjoy every moment of it."

With one last smirk, she turned and walked away, the sound of her heels echoing once again through the corridor. Behind her, Bright's screams filled the air, but Ling didn't look back. She knew she had already won against Bright. For as long as Ling was breathing anyone who wronged Orm would pay for it.

—•

Author's Note: I was gonna post this chapter later today, but honestly, I'm way too bored at work and already started working on the next chapter, sooo... imma just post this now! 😌 Let's keep the momentum going. And because I can't stop humming it, today's other song recommendation is Die with a Smile by Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga. Lezz go! Also, one thing I enjoy writing the most is savage moments, especially with Ling's character. 😱 I can totally imagine Ling acting this scene out with those perfectly expressive eyes of hers. Ugh, she nails it every time!