Krishna's Market Bloodbath

Krishna Debonair stood in the middle of the boardroom like she owned the oxygen everyone was breathing.

Hair pulled up in a lazy bun. Oversized sunglasses perched on her head like a crown. Cropped blazer. High-waisted pants. Boots - always boots.

She popped a grape from the fruit platter into her mouth while ignoring every pair of horrified eyes staring at her across the table.

"Really?" she said, chewing slow, eyes flicking over the trembling stock chart on the wall screen. "You called me for this?"

Lorenzo slammed his pen on the table. "You are the 'this,' Krishna!"

Lucian stayed quiet, watching from the corner like he couldn't decide if he wanted to smirk or sigh.

Harlan's voice cut low. "You think this is a joke?"

Krishna shrugged. "It kinda is. You let a crybaby board brat like Lucius Vale play you like this?"

Lorenzo stood halfway from his seat. "Krishna—"

But she was already moving.

Walking straight to the front of the room, she grabbed the laser pointer off the table and clicked it like a toy.

"I'm not here to cry about stocks."

The laser dot flicked onto the screen, straight at the list of Vale International's top overseas assets.

"I'm here to turn this pathetic market tantrum into a massacre."

Lorenzo blinked. "You—what?"

Krishna grinned, that slow, wicked grin none of them liked but always, somehow, ended up relying on.

"Lucius Vale wants to play dirty? Fine."

She clicked through the tablet someone had left unattended on the table.

"I want an anonymous buy-in targeting his shipping subsidiary in Port Havel. They're under-leveraged. Vulnerable to stock dilution. Quietly funnel in shell buys until we control 17% minimum."

Lucian's eyes widened. "You've been watching their trade reports?"

"Please." She snorted. "I've been bored for three days. Had to do something between shopping and traumatizing Alphas."

Harlan stared at her. For a long, unreadable moment.

She kept going. "Next, release those rumors we've been sitting on. About Vale's internal restructuring drama. Bonus points if we leak that their COO's about to jump ship."

Lorenzo's face turned pale. "That's corporate warfare. You're suggesting hostile action."

Krishna looked at him like he'd just said water was wet.

"Yes, Lorenzo. Welcome to the big kids' table."

Lucian's mouth twitched… was that almost a smile?

Krishna set the laser pointer down, dusted imaginary dirt off her jacket, and walked toward the door like she hadn't just declared financial war.

"Oh, and Dad?" she said, pausing at the threshold.

Harlan raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sending the PR team my bill for this later. Emotional labor surcharge included."

With that, she strutted out, heels clicking sharp like gunshots down the hallway.

Behind her, Harlan sat back in his chair.

"…God help whoever pokes that girl wrong next," he muttered.

Lucian chuckled under his breath. "At this point… I almost feel bad for Vale."

Lorenzo just buried his face in both hands.

The Debonair Princess had entered the war.

And like hell was she leaving without her victory lap.

---

Lucius Vale's office was a temple of control.

Cold marble floors. Frosted glass walls. A desk large enough to bury a body under.

And yet…

This morning?

Control was slipping through his fingers faster than the market could refresh.

"Sir… we're down another 4%," his secretary whispered, holding an iPad like it was a cursed artifact.

Lucius didn't answer.

He stared at the red plunging numbers on his Bloomberg screen, one leg crossed over the other, fingers steepled against his lips like he was still thinking.

Calm. Unbothered.

At least on the outside.

Inside?

Rage.

Boiling.

Burning.

How?

How had Debonair Holdings turned the entire week's market sentiment in less than 48 hours?

His board members were blowing up his phone. Overseas investors were panicking. The shipping subsidiary's stock was plummeting from phantom sell-offs. Rumors about the COO quitting were spreading like wildfire on every business forum.

His jaw ticked.

This wasn't random. This wasn't market fluctuation. This was…

"Targeted," he muttered under his breath.

His mind played back that night at the banquet.

Her.

That Beta with a mouth sharper than any of his board's legal advisors.

Krishna Debonair.

Lucius grabbed his phone, thumb hovering over his assistant's speed dial—then hesitated.

No.

He didn't need a meeting request.

He didn't need diplomacy.

He needed leverage.

Retaliation.

Something… personal.

Something she wouldn't see coming.

With a long breath, Lucius finally stood. Straightened his cuffs. Smoothed his tie like it wasn't strangling him with pressure.

"Schedule me a flight to Country Y," he said coolly.

The secretary blinked. "Sir… Country Y?"

"Yes."

"Regarding…?"

His lips curled—half smile, half snarl.

"Old investments."

Pausing at the door, he turned back one last time.

"Also… have someone run a full profile background on Krishna Debonair."

He let the syllables sit heavy on his tongue.

"Every scandal. Every weakness. Every button she hates being pushed."

He walked out.

The war wasn't over.

This was just round two.

And Lucius Vale never… ever… took a loss lying down.