Free Web NovelChapter 216: Another Fake Streak?!
Stan had no intention of interrupting the performance.
At least not yet.
Meanwhile, not knowing what was going through Stan’s mind, Von went on and on.
He clearly believed he had Vivian’s full attention, or, more accurately, he believed his audience was so impressed that further explanation was simply the natural continuation of the show.
"Now, I know what you’re thinking, little sister," he said, waving a hand casually. He had the easy condescension of an older brother, as he’d long been accustomed to dismissing his sister’s objections before they were voiced. "You’re sitting there assuming I’m going to squander the inheritance. That’s the family stereotype, isn’t it? Von gets the money, Von spends the money, while you and Lily work so hard to get yours. I’m sure you and Lily have always thought that about me."
Vivian said nothing. She kept her eyes on the document in front of her and prayed, with the silent intensity of a woman trapped in a recurring nightmare, that her brother would simply stop talking. She didn’t want him to embarrass her, but unfortunately for her, he did not stop.
"You and Lily can think what you want. What you two don’t understand," Von continued, settling deeper into the visitor’s chair as though preparing for an extended lecture, "is that after I received the inheritance, I did my research. I realized I could multiply what I was given, generate returns far beyond what the inheritance itself could produce. And not long after I started looking for opportunities, the right person found me."
Vivian’s pen paused.
"A man approached me. He runs an investment firm. Very serious operation. High-end clients. At first, I didn’t believe him, but he told me he was Sir Streak!" Von paused dramatically. "Sir Streak! The famous gifter on TikTuk! He explained that all those outrageous gifts he throws around online are funded by the profits from his investment company. Studying markets, identifying promising clients, that sort of thing."
Across the office, Stan’s expression remained unchanged.
Internally, however, he felt a familiar, weary resignation, the specific kind reserved for hearing his own identity used as bait by yet another con artist.
During his visit to the karaoke with Sophie, he’d spent half the day watching Damien impersonate him in person. Now there was apparently a more entrepreneurial version of the same scam targeting the gullible Reeves heir.
’Another one,’ Stan thought with a sigh. ’Of course there’s another one.’
The picture was assembling itself with depressing speed.
Whoever this man was, he had spotted a young heir who had recently come into money, possessed more confidence than judgment, and desperately wanted to be seen as important. The mark had practically introduced himself.
The con artist’s strategy was obvious: flatter Von’s ego, convince him he’d been recognized as someone special, and keep feeding that vanity until it was time to extract every dollar possible before disappearing without a trace.
Meanwhile, Vivian was frowning now after hearing her brother. Not the polite, diplomatic frown she wore during difficult meetings, but a genuine one. He was supposed to be her older brother, someone she should look up to. There was no way he fell for this... freēwēbnovel.com
"How sure are you that he’s the real Streak?" she asked carefully.
"That’s not the important part," Von said with the airy dismissal of a man who had very clearly never bothered to verify anything. "What’s important is that I’m working with his firm to acquire Star Entertainment. Which means, very soon, I’ll be your boss, little sister."
Vivian’s frown deepened. The claim was so implausible it bordered on offensive.
As a manager of Star Entertainment, she knew a lot about Star Entertainment. This company had produced multiple billion-dollar films. It operated production facilities across four continents. Tens of thousands of employees worked under its umbrella. The company was worth many times the fortune Von had inherited.
The numbers weren’t merely different. They existed in entirely different universes.
If Star Entertainment could genuinely be purchased for the amount Von was discussing, it wouldn’t be the world’s leading entertainment company. It wouldn’t even qualify as a major global corporation. Something was very wrong.
"Have you actually finalized this deal?" Vivian asked, her voice carrying the controlled urgency of someone trying to extract critical information without triggering a defensive reaction. "Because this sounds incredibly suspicious, Von. Are you sure you’re not being scammed?"
Von laughed. The sound came a fraction too quickly. At this point, even he was beginning to doubt himself. After all, he didn’t think it was possible to get scammed.
"Come on, sis. Don’t be like that. Wish your brother well."
He leaned back in his chair, projecting confidence that looked increasingly manufactured the longer he held it.
"I’ll take good care of you once I’m running this place. I’m Von Reeves of the Reeves family. People don’t scam the Reeves family; the wrath of my family is not something anyone can bear." He spread his hands. "He’s the real Streak. He showed me his profile. He’s been completely straightforward with me from the beginning. He promised."
Even as he spoke, the conviction felt fragile. The words had the faint hollowness of a man repeating assurances he’d already recited to himself several times before. He was trying to convince himself that the guy was legit.
"Profiles can be faked, Von."
Stan observed the exchange with quiet professional interest.
Vivian was genuinely trying. The careful approach suggested experience. She knew exactly the type of person her brother was. Push too hard, and he’d interpret concern as disrespect. Present evidence too aggressively, and he’d defend the scammer simply to avoid admitting he might have been fooled. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
"Have you met him in person?" she asked.
"No. Not yet." Von’s expression brightened immediately. "But that’s the best part."
Neither Vivian nor Stan liked the enthusiasm in his voice.
"He said we can meet right here. At this branch." Von gestured around the office. "He’s bringing the contracts for the shares he’s purchasing in my name. We’ll sign everything, finalize the deal, and then he’ll introduce himself properly."
He grinned. "I came here to surprise you as your incoming boss."
The room fell silent. Vivian stared at him with a sigh. She had this sense of premonition.
Stan, meanwhile, felt the final piece of the puzzle click neatly into place.
That had been the final piece to convince Von. After all, Stan was sure there wasn’t anyone like that making moves to buy any shares of Star Entertainment.
Stan, listening from the side, slowly let his head rest against the wall.
The level of credulity required to construct this belief system was, even by the generous standards he applied to wealthy young men with more inheritance than judgment, genuinely remarkable.
A con artist had promised Von he could become the owner of Star Entertainment. But the man had never shown his face, and he had never provided a verifiable credential. And this dumb Von had never met him in person but chose to send him such a huge amount of money to "buy shares."
The guy had not even proposed a meeting location of his own.
And yet Von had accepted every claim without hesitation and arrived at his sister’s office to surprise her with the news that he would soon be her employer. This wasn’t even a sophisticated scam. It was a scam that practically came with warning labels. Yet Von fell for it...
Von, meanwhile, possessed the unshakable confidence of a man entirely incapable of imagining that he might be the mark.
"Here." He pulled out his phone and turned the screen toward Vivian.
"His profile."
Vivian accepted the device and studied the image. Her expression shifted almost immediately, from skepticism to concern.
"Von." She looked up. "This doesn’t look like a normal TikTuk profile."
"Because he’s at Emperor status, sis." Von sounded almost offended she needed the explanation. "You don’t reach Emperor status without spending an absurd amount of money on the platform. He has to be Streak. You can see the level indicator right there."
