𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚟𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜..

"𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐍, 𝐃𝐑𝐘𝐒𝐃𝐀𝐋𝐄." Cole Stone shifted slightly in his seat, feeling Ransom's harsh glare on him. He knew he was treading on dangerous ground, but desperation had driven him to cross Ransom, and now he faced the consequences, "Don't you think you're being unreasonable?"

In a dimly lit backroom of Ransom's lavish casino, the air hung heavy with tension, thick enough to suffocate. Ransom's voice was low, a dangerous rumble that filled the room, "Oh, I'm the one being unreasonable, huh? I think I'm being more than generous, don't you?"

The mobster glanced over to two of his most trusted men; Danny and Monty. Both cut throat and ruthless when they wanted to be, each having their own unique abilities when it came to working in the mob.

Danny was the first to speak up out of the two, nodding his head as he leaned back in the chair, "A lot nicer than I'd be, boss. If it were me, he'd already be getting fed from a tube."

Cole's jaw tightened, his resolve flickering like a dying flame as his gaze caught Ransom's, "Be fair. You're asking for way too much from my company."

"Be fair?" Ransom recoiled as though the words were like pure venom, "Now why on earth would I be fair? I'm the one in charge here and you're not going to tell me what to do, understand?"

"Besides," Ransom sat back, crossing his arms as a wicked grin spread across his lips, "It's not like I'm asking for much from your company. It's not like I'm asking for you to give me everything you have, all I am asking for is a small percentage. Is that really such a big thing to ask?"

"I wouldn't say ninety percent of my company is a small percentage," Cole's jaw felt like it was going to snap, he tensed up that much.

"You don't like that arrangement?" Ransom challenged with a calm tone, his eyes locked firmly on Cole as he spoke. His expression was cold and unchanging as usual. If anyone were to be described as a machine, it would be Ransom.

His demeanour never changed, no matter the situation, "You stole from me and I'd be a fool to just let that slide. This isn't charity, we're not some nice little fairy-tale world where people just have their fucking money taken from them and let the prick who stole it, get away with it."

There was a pregnant pause as the weight of Ransom's words settled over them, suffocating any hope Cole might have clung to. He knew there would be no mercy, no second chances. Ransom's reputation as a ruthless enforcer of his own brand of justice preceded him, and Cole was about to become another cautionary tale.

"Look, I know what I did was fucked up," Cole said quietly, attempting to not look as intimidated as he feels right now, "But you can't take most of my company. My family built it from nothing."

"Clearly your family were dumb as fuck to put you in charge of it," Monty spoke up with a dangerous look in his eyes, "You were running your family's company into the ground long before this meeting right now so if anything, we'll be the ones saving it."

The Stone distillery was established back in prohibition times and its legacy has been carried over for generations. The previous owner of the business, Matthew Stone, took ill and all responsibilities fell onto his only child.

Cole was already spoiled, blew all his trust fund on drugs, alcohol and women. His business has been working with Ransom's for several years now and though Ransom was as ruthless as they come, he treated his associates with respect. That is until one of them crosses him.

"You couldn't handle being the head of your company, so you did what you always do. You fucked everything up." Ransom spoke up again, his tone more stern, "You couldn't handle the pressure so you got a little too addicted to gambling your family's money away at my casino, losing it all which then lead to you stealing earnings from my fucking business when you were high on coke!"

"And I'm gonna get clean—"

"I don't give a fuck about your sobriety." Ransom harshly cut the man off, "You agree to the ninety percent, simple as that. I'll make that company better than you'd ever be able to, and you'll still get enough to snort your way to an early grave."

The mob boss soon grew impatient, knowing that this man was going to try and fight back against Ransom's demands. He cleared his throat, gesturing to his side where Monty was, "Here's the deal, Cole. You sign over ninety percent or we have other ways to get you to sign."

With a simple hand motion from his boss, Monty came to his feet. The intimidating look in his eyes was making Cole practically shrink the closer Monty got, holding onto a file.

Cole felt his entire posture stiffen when the file is slammed onto the desk in front of him, "What the hell is this?"

Cole could feel his irritation grow as Monty lowered himself behind him, "Just a little something to push you in the direction of signing the ninety percent over."

"I doubt daddy dearest wouldn't be thrilled if these photos landed on his lap, mid-death bed. Don't you agree?" Ransom mocked in a patronising tone as the colour drained from Cole's face.

Cole slumped back in the chair, his palms began to sweat with anxiety as he stared down at the evidence. Each one was a stark, irrefutable depiction of his worst indiscretions—lines of cocaine, extravagant parties with illicit undertakings, and moments of reckless abandon.

A satisfied and smug grin twitched at the corner of the mobster's lips, knowing he got Cole right where he wanted him and there was no escape. All thanks to Vishal and his immaculate skills when it came to getting people's dirty little secrets out in the open. Which led to Ransom having a twenty year old scotch delivered to him as a thank you otherwise Vishal would only keep barking about it.

"Fine," Cole finally said, his voice hollow and resigned, "You win. I'll sign it over for the ninety percent. Just..make sure those photos never see the light of day." The words felt like ash on his tongue, each one a blow to his pride.

Ransom's smirk widened, a look of triumph in his eyes as he leaned back, savouring his victory, "Smart choice, Cole. Very smart," he said, his tone dripping with satisfaction, "Danny here will show you out and make sure you sign the contracts."

As Danny escorted a dejected Cole out of the back room, Ransom watched with a smug smile, savouring his victory. The leverage he now held over Cole was a significant power shift, one that promised to expand his control and influence. Cole's compliance was a testament to Ransom's ability to exploit weaknesses, and it filled him with a sense of invincibility.

Once the door closed behind them, Ransom turned to Monty, his other loyal henchman who stood silently by the desk. Monty, a hulking figure with a stoic expression, nodded in acknowledgement of their success.

"Another one bites the dust," Monty remarked, his voice a low rumble.

Ransom chuckled, leaning back in his chair and basking in the afterglow of his triumph, "Cole was easier than I thought. It's amazing how quickly the mighty can fall when you find the right leverage."

Despite his outward confidence, Ransom's thoughts drifted back to a different meeting that had taken place a week ago. This one hadn't ended in triumph. His expression darkened as he recalled the encounter with Victoria. Unlike Cole, Victoria had been an immovable force, rejecting his proposals to renovate his hotel with a grace and firmness that had left him seething.

Ransom walked into that meeting with no interest at all in Victoria being the one who renovated the hotel he has recently taken over. But the audacity of her to deny without hesitation is what pissed Ransom off. But what pissed him off the most? The sheer amount of designers he's seen and none of them fit the criteria he wanted for the hotel.

The only one who did? Victoria fucking Callahan.

He had spent more of his time than he'd care to admit researching her. Looking at previous work she's done, getting pissed off that each one she's done fitted with the same aspects he wanted for his own hotel. With a quiet scoff, Ransom glances towards his laptop seeing the screen still open on a recent article about Victoria and her company;

Embracing. Eclectic. Elegance. Known for her fearless and boundary-pushing approach to design, Victoria Callahan has become a household name in the world of interiors. Her distinctive style marries different eras, materials, and patterns to create spaces that exude sophistication and eclecticism. Callahan's ability to seamlessly blend diverse elements in her designs has made her a go-to designer for luxury hotels, high-end residences, and commercial spaces.

Monty glances over, noticing the mobster's eyes darken as he reads about the woman who spoke her mind to him without giving a shit on who he is, "Want me to keep an eye on her?"

"Nah, I'll do it." Ransom muttered, shutting the laptop harshly, "Vish is like a hawk so would notice anyone snooping around his sister."

As Ransom leaned back in his chair, the thrill of his victory over Cole mingled with the resolve to conquer his next challenge. The game was far from over, and Ransom was already plotting his next move. The next time he faced Victoria, he would be prepared, determined to ensure the outcome would be different.

—✤—

"You ever going to stop acting like Miss Independent for once?"

Victoria's immediate response to Vishal's comment was an eye roll as she passed her card to the barista behind the counter of the busy Brew and Bean coffee shop, "How is paying for my own coffee doing that, dumbass? You'd only guilt trip me if you bought me the coffee."

Vishal sighed, shaking his head but unable to suppress a grin, "You're impossible," he muttered, though there was no real frustration in his voice. It was an old, familiar dance they both enjoyed.

At The Brew and Bean, the baristas knew them by name and had their orders memorised: a black coffee with a dash of cinnamon for Victoria and a cappuccino with an extra shot of espresso for Vishal. The familiar aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the cosy ambience of the coffee shop set a positive tone for the day ahead..they hoped.

Vishal raised a brow watching as Victoria handed the barista her own coffee cup, "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Victoria shrugged, "This keeps it hot."

She met her brother's gaze, not believing a word Victoria said making her scoff, "Okay fine! I can't deal with Isobel ranting for an hour again because of how much she hates this coffee shop. I'm doing this for my own sanity."

"The lemon scone story?" Vishal laughed, also falling victim to Victoria's sunshine intern's rantings about the baked goods at Brew and Bean.

"Yes!" Victoria groaned dramatically, "She's adamant they stole her fucking recipe."

It's been over a month since Victoria has moved back to Boston and it soon came as a sort of tradition that the sibling duo would head for coffee together before heading into work at Callahan Enterprises.

Victoria and Vishal had a ritual that brought a sense of comfort and routine to their busy lives. They both lived in the same apartment building, which made their mornings a shared journey from the very start. Vishal was known to be grumpy and down right sarcastic to the majority of people but something in him began to soften now that his sister was back with him.

"So I have a confession.." Vishal dragged out as the sibling duo stepped inside the Callahan Enterprises building, holding the door for his sister, "I'm going for dinner with Jen tonight."

"You're serious?" Victoria blurted out, sounding more surprised than she intended with her eyes wide, "No, I mean, it's good! I just.." She exhaled a breathless laugh, patting her brother on the shoulder as she stepped further into the building, "I didn't think you'd have the balls. Nice work, Vish."

"You're a real prick, you know that right?" Vishal rolled his eyes, before following Victoria into the elevator, "Are you still being bitchy about the hotel renovation?"

Victoria's grip tightens around her coffee cup, her annoyance barely contained, "Do you not have anything better to talk about?"

Vishal frowns, clearly trying to understand her point of view, "Why are you being so fucking stubborn?"

"Why do you care so much?" Victoria actually started her day in an okay-ish mood but now Ransom has been brought up? She wished the coffee in her hands was tequila.

Victoria didn't exactly have a full answer on why the mere mention of the mob boss instantly irritated her, but it did. Victoria had clashed with him during the handful of times they've been near each other, finding his demeanour insufferable and his approach disruptive. Despite her best efforts to avoid interactions with him, Ransom seemed to have a knack for inserting himself into her sphere.

Vishal frowned, a hint of confusion in his eyes, "I just don't understand why you had the immediate hostility towards Ransom—"

"Bribe." Victoria bit back sharply.

"Victoria." Vishal said sternly like he was scolding a child which gotten him a groan in response from Victoria, knowing he would always try to 'big brother' her in this stupid ass tone.

"My god, does Jen know how much you defend this guy?" Victoria retorted, her frustrations spilling over, "Let's hope she doesn't ever think what I'm thinking right now."

"Which is?"

"That you get real pissed whenever anyone talks bad about your boyfriend." It was a task for Victoria to say that with a straight face but seeing Vishal's immediate annoyance towards her remark made it even more difficult.

The older Callahan sibling shook his head with a scoff, "You're a bitch."

"Yeah but you're stuck with me, so.." Victoria flashed her signature smug grin as she stepped out of the elevator onto her office floor, "Enjoy your date with Daffodil."

But the second Victoria stepped full onto floor thirty seven, her smugness soon faded as she frowned when her sunshine intern was already waiting at the elevators for her with a nervous look, "I just wanted to say I'm sorry."

"For what? What did you—" Victoria's scowl soon dropped as did her shoulders, "Please do not tell me you brought in more pastries."

"Well.." The intern trailed off with a sheepish grin, "Yes. Yes I did. But that's not what I was talking about. I tried to explain you were busy but—"

"Hello stranger."

Just hearing that familiar voice alone made Victoria's jaw clench, her grip tightened around her coffee, "If I'm not out in ten minutes, think of an alibi for me to use once I kill her and then you." Victoria hissed in a low tone to Isobel before swiftly turning around wearing the biggest fake smile she could manage, "Hey, Delilah. Long time."

There, at the doorway to Victoria's office, stood Delilah Callahan. Victoria's older cousin, daughter of Grant Callahan. It was always a love hate relationship between the two cousins. Though it may surprise some, especially Isobel, Victoria could have fun once in a while. And compared to Delilah? Victoria was like sunshine.

"Well it wouldn't have been a long time if you didn't avoid coming back to Boston." The blonde Callahan retorted with a self satisfied grin, pushing herself off the doorway.

"Nice to see you too. You're dressed very.." Victoria trailed off taking in her cousin's taste in fashion. She was always one to try and create trends and in Victoria's eyes..it didn't usually work out.

Victoria cleared her throat as she stepped fully into her office, "You look nice. What's the occasion?"

"Oh it's the new collection, you like it?" Delilah gushed as she stepped into the office, twirling slightly making her bright red checkered cape almost making Victoria go dizzy, "I get all of the new lines now that I'm the creative director."

Less than a minute to rub her promotion in my face..that's a new record..Victoria thought to herself as she held back an eye roll.

"That's right..congratulations." Victoria's tone was sickeningly sweet, trying her hardest to not stoop to Delilah's patronising level, "How is it working at..what's it called again?"

Delilah, with her perfectly styled hair and impeccably tailored suit under that stupid looking cape, always seemed to carry an air of superiority, even in the most mundane situations. It's been this way ever since the pair were children, Delilah always had to one up Victoria in every way imaginable.

"Trumour." Delilah answered as she walked further into the office, her eyes lingering on the modest decor and the stack of paperwork on Victoria's desk. No doubt silently judging like she always did.

"That's the one." Victoria smiled tightly, holding back her laughter at the ridiculous name of the fashion magazine, "I'm curious, do you often get people misspelling that?"

Delilah settled into the chair across from Victoria's desk, crossing her legs with elegance, "No, why?"

"No reason." Victoria said, keeping her tone neutral though all she could hear was the many jokes her and Vishal had already made about this magazine name.

"Anyway we've just signed on to a new deal with the hot new designer Lorenzo Mancini." Delilah cooed in her typical patronising tone, waving a hand dismissively, "He's so fresh that you probably haven't even heard of him. I'm sure I can get you something."

"Oh I'm fine, I'm capable of.."

"I was hoping to see Vishal too.." Delilah cut Victoria off, "But his assistant said something about an emergency meeting in Chicago?"

That son of a bitch..making his assistant lie for him!? He's a son of a bitch and a fucking genius all in one.

"Jen said that," Victoria's tone was blunt, covering up the surprise in her tone, "Really?"

"He's a real hard worker, huh?" Delilah said, her tone dripping with condescension, "Always committing to the job, it's great to see it."

"Yes, yes it is." Victoria fought the urge to roll her eyes, "So what brings you here, Delilah? I've got a meeting in a few minutes."

"Dinner, tomorrow night." The blonde straightened herself up in the seat, her smile widening, "At daddy's estate."

Every time she heard her cousin call her father 'daddy', it made Victoria want to throw up and turn into ash at the same time, "Oh well actually—"

"No excuses, sweetie!" She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret, "I really shouldn't tell you this but.."

Victoria's brows shot up in surprise when Delilah removed her leather glove, revealing a large oval shaped diamond ring that would probably made her sink to the bottom of the harbour if Victoria didn't resist her intrusive thoughts, "Woooow, is this part of the new line you were talking about?"

"No, silly!" Delilah chuckled, rolling her eyes, "I'm engaged! I was going to wait at the dinner you're coming to but I just couldn't keep it in."

"I bet." Victoria retorted, unable to fight back a look of displeasure watching Delilah gush over her engagement ring, "So who's the lucky person? I didn't even know you were dating anyone."

Now everything made sense when it came to Delilah's unexpected, and unwelcomed, visit. The only time she would come and speak to Victoria was to rub her success in her cousin's face. No wonder she looked so damn smug, not only was she rubbing in her recent promotion and now her recent engagement.

"You don't know him but you'll meet him at dinner tomorrow. Plus, you'd have met him already if you weren't in New York, we met a few months ago." Delilah retorted, unable to resist biting at Victoria before she wore a fake sympathetic look, "Oh shoot, that's why you're back from New York, isn't it? Sorry to hear about you and James."

Delilah tilted her head, a pitying smile on her lips, "Gosh, what happened sounded just awful."

"Engaged after only a few months?" It was now Victoria's turn to interrupt Delilah, not wanting to discuss her past, especially with the girl who would no doubt twist what happened into being Victoria's fault.

"I know it's fast but he's just so amazing. He's the most caring, warm, wonderful and generous man." Delilah side eyed Victoria, her tone turning sweet yet even more patronising, "I'm sure you will be this happy some day."

Victoria nodded, choosing to ignore the thinly veiled insult, "Generous, huh? You mean in bed, right?"

Delilah's smile dropped for a second but enough for Victoria to notice, "Actually we haven't had sex yet, we're waiting until we're married."

That was the worst moment possible for Victoria to take a sip of her coffee which she immediately choked on before laughing harder than she intended. But her laughter soon calmed down when she saw the look on Delilah's face, indicating she was in fact serious, "Oh, my god, you're serious? No sex at all? Not even a little.."

The fellow Callahan's face twisted with disgust, "Whatever you're implying..no."

"But you're going to get married." Victoria deadpanned, leaning forward on her desk, "You wouldn't buy a car without taking it for a little test drive..it's not like you've never slept with a guy you weren't married to."

Victoria knew she would piss Delilah off when she brought up her cousin's not so innocent past but she was past caring. If she had the audacity to waltz into Victoria's office, with no how are you and just instant belittling, Victoria would do whatever the fuck she wanted.

"True, I have in the past given in to those urges. Thank you for bringing that up during my engagement announcement." Delilah's perfect mask cracked ever so slightly, "I've learned from my mistakes so during the dinner, please act surprised."

"Well don't worry." Victoria scoffed, leaning back in her chair, "I'm just going to replay the look I had when you told me you haven't had sex with him yet."

"Oh come on, I'm joking!" Victoria laughed, noticing Delilah looking more and more pissed by the second, "I mean..it's not like you haven't been married before either. So, what's his job? Plumber? Joiner?"

"I don't need you to bring Las Vegas up. So don't you dare do that tomorrow at dinner." Delilah bit back, her tone turning stern before she shrugged, "And for your information he works in the wine business."

"I'm just stating the obvious, Delilah." Victoria smirked, enjoying making Delilah's perfect stature crack away, "First the gardener, then there was that cable guy and let's not forget about Justin the Magic Mike stripper in Vegas. You clearly have a kink for your service providers. I'm not judging, everyone has a kink."

"I thought we agreed to never bring Las Vegas up again?"

Victoria and Vishal took Delilah too Las Vegas two years ago for their cousin's thirtieth. For once in her god damn life, Delilah let her hair down and may have just gotten a little too drunk and ended up running off with a Magic Mike stripper to the nearest chapel.

Victoria bit back a retort, nodding curtly, "Right.."

"I should get going.."  Delilah announced, standing up with a flourish, "I have an appointment with someone who is going to renovate mine and my fiancee's new penthouse. Daddy made some calls and got one for us overlooking the harbour."

She turned on her heel, heels Victoria wished would snap right there and then to give her some more entertainment, "Don't forget about dinner!" 

Victoria's jaw tightened, she shouldn't stoop to Delilah's level but she couldn't help herself anymore, "Oh, Delilah wait!"

As Delilah turned back to face Victoria, the brunette glanced at her laptop before flashing a sweet smile, "I've just had an email from Vish saying he's back from Chicago." She lied, "He's upstairs and has said for you to head straight up."

Delilah nodded before exiting the office as Victoria sighed deeply, leaning back in her chair. She knew there would be no way for Vishal to hide once Delilah went up to his floor, he already pissed her off when he brought up Ransom and this was her payback. After all, this is what the sibling duo were known for. Pissing each other off constantly with petty shit.

—✤—

i've done a lot of behind the scenes stuff for this fic during the gap between updates, which i'm glad i did as the plots i have are more thought out and A LOT of new characters have been added (but all relevant to the story)

so if you see names you don't recognise from the OG casting, check out casting part two again and see the additional cast i've added and idc how i sound..i have created the hottest cast to exist, fight me.

so buckle up and get ready bc i'm now fully ready to get all the crazy ideas in my mind written down xoxo

also if you don't already, follow me on instagram as i post a lot on there and also i have a highlight with edits of the entire hot cast i've made, user is @hxllysalvatxre