Chapter 5 THE ULTIMATE PAYBACK

TWO DAYS AFTER THE GALA– The Calm Before the Storm

Jojean sat at her kitchen table, fingers wrapped tightly around her coffee mug, but the warmth did nothing to ease the cold dread curling in her stomach.

She had destroyed Jason Wolfe in front of New York's wealthiest elite.

But his final words before storming out of the gala still echoed in her head.

"You think this is over? You have no idea what you've just done."

She wasn't naive.

Men like Jason didn't just lose.

They retaliated.

And when they came back, they made sure it hurt.

Jojean exhaled slowly, rubbing her temples.

Across the room, her phone vibrated on the counter.

She hesitated before reaching for it.

One new message.

From an unknown number.

She clicked it open.

And her blood ran cold.

THE THREAT – Jason's Retaliation Begins

The message contained a photo of Jojean's apartment building.

Taken from across the street.

A second later, another message popped up.

JASON: I hope you're comfortable, Jojean. Because the walls are closing in.

Her stomach twisted.

She knew what this was.

Jason was warning her.

Telling her he was watching. Waiting.

A third message.

JASON: Say goodbye to your job. Jojean's heart stopped.

No.

She ran to her laptop, pulling up her work email.

And there it was.

A termination notice.

Her hands trembled as she scanned the email:

"Effective immediately, your employment at Wolfe Enterprises has been terminated due to ethical concerns regarding recent public conduct. Any violation of the attached NDA will result in legal action."

She felt sick.

Jason had cut her off completely.

No and now, he was coming for the rest of her life.

A sharp knock at her door made her jump.

Her breath came shallow.

For a split second, fear paralyzed her.

Then, she squared her shoulders and marched to the door.

She yanked it open, only to freeze.

Owen Carter stood in front of her.

And he looked furious.

OWEN's PROTECTION– A Desperate Plea

Jojean barely had time to react before Owen stepped inside, slamming the door behind him.

His blue eyes burned with something dangerous.

"You should have called me." His voice was low, controlled-but on the verge of snapping.

Jojean crossed her arms. "I don't need your help."

Owe jaw clenched. "Jason sent you threats. He got you fired. He's watching you, Jojean."

Her stomach twisted, but she refused to show weakness.

"And what do you care, Owen?" she shot back. "You didn't believe me when it mattered."

His expression darkened.

"You're right." His voice was quieter now, but thick with regret. "And I will regret that for the rest of my life."

She stiffened.

Owen ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply.

"You don't have to forgive me. But I need you to believe me when I say Jason isn't done. You need protection."

Jojean scoffed. "And let me guess, you're offering?"

Owen's gaze locked onto hers.

"Yes."

She let out a harsh laugh, shaking her head.

"You don't get to play hero, Owen"

But the moment she said it, her phone vibrated again.

Another message.

JASON: You should have walked away when you had the chance.

Jojean's hands shook. So scared but tried not to show it.

His entire body tensed. His jaw locked, his fingers curling into fists.

"Pack a bag."

Jojean frowned. "Excuse me?"

Owen's voice was dangerously calm.

"Pack a bag, Jojean. You're coming with me."

A FORCED PROXIMITY– Trapped With Owen

An hour later, Jojean found herself standing inside Owen's penthouse. The space was stunning, all sleek black and steel, overlooking the glittering skyline.

But she didn't care.

She whirled around, glaring at him. "This isn't necessary."

Owen gave her a look. "I just want you to know that Jason had someone watching your building. Do you really want to test what he does next?"

Jojean's throat tightened.

He was right.

Jason was unpredictable and Dangerous.

She swallowed hard and dropped her bag on the couch, picked a few things she'd be needing. "Fine". But this doesn't mean anything.

Owen's lips curled into something unreadable. "Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart."

Common Jo' just let me help this time atleast.

Her stomach flipped.

And just like that, she realized, This was going to be a problem.

Because Owen Carter was far too close.

And far too hard to resist.

THE BREAKING POINT – Jojean Takes Control

The next day, Jojean woke up to the smell of coffee.

She padded out into the living room, only to find Owen standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, shirtless, coffee mug in hand.

Hot abs

Her mouth went dry.

She quickly looked away. "What's the plan?" she asked instead. Owen turned to face her. "I have something that will ruin Jason completely." Jojean'

brows furrowed. "What?"

Owen smirked. "His company is in trouble. If we expose his financial fraud, he won't just lose his business-he'll lose everything." stared at him.

This wasn't just about revenge anymore.

This was about finishing Jason for good.

And for the first time, she realized she wasn't alone in this fight anymore.

She had Owen.

And despite everything, that terrified her.

THE FINAL BETRAYAL

That night, Jojean sat at desk, scanning the files he had pulled up.

They had everything they needed.

Proof of Jason's embezzlement.

Illegal transactions.

Enough to bury him.

A thrill shot through her.

But then, her phone rang. A blocked number.

She hesitated before answering. "Hello?"

Silence.

Then, a voice that made her blood turn to ice.

"You really thought you won, didn't you?"

Jason.

Her grip tightened. "You're finished, Jason."

A dark chuckle. "Oh, Jojean. I'm just getting started."

The line went dead. Jojeany pulse skyrocketed.

She turned to Owen, panic flashing in her eyes.

"We need to move faster."

Owen's gaze darkened. "What did he say?"

She swallowed hard, voice barely a whisper.

"That this isn't over."

Owen exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Then we finish this. Now."

And just like that,

The real war began.