THE DISABLED HEIRESS, MY EX-HUSBAND WOULD PAY DEARLY.

At that moment, hearing what the man just said, Samuel's whole body tensed up. His face twisted with clear rage, his eyes dark and burning with irritation. He wasn't just angry he was hungry for answers. The calmness in his voice disappeared completely.

"That fool!" Samuel snapped, his voice loud and heavy. "Who the hell does he think he is to interfere in what concerns me?"

Then he slammed his palm hard on the desk, the sound echoing sharply through the study room. The papers on his desk shifted, but he didn't care.

"I didn't expect this nonsense," he spat. "But now that someone is trying to show interest in Cora... so soon… I can't take this lightly."

At that moment he started pacing again, his footsteps harder on the floor this time.

"I knew this would happen eventually, but not this fast," Samuel muttered to himself. "If they want to play this game, fine. I'll double my efforts."

His fists clenched tightly by his side, his breathing sharp and heavy.

"And when it comes to popularity, when it comes to being infamous... who the hell do they think can rival me?" Samuel sneered. "If not rival, then I'm better than all of them combined."

Then his chest rose and fell, his mind spinning with strategies, with thoughts of how to crush whoever was trying to step into his space.

Then he stopped suddenly and looked back at his phone.

"It must be that same man," he said coldly. "The one who refused me of taking the picture I need, he's the one that had decided to do this shenanigan right in front of Cora's company."

At that moment, the man on the other end of the call cleared his throat gently, as though bracing himself before speaking.

"Well, sir... I don't know the person," he admitted, his tone careful. "But I was able to get a very clear picture of him. I made sure to capture his face properly. The moment the crowd started gathering, I knew it would be important."

Samuel's face darkened even more, his jaw tightening. He stood in the middle of his grand study, breathing heavily through his nose. His eyes, sharp and unblinking, stared at nothing in particular his mind was too focused on the insult that was playing out before him.

"Send it to me," Samuel said, his voice cold and sharp like a blade. "Send it to me immediately. I want to see this bastard."

"Yes, sir," the man replied quickly. "In fact, I've already sent it. It should be on your phone by now."

Hearing his words Samuel nodded to himself, his fists tightening by his sides.

"Good," he said coldly. "Here's what you'll do for me I'm going to handle things from my side. I'll angle up the corner and find out who this fool really is."

His steps were slow but heavy as he walked back to his desk, his mind already crafting the moves he needed to make.

"Once I figure out who he is, I'll get back to you," Samuel continued. "Then I'll give you specific instructions on what to do next."

"Yes, sir," the man affirmed, his voice respectful and attentive.

"But for now," Samuel added, his voice firm and commanding, "don't take your eyes off Cora. I want you to follow her wherever she goes. I don't care if she steps out for a minute or an hour follow her. Watch who she meets, watch every step she takes. Don't miss anything."

"Understood, sir," the man replied immediately.

Without another word, Samuel ended the call. The sharp beep of the call ending echoed faintly in the quiet room.

Without wasting a single second, Samuel unlocked his phone and opened the message that had just arrived.

At that moment, when Samuel opened the picture on his phone, his eyes scanned it carefully. He stared at the face captured in the image, but there was no immediate spark of recognition. The man looked composed, well-dressed, carrying himself with a certain air, but Samuel didn't recognize him not at first.

Again he stared harder, his brows furrowed, his jaw set tightly.

"So... it is you," Samuel muttered under his breath, his voice dripping with venom. "This bastard... this is the fool that thinks he can rival me over Cora?"

His eyes narrowed even further, his fingers gripping the phone as if he was holding the man's neck instead.

"He wants to be my rival," Samuel sneered, pacing slowly back and forth, "when it comes to who's going to get Cora? Really?"

He scoffed bitterly, shaking his head as he kept studying the man's face.

"I can see you're not even up to my standard," Samuel said, his voice soaked with disdain. "You don't have the presence, the class, the reputation this is going to be very easy for me."

He stopped pacing, standing in front of one of the tall posters on the wall, his reflection faintly visible in the glass frame.

"I just need to play my cards right," Samuel said softly to himself, his lips curling into a cold smirk. "And I'll crush you before you even know what's coming."

But just as he was reveling in his confidence, his eyes returned to the picture on his phone staring deeper, longer, his mind slowly tracing back to the night before.

Then it hit him.

Immediately his eyes widened slightly, his body freezing for a split second.

"Wait…" he muttered. "Could this be...?"

He leaned closer to the phone, squinting his eyes.

"Doesn't this look like that guy... that was with Cora the other night?"

Samuel kept staring at the picture, his eyes narrowing even more, the lines on his forehead deepening. The more he looked, the more the familiarity became undeniable. Every detail on the man's face, the way he stood, the sharpness in his eyes it was all too familiar.

He clicked his tongue sharply and muttered, "Yeah... this looks like him. This look like the brother of the same fool that disturbed my plan the other night."

The realization settled heavily in his chest, fueling his anger even more. His jaw tightened, and he shook his head slowly, a bitter smile creeping onto his face.

"So it was you," Samuel whispered to himself, his voice cold. "You're the one who stood in my way... and now here you are, showing your face again, thinking you can challenge me for Cora."

His curiosity was burning now, far too loud to ignore. He needed answers clear, detailed answers. He wasn't going to sit around guessing who this man was or what he was capable of.

Without wasting another second, Samuel forwarded the picture directly to another contact. His fingers moved quickly, his expression sharp and focused.

Along with the image, he typed a brief but firm message:

[I want the full identity of this person. Everything. I want to know who he is, where he comes from, his family background, his business, his connections everything. Send it to me as soon as possible.]

Then he hit send, his eyes still glued to the picture.

"I'll know who you are," Samuel muttered darkly. "And when I do... I'll make sure you regret ever crossing my path."

**

At that moment, Oliver sat in his study, the air around him still and quiet, save for the faint ticking of a small clock on the shelf. He leaned back in his chair, one leg crossed over the other, his fingers rhythmically tapping the armrest. His face was calm, but his eyes carried a certain sharpness, the kind that came from a man waiting for a piece of information that could change everything.

Then suddenly, his phone buzzed on the desk in front of him.

Without wasting a second, Oliver reached for it. He didn't even glance at the screen he had been expecting this call. The moment he placed the phone to his ear, his voice came out cold and controlled.

"Any news?" Oliver asked, his tone steady, barely a hint of emotion.

There was a short pause on the line before the person on the other end spoke up. It was smooth but serious, her tone careful as if measuring her words.

"Well... I haven't been able to get anything fully concrete yet," she said. "But from everything I've managed to gather so far, there's one thing that's clear."

Oliver's eyes narrowed slightly. He stayed quiet, giving her space to continue.

"Cora recently acquired ZXZ," the woman said. "The deal was quiet, but it's confirmed. She owns it now."

Hearing what the lady just said, Oliver's gaze darkened just a bit, though his posture didn't shift. He remained still, listening intently.

"And ZXZ," she continued, "used to belong to her Ex husband. That much is certain. The paperwork trails confirm that connection, and I think you also are aware of that."

Oliver's fingers stopped tapping. His eyes focused on a spot on the wall, his mind processing every word.

"But there's something interesting going on."