Someone nudged my shoulder, but I groaned and turned to my side, desperate to steal a few more minutes of sleep. The nudge came again, harder this time, like an earthquake rattling my bones. I blinked, my eyes snapping open, and saw Kim standing over me, her face a mix of shock and panic, her dark hair messy from sleep.

"Evan," she said, her voice low, urgent.

"Y-yeah?" I mumbled, rubbing my eyes, still groggy.

She glanced over her shoulder, her hands fidgeting. "Anotta fucking Anotov is here."

"What?" I bolted upright, my heart kicking into overdrive.

I rubbed my eyes again, trying to clear the haze, and peered through the open bedroom door. There she was—Anotta, sitting in my living room, legs crossed, looking like she'd stepped out of a magazine. Her blue dress hugged her curves, crimson high-heels catching the dim light, her blonde hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail.

"Holy shit," I muttered, my pulse racing.

"Holy shit indeed," Kim said, her voice barely above a whisper. "What do we do? That guy with her—bodyguard?"

"I… don't know," I said, swinging my legs off the bed, my mind scrambling. "Did she say anything?"

"Just told me to wake you up," Kim said, her eyes wide. "Why's she here, Evan?"

"Fuck if I know." I stood, glancing down at my ratty shorts and faded t-shirt. Not exactly guest-ready, while Anotta looked like a goddamn model. "I'll go talk to her."

"Careful," Kim said, grabbing my arm. "What does she want with you? Why'd she ask for you?"

"No idea…" I said, shaking my head, my gut twisting. I stepped through the bedroom door, shutting it behind me to keep Kim out of this mess.

There was also someone else… he wasn't her fucking bodyguard. It was that cunt—Nala's brother. The CEO, leaned against the window sill, arms crossed. Guy was his name… bastard.

"The fuck is he doing here?" I asked, pointing at Guy, my voice sharp.

"Guy Nolin," Anotta said, her voice smooth but firm, her eyes locking onto mine like she was sizing me up, "is the CEO of TechForge, Evan. I'd suggest you choose your words carefully."

"I know who he is," I snapped, my eyes flicking to the gun on his belt, my army training kicking in, calculating how fast I could disarm him if it came to that. "What's he doing in my apartment?"

"And," Anotta continued, her tone hardening as if I'd interrupted her at the wrong moment, "he's your new landlord."

"What?" My stomach sank, my mind racing. Landlord? My lease was with some faceless property company, not this prick.

Guy smirked, stepping away from the windowsill, his arms still crossed. "I took a look at your lease, Evan. Month-to-month tenancy, no fixed term. Lucky for me, I bought the building last week."

"You what?" I said, my voice rising, my fists clenching.

"TechForge has been diversifying into real estate," he said, his sneer growing. "This dump was a steal. And your lease? It's flexible. I can raise your rent whenever I want, with proper notice. So, I'm increasing it. Let's say… 200%. No, fuck it, 300%."

"You can't do that!" I shouted, stepping forward, my blood boiling. "That's insane!"

"Oh, I can," he said, pulling a folded document from his coat pocket, tossing it onto the coffee table. "Check the fine print. Month-to-month leases in this state allow rent increases with 30 days' written notice. I filed it with the property manager yesterday. You'll get the official letter tomorrow. Rent's going from $1,200 to $3,600, effective next month. Good luck, kid."

I stared at him, my jaw tight, my mind scrambling. I didn't know shit about leases, but I grabbed the document, scanning it. There it was, in black and white—month-to-month tenancy, no cap on rent increases, just a 30-day notice requirement under state law. He wasn't bluffing. The bastard had found a loophole, and he was screwing me with it. Probably because of what went down at the convention—disarming him, punching him, humiliating him in front of security. This was revenge.

"Why the hell are you doing this?" I asked, my voice low, trying to keep my cool. "This about the convention?"

Guy's eyes narrowed, his smirk fading. "You think you're clever, don't you? Disarming me, playing hero for my sister. This is business, Marlowe. Nothing personal."

"Bullshit," I said, stepping closer, my Charm stat keeping my voice steady despite the rage. "You're pissed because I called you out for being a piece of shit to Nala."

"Evan," Anotta said, her voice cutting through, sharp and cold. "Enough. Guy's within his rights. You can either pay the new rent or move out in 30 days. Your choice."

I turned to her, my heart pounding. "And what's your deal in this? Why're you here with him?"

Anotta tilted her head. "We'll talk about it. Later."

Fuck… playing dirty, huh? Kicking me out of my house? This was a full-blown war now. And I had only a month to win. Oh, I'd fuck him up. Get him out of that fucking company. I just needed a plan… a plan not even his billions or his army of lawyers could fight against. That meant I had to play dirty too.

"Goodbye, tuxedo boy," Guy said, his voice dripping with smug satisfaction as he walked toward the door and opened it. "See you later."

He closed the door behind him, and silence swallowed the room. My teeth ground together, anger boiling in my chest like a furnace. I kicked the coffee table hard, the wood rattling, a guttural noise escaping my throat as I fought to keep it together. Fucking bastard. BASTARD!

"FUCK!" I yelled, my voice echoing in the small apartment. "Cunt! Cunt! Cunt!"

"Calm down," Anotta said, her voice sharp but composed, still seated on my couch, legs crossed.

I spun to face her, my fists clenched. "You're with him?" I asked, my voice low, barely containing my rage. "Why?"

"He asked me to find a 'rude bitch' from an anime convention," she said, her tone cool, professional, like she was discussing a business deal. "Showed me your photo."

"Why'd he come to you?" I demanded, my eyes narrowing.

"I have connections all over this city, Evan," she said, leaning forward slightly, her eyes locking onto mine. "And I owed him a favor."

"Shit…" I muttered, running a hand through my hair, pacing. "He'll regret messing with me. He'll regret it. I swear."

"I've seen what happens to your… 'enemies' firsthand, Evan," Anotta said, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "That stunt at the gala? Putting Vanessa behind bars? Admirable."

"What's that got to do with this?" I snapped, stopping in my tracks, my heart still pounding.

Anotta stood, smoothing her dress over her legs with a deliberate grace, her heels clicking softly on the floor as she stepped closer. "It's about opportunity, Evan," she said, her voice measured, professional, but with a glint of something calculating in her eyes. "After BrightWave's stock plummeted due to those arrests, investors scrambled. TechForge became the next big player in the tech sector, soaking up the market share BrightWave lost. Guy Nolin's company is riding high—his stock value's doubled in the last month alone."

I stared at her, my mind racing. "So what? You're saying I should go after TechForge?"

"Precisely," she said, folding her arms, her posture relaxed but her words sharp. "If you can find a way to oust Guy from TechForge—discredit him, expose him, force him to step down—the company's stock will take a hit. Investors will panic, sell off their shares, and look for the next safe bet. Smaller tech companies, ones currently overshadowed by TechForge, will see a surge in interest."

"And let me guess," I said, my voice low, a bitter edge creeping in. "You've already got your money in those smaller companies."

Anotta's smile was thin, professional, but her eyes gleamed with ambition. "I've acquired significant stakes in several promising startups—Intellicore, QuantumLabs, and Nexgen Dynamics, to name a few. If TechForge's stock dips, investors will flock to these alternatives. I've positioned myself to capitalize on that shift. A single well-timed move against Guy could net me a considerable return."

I scoffed, shaking my head. "Of course. You're using me."

"Using you?" she said, raising an eyebrow, her tone cool but not unkind. "Your home is on the line, Evan. Your rent's about to triple. Guy's coming for you, and he's not playing fair. I'm simply suggesting a mutually beneficial strategy. You take him down to save your place, and I profit from the market ripple. Do what you will."

"Will you help me, then?"

She shrugged. "Maybe. But I won't risk myself or my brand for it."

Anotta gave me a final nod, her crimson heels clicking as she walked to the door, her blue dress catching the neon glow from the window.

"Good luck, Evan," she said, her voice cool, professional, like she hadn't just dropped a bombshell on my life. She opened the door and stepped out, the click of the latch echoing in the silent room as she disappeared into the night.

I sighed, collapsing onto the couch, my hands rubbing my face, elbows digging into my knees. My mind was a mess—Guy Nolin, that smug bastard, jacking up my rent to force me out, Anotta playing her own game, and Nala stuck in the middle of her brother's fucked-up control. The rain outside kept its lazy patter, the city's neon lights flickering through the window, mocking me. I felt like I was drowning in it all.

The bedroom door creaked, and Kim stepped out, her dark hair still messy from sleep, wearing one of my oversized t-shirts that barely covered her thighs. She sat beside me on the couch, her hand sliding over my shoulder, pulling me into a half-hug, her touch warm and grounding.

"We'll figure something out," she said softly, her voice steady despite the worry in her eyes. "You're not alone in this, Evan."

I stayed quiet, my jaw tight, staring at the floor. Her words helped, but the weight of it all—Guy, the rent, Nala's situation—sat heavy on my chest. I needed to act, to do something, not just sit here like a fucking victim.

I grabbed my phone from the coffee table, my fingers moving fast as I pulled up Nala's contact. I typed out a quick message: 'We need to meet. Soon. You okay?' My thumb hovered over the send button for a second before I hit it, my heart pounding. If I was going to take Guy down, I needed to know more—about him, about Nala, about what the hell was going on.

Seconds later, my phone buzzed. Nala's reply was short: 'Tomorrow. Steam and Maple. 2pm.'

I exhaled, setting the phone down, my mind already racing with what I'd say to her. Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.

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