The morning sun barely touched the hotel window, but the presidential suite where Liam Albright was staying already overflowed with the refined aroma of imported coffee, artisanal croissants, and notes of strawberries macerated in champagne.
Liam wore his pajama shirt open, exposing his defined abdomen as he lazily ate a slice of toast covered in golden jam. With the cellphone nearby and a leather folder in front of him, his bored gaze scanned the day's news projected on a hologram floating above the table.
"More financial scandals in the Arid Confederation..." he murmured, shaking his head. "A bunch of amateurs disguised as ministers."
In front of him, sitting upright with a tablet in hand and nervousness on his face, was his personal assistant, Edgar, a young blond man with thick glasses and a crooked tie, always seeming two seconds away from a stress meltdown.
"Mr. Albright, some important updates on the contacts made after yesterday's gala," Edgar began, sliding his fingers over the tablet.
"Hmm. Go ahead."
"Several influential nobles have contacted the Argall District. Some are interested in commercial partnerships, others in joint projects. The visibility of the event definitely had an effect. Mainly because of the photo your team published last night..."
Liam raised an eyebrow and threw a smug smile. "The photo with Victoria?"
"Yes, sir. You two entering the gala together. The image went viral on social networks. It is among the five most talked-about topics in the American continent. And, well, it directly impacted the company's shares — they rose 17.3% during the early morning."
Liam crossed his legs with affected elegance, holding the coffee cup like a trained aristocrat. "The image of a powerful couple always pays off. We're both photogenic, even if she is as stubborn as a mule raised at Oxford."
Edgar hesitated, which caught Liam's attention.
"Speak up, Edgar. Don't look at me like you're about to tell me I lost millions."
"You haven't lost... but" Edgar cleared his throat, looking cautiously at the tablet " many of the proposals directly mention Miss Lancaster's name. Some require the approval or participation of House Lancaster in the agreements. Others mention the future commitment of union between the two families as a factor of trust and stability."
The sound of her name hit Liam like a nail on the leather of the armchair.
He slowly set the cup down on the table, his eyes darkening.
"Victoria... always the sweet illusion of perfection," he said, almost in a venomous whisper. "Little does she know she already secured more contracts with my surname than with any diplomatic speech."
"Sir?" Edgar tilted his head.
Liam ignored him. His eyes now analyzed one of the holographic windows with photos from the gala hall.
One showed Victoria smiling next to Kael, the prince of Cryon, in a posture... too intimate.
His jaw clenched.
"That bitch," he murmured.
Before Edgar could ask, a soft female cough, followed by a lazy giggle, echoed from the adjacent room.
"My dear..." came the dragged and lascivious voice, "You destroyed me last night. My legs went weak just getting out of bed..."
A woman, visibly naked and wearing only one of Liam's unbuttoned dress shirts, appeared in the doorway, her brown hair tangled and visible marks of a restless night.
Edgar closed his eyes and quietly stood up. "Excuse me, Mr. Albright."
"Go and send me the contracts for review later," Liam replied casually, ignoring the employee's discomfort.
Edgar left, and the woman walked up to Liam with feline steps, sitting on his lap with rehearsed intimacy.
"Were you talking about business or... me?" she whispered, running her fingers through the nape of his neck.
Liam didn't answer. His gaze was distant, fixed on the screen where Victoria smiled at another man as if he didn't exist.
As if Liam Albright were disposable.
He lightly squeezed the woman's waist on his lap, not out of affection, but frustration.
The woman smiled, thinking it was passion.
Liam, however, only murmured, "Let's see how long this little game of hers will last..."
The sly smile of the woman on his lap only seemed to feed the sadistic emptiness boiling inside Liam Albright.
With a calculated movement, he kissed her, a kiss without tenderness, only possession and dominance. A silent seal of inflated ego.
Right after, a sharp snap echoed through the suite.
"Ouch!" The woman's eyes widened and she let out an embarrassed laugh feeling the firm slap on her ass. "Bossy..."
Liam looked at her with sophisticated coldness, the artificial smile already gone from his lips.
"Get dressed. I've had enough of your morning company."
She stood up still laughing, as if leaving a sensual game, but her laughter vanished as soon as she saw Liam's hardened eyes.
Without answering, she walked to the bedroom and closed the door.
Outside, assistant Edgar had already returned, tablet in hand, nervous as always.
Liam snapped his fingers, impatient.
"Edgar, I want rumors spread on social networks about the prince of Cryon, that pathetic one. Make it look like they come from different sources. Imply diplomatic corruption, use something about experiments on protected animals in Cryon, even hint at sexual scandals if needed. If there's no dirt, invent some."
Edgar's eyes widened behind thick lenses. "Sir... that could cause..."
"Edgar," Liam leaned forward, cold eyes and tone like a knife in the silence, "I am not asking for your opinion. I am giving an order. And if you don't do it... I will find someone who will."
Swallowing hard, Edgar just nodded.
"Perfectly understood, sir."
Liam leaned back again, now with a triumphant look. "I want Kael destroyed at the international court before Victoria opens her eyes and thinks that little snowflake is more trustworthy than the most powerful Albright of the century."
A few minutes later, the woman returned from the bedroom, now dressed in a short tight dress, high heels, and a designer purse — the standard for all Liam's "occasional visits."
She fixed her hair and smiled, still believing she was getting the upper hand in the situation. "Will you call me again, dear?"
"Maybe," Liam said emotionlessly, already with his back to her.
Edgar promptly approached, offering his arm and escorting her to the door.
When they reached the elevator, before the doors opened, Edgar discreetly handed the woman a black metallic card.
She held it, curious. "This is...?"
"An exclusive card. Encrypted. There's ten million dollars on it. Consider it... a form of thanks. But remember, don't speak about Mr. Albright. To anyone."
The woman opened a slow, greedy smile. "Relax, dear. I know how to be discreet."
She stepped into the elevator with an automatic sway of someone satisfied and disappeared behind the closing doors like she had just won the lottery.
Edgar stood still for a moment, watching the polished metal reflect his own face.
He loosened his tie, letting out a heavy sigh.
"Again..." he murmured. "Since that guy turned nineteen, it's always the same story... luxury, blackmail, chaos, and women bought like stock shares."
He wiped his glasses in a mechanical gesture and returned to the suite, where Liam was already furiously typing on the tablet, perhaps plotting his next move or who knows what.
The next morning, the digital world woke up on fire.
In less than five hours, hashtags like #KaelCorrupt, #CryonHidesSecrets, and even the absurd #IcePrinceWithHotBlood exploded on global trending topics.
Edited videos circulated with alarming captions:
"PRINCE OF CRYON INVOLVED IN SCANDAL: WHAT IS HE HIDING?"
"Kael manipulates ecosystems in exchange for power? Scientists warn!"
"Leak shows not-so-noble interests of noble Kael..."
Anonymous profiles popped up out of nowhere, with generic bios and suspicious followers, launching synchronized comments, always fueling doubt:
"Funny how this Kael shows up right now, when Cryon needs new economic agreements. Coincidence? "
"Cryon hasn't accepted foreign companies for centuries. Why the change now?"
"The prince seems more interested in... carnal alliances."
Public opinion, as expected, spontaneously combusted.
In specialized international politics forums, anonymous diplomats discussed possible hidden motives.
On TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), conspiracy theories sprouted like mushrooms.
But amid the chaos...
... emerged an unbeatable army.
They called themselves: "The Kaelzettes."
It was a group of women and some men too, let's be fair, who simply ignored all logical and geopolitical arguments to raise a single banner: Kael is hot.
And that was enough.
The hashtags started to change tone.
#KaelMyIceMyFire
#LetCryonInMyBed
#PrinceDelight
#CryonCanFreezeMe
Screenshots of Kael were cut, edited, saturated, and placed in all sorts of scenarios: from montages of him holding babies to riding a polar bear.
In the comments on articles accusing the prince, the responses were an emotional rollercoaster and pure thirst:
"You're telling me this man is dangerous? Dangerous is me seeing him in a blazer and still standing."
"You can accuse Kael of everything, but if he wants to manipulate me... I'm here, manipulated."
"Sorry, but if this is a crime, I want to be an accomplice and sleep in the same cell."
Amid the flood of disinformation planted by Liam, something became clear: Kael might be under political attack.
But, on social media, he had what no algorithm could contain:
Diplomatic sex appeal.
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Hello, thank you for reading and following this chapter. Remember to use your Golden Tickets and Power Stones to help the work reach new heights!
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Hello, thank you for reading and following this chapter. Remember to use your Golden Tickets and Power Stones to help the work reach new heights!