Chapter 22 leo test: Ariana stock market plan

From his chair Leo feng crossed his arms to watch Ariana as a small gleam of humor appeared in his eyes. A dim golden light from the chandelier shone through the shadows on his mahogany bookshelves while he worked in his private study. The entire room symbolized the acquisition of power which stemmed from strategic risk-taking abilities alongside mastery of control.

"You want me to test you?" he asked, his voice laced with skepticism. "Stock manipulation does not work through trial and error since it requires serious knowledge and skill to perform."

Ariana smirk, as she lightly touched her fingers against the glass surface of the table. She maintained a calculated rhythm of tapping her fingers on the glass table which she meant to annoy him rather than enrage.

She spoke with a tranquil tone when she answered "No playing here."

"I need to control the way the fight goes if I want to take Anthony Raymond down.The stock market is among several tools which I will use."

Although he showed some signs of interest Leo did nothing to hide his skepticism. "And you expect me to believe you can pull it off?"

Her eyes fixed on him as she brought her chin to rest on her hand. "Give me a test. Take any ordinary stock that you select and I will demonstrate to you how I operate with it."

The two held a prolonged period of quiet until Leo broke it. Leo clicked his laptop keyboard several times while his face showed no emotion before showing mid-tier stock information on his screen. The careful examination of numbers led him to select one entry.

"Blue Tide Electronics," he said finally, spinning the laptop to face her. "This small-sized firm lets its stock prices shift according to supply chain-related developments in the markets. Amateurs traders find it challenging to work with this situation."

Ariana checked the stock data quickly on the screen for its historical patterns. She observed the gentle valleys alongside rapid inclines on the screen as if she had seen these patterns countless times before.

"Perfect." She smiled.

Leo stared at her with doubt yet interest as she took out her phone.

"Give me three hours," she said.Leo snorted. "Three hours? That's ambitious."

Ariana disregarded his comment by starting her work.

The first step of her analysis focused on Blue Tide Electronics' market sentiment. Online investor forums showed indications of supply chain interruptions which appeared to be an ideal business opportunity.

She operated her phone with quick motions between her fingers.

Through several trading accounts she conducted multiple small-scale purchases which collectively affected algorithms without triggering detection.

She created an account under an unknown name on a prominent investor discussion board to spread word about a significant technological collaboration between Blue Tide and an average-sized AI firm. Through her financial blogger contact from past life she made sure that the rumor spread to investor groups with substantial power in the market.

She proceeded to release a report indicating that Blue Tide might launch an upcoming product revolution. The market operated through exaggerated information even though the released details contained an understated amount of truth.

Leo watched, half-impressed, half-wary.

"This is insane," he muttered under his breath, but he didn't stop her.

The stock gradually started changing hands with all the passing time.

First, a 0.5% increase—a small tremor.

Then, 1.8%—investors were taking the bait.

Several influential investors entered the market during the second hour thus driving the stock price to 3.2% growth.

He observed while his fingers tapped against the desk. Ariana played the stock market with a level of risk that left him stunned because his entire life revolved around measured financial gambles.

At the end of the third hour the stock reached 5% upsurge which provided profitable opportunities but avoided drawing regulatory attention.

Ariana smirked. She reached the market's highest point to secure her clean profits.

Leo released a deep breath while watching the screen intensively.

"…Not bad," he admitted, though the sheer efficiency of her strategy had clearly shaken him. "You timed everything perfectly."

Ariana merely smiled. "And that was just a warm-up."

A new sense of faith developed within Leo for the very first time.

The heiress showed herself beyond superficial revenge-seeking behavior.

Her dangerous qualities presented themselves in the most positive manner.

Meanwhile…

Rachel Lawrence walked in circles repeatedly inside her dressing room as irritation spread through her body.

She saw herself in the vanity mirror and it presented a flawless cold beauty. The well-groomed demeanor she had established concealed the worry that ate at her.

Something was off.

The way Ariana maintained her composure struck Rachel as unusual because she displayed an unreasonable confidence level. A new confident attitude emerged through her mannerisms which suggested she had information hidden from everyone else.

Rachel bit her lip.

Was she imagining things? Or had Ariana changed?

She needed to find out.

The perfectly manicured nails of her hands drummed against the vanity before she took hold of her phone.

"Mom, I need your advice."

Elsewhere…

From his balcony position in the penthouse Jesse Ren held a glass of wine while the liquid moved slowly through the glass. Lights from the city produced an endless display below his perch which resembled endless possibilities ready for grasping.

Lincoln Park remained at his side as his secretary while holding a tablet. silence masked his face but his voice held impressive authority.

"She made a clean profit," Lincoln reported. "Quick, strategic, and completely legal."

Jesse smirked, swirling his wine. "Interesting."

Ariana Cameloe proved herself beyond being a beginner heiress who sought revenge.

She was a tactician.

The spectacle made Jesse increasingly satisfied to observe the process.

Back at Leo's Study…

From his chair Leo observed Ariana in a puzzled manner as if he needed time to decipher her true nature.

"What's your endgame?" he asked.

Ariana Cameloe gently turned her head while revealing a fake sugary grin.

"To crush Anthony," she said simply. "Not just destroy him financially—but make him regret ever thinking he could use me."

Leo chuckled, shaking his head.

"You're terrifying," he admitted. "I like that."

Ariana arched a brow. "So, are you in?"

A brief pause lasted for one second before Leo showed his smirk. The situation seemed to have left him with scarce options.

Ariana's eyes gleamed.

Her financial warfare initiation had started with step one.

Anthony Raymond would quickly discover that the battlefield was becoming her domain.

The battlefield wasn't just business.

It was her domain now.