The Traps of Black Swan

Chapter 109 - Black Mark

Billy Craft ignored his painful cheek, a swelling eye circling with darkness, and laughed awkwardly, he apologized without sincerity so that he could escape from them, "Hahaha... My old age got me there. Sorry, I should leave. Hahaha." He needed to escape but the composure he showed had sweat dripping from his forehead, his hands were very clammy and trembling as he gritted his teeth looking for his secretary.

The fakeness was too prominent in his tone and stiff face therefore it was easier to understand. Yet Aarvi thought the youngsters might leave him considering him as at the age of their father. This much drama was enough for her to subdue an insect-like Billy Craft.

Probably it was her stroke of good luck, the things wanted to be easier for her. The reporters arranged in the mall had just witnessed the scene and were getting happy for the hot news. Firstly, Billy Craft is the president of a known company and had a public image to maintain. Secondly, the girls he commented on and checked out were of his daughter, Mia Craft's age. Mia Craft is a celebrity who always strived for a goddess image in the entertainment industry. Hence there was going to be a huge drama.

That's exactly what Aarvi planned. Tarnish the image of the Craft family - In the process.

While many felt it was the end and Billy tried to leave but he was blocked by a young man who held his collar and asked sharply, "You are searching for a graceful lady and you don't know how she looks. Why are you searching for her? To harass?"

Then everyone became enraged with their thoughts running wildly. A girl commented worriedly, "What if that girl is alone?"

A girl cowered next to her boyfriend saying, "He creeps me out to even walk alone anywhere."

"He is a dirty old man lusting over the young woman."

"Perverts like him should rot in the prison."

While the comments went on, Aarvi didn't feel sorry for Billy Craft even if the group might end Billy in the hospital or prison. Killing a person or supporting the person who harms deserves the same punishment. Billy is part of many of Leon Harmon's deeds and an eye witness for what Ava Kelly went through.

The news reporters who were just snapping pictures of Billy Craft started recording the video and some even started the live streaming on the media pages.

Aarvi nonchalantly shifted her left side hair parting to the right side covering her left side view from any camera that might capture her profile. She faced the disguised man in the waiter uniform who was watching her instead of the crowd and mishaps.

"You should be saving the man over there, isn't that your duty?" Aarvi asked and sipped her lime water without a hint of faze.

"Why are you hiding your identity?" That man asked controlling his urge to remove her sunglasses but the response he got was a pure smile causing him to lower his head.

...

While Aarvi and the man sat with unfathomable expressions, Billy Craft was shouting for his secretary to save him, "Jack... Jack... Jack... Where the f*ck are you?"

'Pooh' A young man swung his fist and punched the jawline of Billy.

'Ahhh...' That was a pretty hard blow on Billy who stumbled on his feet and fell down squeezing his eyes shut and his face turned to a grimace. Probably it was a simple and obvious decision by Billy that he had no chance and no point in retaliation which might end him up even more brutally. 

Another man kicked Billy without mercy and it followed, many started kicking or punching him as they cursed the middle-aged man.

Billy curled up covering his face, pressing his hands on his head, swallowing the pain. The best he could do is to wait and it is his only option until the help arrives. 

The sharp pain was becoming increasingly difficult for him to just bear with it and started shrieking in anguish. Unintendedly, images of a pale girl started flashing in his mind. She had desperately tried to relieve herself screaming in agony when he was kicking and laughing at her. His body shook violently remembering how much she had suffered before they had killed her.

He had removed all his frustration and hatred of Leon from a powerless girl without caring why she reached under the hands of cruel Leon Harmon and others. Probably he had never seen Leon Harmon brutally kill anybody other than her.

He strongly felt it was his retribution when her bloody petite face kept repeating in his mind even after the mall security quickly saved him.

The security guard tried to talk to him, "Sir... Sir... Are you alright? Sir, can you hear me?" They got no response other than seeing his widened eyes and his body trembling profusely as though he was in freezing cold.

The security guard asked his colleague to call the mobile clinic doctor who will be in the mall and call for an ambulance.

The ones who thought themselves as righteous for punishing him started commenting without care about the people recording or live broadcasting. "This jerk must be acting to get mercy and escape."

"The molesters like him should be thrown into the prison."

"Let him die here, why to waste a doctor's time on him?"

Between the curses of them, a reporter asked a man to exactly know the situation, "Excuse me, Sir, Could please tell us what President Craft did that you all are angered at him?"

A person next to the man told in fury, "He was harassing and passing lewd comments on girls openly. Do you want us to honor him for it?"

"How dare he look down on us?"

"Such abusers should be punished in the public to teach lessons to others." 

Again all started throwing their remarks without catching the identity of the person as Billy Craft, the president of Craft limited.

A doctor quickly reached with his kit and checked on Billy'ssenses and the bruises before instructing the guards, "He is in shock, the bruises are only external. Take him to the infirmary, he will recover soon."

Soon Billy was shifted to the infirmary instead of a hospital, the media outlets gathered as much information they could before dispersing.

Similarly, the netizens who watched the live stream of the latter part were really confused until the title appeared, 'President Craft of Craft limited harassed young women.'

'Mia Craft's father is an abuser.'

'Leon Harmon's close business associate turned out to be a womanizer.'

'Mall of Mocon: A shareholder on loose.'

'First black mark on Mall of Mocon.'

'Middleaged man lusting over young women.'

The interesting and interactive titles went on. Before Craft PR could start their work, the news blew up excluding the ones which are against Mall of Mocon. 

Aarvi had expected the negatives on Mall on Mocon too hence her plan was very subtle informing her PR team to be prepared in precaution. Anyhow it became huge and her team worked wiping out the news against Mall of Mocon and replacing them with how the security acted on time.

In Skylar International headquarters, Dax had just reached the office and was notified about the situation so he quickly watched the live stream. Then he understood why there was a clause 'A shareholder has to drop all his shares if his reputation and his act bring black mark on the Mall of Mocon.'

To keep up with Aarvi's flow, he quickly arranged the PR statement against Billy in favor of Mall of Mocon and legal notice for Billy Craft, furthermore, he also prepared a cheque to buy shares at a lower rate from Billy Craft. He will strike while the iron is hot without letting the iron to find the water and turn the game around, that is without letting Billy find a way out and sell the shares to somebody else.

While Aarvi was in an action, he became words to it managing fluidly. Of course, he wouldn't let any little or hard work of her go in vain. After handling his side and calling the emergency meeting, he quickly hopped on his car instructing his secretary, "Mall of Mocon." 

His plan? Gain the shares right after Billy composes.

He also messaged Aarvi, [My Dum Dum is fantastic.]

--- In Mall of Mocon Cafe ---

Aarvi looked at the man in front of her. How could it be difficult for her to identify a military man in a waiter dress? She would have ignored him if he hadn't spoken to her but got caught easily. He wasn't a man who she had seen when Nico had followed her and she also didn't care if anybody else was watching her.

Her Shadow team missed this man because he didn't actually follow her but guessed accurately where she could go and waited for her.

'Her Identity?' Aarvi sweetly smiled without knowing if he was Nico's man or somebody else. "Excuse me?"

He lowered his head and a flicker of hesitation passed on his face before speaking, "If... If I had believed you that day, you wouldn't have gone missing and..." 'died!? but she is alive.' He didn't complete without getting the right word to describe her situation that was purely his analysis.

Aarvi clenched her fist identifying the man right away. How could she forget him? She would have been saved if he trusted her and her words. Her nails dug deeper into her palm imprinting the red crescents that started changing to purple while her serenity remained.