Codename Black: Rise of the Fallen Commander

Matter of Time

As time went on, Dorian quickly unleashed his anger. He used his media and underworld connections to spread lies that tarnished Victoria’s reputation. Rumors spread rapidly through gossip columns, anonymous online sources, and whispers among the elite. Victoria Hale, once a respected member of a prestigious family, was now portrayed as a scandalous woman involved with a dangerous ex-convict, accused of being a murderer.

Victoria's phone buzzed nonstop with messages from friends, family, and even acquaintances, all asking if the rumors were true. Some were curious, others disgusted, but most were scornful. The public had turned against her in an instant. News outlets reported on her supposed affair, complete with fake “evidence” of secret meetings with Alexander, branding him a notorious criminal hiding behind a false identity. Every detail was twisted to fit Dorian’s story.

Sitting on the bed in their hotel suite, Victoria looked pale, her eyes red from crying for hours. Alexander stood by the window, arms crossed, watching the city lights flicker in the distance. He had witnessed the destructive power of influence before, but he hadn’t expected Dorian to strike so viciously, so quickly, and so stupidly.

“They’re calling me a w***e,” Victoria whispered, her voice barely above a murmur. “They think I’d sleep with a killer just to escape my marriage. My family… they’ll never forgive me.”

Her phone buzzed again, this time with a venomous message from her cousin Kingsley: “You’ve disgraced us. Don’t ever come back.”

Victoria dropped the phone as if it had burned her, burying her face in her hands. She thought she could handle the fallout, that she could endure her family’s disapproval, but this was different. It was humiliation beyond anything she had imagined.

Alexander moved from the window and sat beside her on the bed, gently placing a hand on her back to comfort her.

“Victoria, you need to be strong,” he said softly. “This is exactly what Dorian wants—he’s trying to break you. He’s testing how far you’ll go before you give in and return to him.”

“I can’t… I don’t know how to fix this,” she cried, her voice trembling. “Everyone believes the lies. Even my own family—”

“This is only the beginning,” Alexander interrupted, his tone calm but serious. “Dorian will push harder. He’ll try to isolate you, to destroy your reputation and ties to your family. He’s playing a long game, but we can play one too.”

Victoria looked up at him, her tear-streaked face filled with despair. “How can I fight back against someone as powerful as Dorian?”

“We don’t fight him the way he expects,” Alexander said, his voice growing more determined. “He wants to drag you down, make you panic and desperate. But we stay calm and smart, using the truth to our advantage. I’m not the man he’s painted me to be, and we’re not what he claims. We’ll expose him for who he really is, but it’ll take time.”

Victoria wiped her eyes, trying to find strength in his words. “But my family—what about them? They’ll hate me even more now.”

“Let them,” Alexander said bluntly. “You don’t need their approval right now. You need to survive this storm. I promise you, Victoria, we’ll come out of it stronger.”

She stared at him, taking in the steely resolve in his expression. In that moment, she realized that while she had lost so much—her family, her reputation, her place in society—she hadn’t lost Alexander. He stood beside her, unwavering even when the world turned against her. Slowly, she nodded, though fear and uncertainty still clung to her like a shadow.

“What do we do now?” she asked, her voice steadier but still fragile.

“We prepare,” Alexander replied, his eyes narrowing. “First, we need to get out of the public eye for a while. I’ve made arrangements for us to lay low. Then… we gather our resources. Dorian’s not the only one with connections. I have allies too, and we’ll hit him where it hurts.”

Victoria sniffed, wiping away the last of her tears. “And my family?”

“They’ll come around once the truth is out,” Alexander said firmly. “But right now, you need to accept that they’re not your priority. You are. Protect yourself first. Everything else will follow.”

She nodded, trying to find the courage to trust his lead. For now, it seemed her only option was to rely on Alexander and his plan.

As she stood up to pack their belongings and move to a safer location, she glanced back at him. Despite the chaos surrounding them, his confidence made her feel safer than she had in days.

***

Without Victoria knowing, Alexander had already started his quiet attack on the Blackwoods. His fingers moved quickly over the keyboard of his secure laptop, as he carefully put together a file of sensitive and damaging information about Dorian Blackwood and his family's deep ties to organized crime. Thanks to his military connections and former underworld allies, Alexander had access to information far beyond what Dorian or Lord Edward could imagine.

Leaning back in his chair, Alexander chuckled and shook his head. “Dorian Blackwood, you arrogant fool. You think you're untouchable because of your money and connections, but you've made one big mistake—you underestimated me.”

Alexander's thoughts sharpened like he was planning an aerial battle. “You’ve treated this like a chess game, with Victoria as just a pawn to be used. But what you don’t get, Dorian, is that I’m not playing by your rules.”

He stood up, stretched his tense muscles from sitting at the computer for hours, and walked to the window to look at the quiet night outside.

“I’ve always been five steps ahead, Dorian,” he whispered. “You can’t win when you’re already behind.”

The Blackwoods had power and influence, no doubt. They had built such a complicated web of corruption that it could take a lifetime to break apart—but Alexander didn’t need a lifetime.

"All I need is one perfectly timed move, and their whole empire will collapse."

He continued working silently, while Victoria, tired and emotionally worn out, rested in the next room of the small, hidden safe house Heinrich had secured for them. Every keystroke was another piece of the puzzle falling into place—names of associates, trails of laundered money, illegal contracts, and shady deals that reached across the globe.

He worked carefully, knowing that even one wrong move could warn Dorian before the right time. But when the moment came, the information would be undeniable, powerful enough to destroy the Blackwood family's empire from within.

Once he was satisfied with the file, Alexander encrypted it and sent it anonymously to a trusted group of law enforcement officers known for their honesty and resistance to corruption. He made sure no one could trace the information back to him. Once the authorities received the file, it would spark a legal investigation that would make Dorian's life far more difficult than he could have imagined.

But this was just the start. Dorian had tried to ruin Victoria with lies and manipulation, but he hadn’t expected someone like Alexander—someone with more power and smarts—to be quietly taking apart his life behind the scenes. The legal authorities were just the first strike. Alexander knew he needed to hit Dorian from several directions. The Blackwoods were powerful, with deep connections, but even the strongest empires had weak spots.

As Alexander closed his laptop and stood up, he looked toward the room where Victoria was resting. He hadn’t told her about this part of the plan. She was already dealing with a lot, and he didn’t want her to worry about the risks he was taking for her. For now, it was better if she didn’t know. This was not her game. It was best for her to play something else.

Business...

Alexander walked to the window, staring out into the quiet night as his mind raced with plans. He would have to move carefully, using both his old and new allies. It was a risky game, but one he knew all too well. The Blackwoods wouldn’t realize what was happening until it was too late.

A soft noise behind him broke his thoughts. Victoria stood in the doorway, her eyes still swollen from crying, but there was a new determination in her gaze. She had sensed the tension.

"Are you planning something?" she asked, her voice cautious but curious.

Alexander turned to face her, his expression calm and unreadable. He stepped closer, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I’m always planning something," he replied with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood. But Victoria didn’t smile. She knew him too well by now and could see through his attempt to dodge the question.

"You're keeping things from me," she said softly, not accusing him, just worried.

With a sigh, Alexander placed his hands on her shoulders. "Victoria, there’s a lot happening that you don’t need to stress about right now. I promised I’d protect you, and I’m keeping that promise. But some things are better left unsaid until the time is right."

She bit her lip, torn between trusting him and feeling helpless. "I just… I don’t want you doing anything reckless, Alex. We’re already in so much trouble."

"I know," he said gently. "But you just need to rest and trust that I’ve got everything under control."

Victoria hesitated, then slowly nodded. She wanted to believe in his strength. "Okay."

"Good," he said, locking eyes with her. "Because the next few days are going to change everything."

She didn’t fully understand what that meant, but the confidence in his voice reassured her. With a final, comforting smile, Alexander watched her return to the bedroom. Once she was gone, his expression hardened again. The plan was already in motion, and soon, Dorian Blackwood would realize his power was slipping away.

It was only a matter of time.