Chapter 158
158 The One They Call Venom
158 The One They Call Venom
The livestream chat exploded in debate. Tagree with the comment above.”
Can
you all stop with the conspiracy theories? Linda hasn’t said anything. You’re just reading too much into everything.
The comment section was a warzone–fiery, chaotic, and impossible to ignore. And because of this mess, tonight’s chess livestream was breaking the internet.
Everywhere—from massive LED billboards in the mall to TVs on subways and city buses– people were tuning in to watch the tournament unfold.
But let’s be honest. What really drew the crowd wasn’t just the chess–it was the melodrama of two women caught up in a love triangle with the same man.
The entire world seemed hooked on the story of Alice and Linda.
Opinions flew in every direction. Everyone had something to say.
If Linda started selling things online now, she’d probably top every sales chart.
Meanwhile, in the lounge, Linda sat in tears, utterly crushed.
Back when Eric was still conscious–before the coma–she had quietly fallen for him.
But she wasn’t the type to lose herself in romance.
There was no way she’d throw away her life waiting on a man in a vegetative state.
So, she went digging, found proof that she wasn’t the real daughter of the Nolans, and used it to bring Alice back into the picture.
She thought she was in control of the game. But fate had a cruel sense of humor. Everything she had carefully orchestrated was unraveling like a bad joke.
“Come on, don’t cry. You’ve still got me, don’t you?” Gary said gently,
Gary noticed Linda was feeling down, so he turned down several meetings with CEOs just to spend time with her.
Boston showed up too , fashionably late as always–being a celebrity meant dodging reporters wasn’t easy.
And then came Charlie.
Charlie had landed several major contracts today. For the Spencers, this meant financial: entire year. He was in a good mood, and it showed.
There wasn’t even a trace of anger on his face.
ty for the
He smiled the whole way through and even tried to comfort Linda–though not quite as tenderly as he
used to.
1/4
08:37 Mon, 28 Jul
158 The One They Call Venom
Linda, already sensitive, picked up on this change immediately.
The bitterness in her heart deepened. If not for her public image, she could’ve screamed or thrown something–anything to release the fury bubbling inside. Or worse.
The finals were about to begin.
Alice glanced at Eric’s assigned opponent and gave a helpless chuckle.
“Really? You’re going from beating up the sister to beating up the brother?”
Eric’s opponent for the round was Gary .
Daniel leaned back in his chair, eyes wide like he was watching the juiciest soap opera ever.
“Mr. Eric, you’re not seriously going to crush your brother–in–law, are you? Go easy on him, will you ?” he joked.
Alice shot him a sharp glare.
Daniel immediately zipped his lips.
Why did I even open my mouth? I almost lost my tongue.
But Eric’s next move truly shocked him.
I’m going to the judges. I forfeit, Eric said calmly.
Daniel’s jaw dropped.
“Wait–what?!”
Sure, sparing his brother–in–law is one thing, but isn’t this a little extreme?
“Mr. Eric?” he called again , unsure if he’d heard correctly.
Eric turned, eyes cold as ice.
“Do I need to repeat myself?”
Daniel shivered. Yeah. Maybe I really should consider stapling my lips shut.
After Eric forfeited, the opponent pairing was reshuffled.
Moments later, the big screen lit up with a new name–Venom.
‘s eyes narrowed the moment the name appeared on the screen. A cold glint flickered in her gaze.
Alice’s e
She stared at the television screen as if she could burn a hole through it, lips pressed in a thin line.
Her whole body tensed, as if trying to see who Venom was.
2/4
158 The One They Call Venom
Daniel, always the gossip, leaned toward her with a teasing grin. “Mrs. Nolan, do you know this Venom guy ?
Alice shook her head.
No, she didn’t know him.
But deep down, she was certain. He was one of them. One of those people from Ouroboros.
They were powerful. Dangerous. And very, very private.
Members of Ouroboros didn’t just show up to flashy events like this–not unless something big was going down .
Daniel edged closer to Eric, lowering his voice.
“Mr. Eric… that Venom guy? He’s a dude. Young and good–looking.
Eric said nothing.
Daniel saw the blank expression on his face and let out a helpless sigh.
“Aren’t you even a little worried your wife might fall for him?”
Eric finally turned his head–slowly. His stare could’ve sliced through concrete.
Daniel shuddered and backed off immediately.
Being a personal assistant was starting to feel like a dangerous career choice.
Say the wrong thing, and you’re toast. Say nothing, and you’re still toast.
Sob, sob, sob. I want to quit.
Why hasn’t Stanley come back to take over this nightmare of a job?
I swear, the working class has the toughest life .
Soon, the host took the stage and announced the match was about to begin.
All eyes–Alice’s and Eric’s included–turned to the broadcast screen.
The camera first zoomed in on Gary. The host gave him a full introduction, listing accolades and achievements.
Slowly, the camera shifted to Venom.
The man on screen wore a tailored black suit and gold–rimmed glasses.
He smiled, and the lighting carved out every line of his handsome features, lending him an easy, boyish
charm.
Venom wasn’t as devastatingly handsome as Eric, but he had something Eric didn’t
158 The One They Call Venom
Warmth. Approachability,
That kind of gentleness could easily make a woman’s heart melt.
Venom raised a hand and waved at the camera. His voice, low and rich like velvet , echoed across the hall