Chapter 53

Alexia let out a weary breath. "You summed it up perfectly."

"Roger's antics during the marriage made this outcome obvious." With a knowing smile, the woman brushed her hair from her shoulder. "I'll handle the case. Let's arrange a meeting to go over the specifics."

Once the call ended, she spun her golden ring around her thumb, then glanced at her assistant. "Get the car ready.I'm feeling generous today-let's head out early and celebrate."

As midnight crept in, a secretive financial forum lit up with a sudden surge of excitement after a single message appeared.

The elusive Luna-once the most talked-about strategist in the business-broke her two-year silence,posting snapshots of her winning portfoliosfrom both domestic and global markets

Within just ten minutes, the thread exploded with thousands of responses.

"First reply! Wait, is this real? Luna's actually back!"

"Luna disappeared for two years, but her returns speak for themselves. Those tech stocks she scooped up back then turned tiny startups into market giants. No one else is pulling off profits like Luna."

"She's on another level! And did anyone notice? She's moved out of her old-school investments and poured a ton into biotech recently."

"She's dumped Lady Cat from Jenkins Group, and she's cut Black Dawn Tech from Gibson Group too.Dropping Lady Cat isn't much of a shock-I always thought it was a stretch for Luna to invest in that brand in the first place. But cutting ties with Black Dawn Tech? That's a surprise. Gibson Group was calling it teir flagship innovation, and their share price keeps climbing. Why doesn't Luna see what everyone else does?"

"Does this mean there's trouble brewing at these companies? Is anyone here sitting on inside info? Spill it if you've got it."

Eyes glued to the screen, Zayne felt his blood pressure rising with every new post. He smashed out a reply,fingers flying.

"Lady Cat is killing it in the market, and with Marilee's endorsement, sales are through the roof! Don't you people keep up with trends? Marilee is everywhere right now. Enough with the scare tactics-or you'll be hearing from our lawyers."

"Well, someone's pressed! Let's see how things shake out when trading opens. My money's on Luna's picks. No matter how big Marilee gets, she can't outshine Luna's track record. Take your celebrity worship somewhere else-this forum's for real investors."

Getting called a fanboy online lit Zayne up with outrage

What stung even more than the taunts was the proof, plain as day, that Luna had turned her back on Jenkins Group.

Message after desperate message went unanswered, each one disappearing into the void.

Meanwhile, Roger sat in front of his own computer, troubled by the same news.

Rage surged through him as he scrolled through the forum. "What are they trying to pull?"

The company's future hinged on Black Dawn Tech,a venture that had shown nothing but profit from the start, thanks to its groundbreaking vision.

It stood out as one of Roger's rare accomplishments that even his grandfather had publicly praised.

Having the project's worth questioned out in the open left him seething.

"Black Dawn Tech's growth speaks for itself. Luna's opinion changes nothing. This company's headed for the top, with or without her blessing!"

That declaration sparked a fresh wave of debate on the forum.

"I'm with you. Black Dawn Tech looks like a powerhouse in the making. Maybe Luna missed the mark this time."

"She's never steered us wrong. She posts her portfolio for those who know how to read the signs.I'm following her advice, as always."

Roger scoffed at the blind loyalty and retorted, "Never made a mistake, huh? Then Black Dawn Tech will be her first. Let's see who's right when the dust settles."

While Roger was still riding the high of defending his point, a user with a night-sky avatar dropped a response beneath his comment.

It contained only one word.

"Really?"

A single, snide word carried the weight of pure mockery.

Once the forum recognized the user with the constellation-themed icon, chaos erupted on the thread.

"No way, it's Moon! Luna's post was enough to drag Moon out of hiding!"

Everyone in the financial world knew the difference between these two giants. Luna-the market's mysterious strategist-could move stocks with a whisper, while Moon was a mastermind when it came to managing risk. As Luna's legend grew, so did Moon's, each victory fueling the rivalry.

Their head-to-head battles had become the stuff of market legend.

Rumor had it, Luna had dismissed Moon in private as an unworkable oddball, while Moon, on his end, once called Luna the single most confounding opponent he'd ever faced.