Five years. Five long years, and the name Emily Thorne was all but forgotten in the glittering corporate world of New York. But the name Aurora Vance? That name was whispered with a mix of awe and fear. She was the enigmatic CEO of 'Phoenix Holdings,' a global conglomerate that had risen from obscurity in a remarkably short time, snapping up struggling companies and turning them into goldmines. No one had ever seen her face, only heard her commands through her equally mysterious assistant.
Today, however, Aurora Vance was making her grand debut.
She stepped out of the black limousine, a vision of power in a tailored charcoal suit that sculpted her athletic frame. Her hair, once a soft brown, was now a deep, lustrous black, pulled back in a severe, elegant ponytail. Dark sunglasses hid her eyes, but her posture exuded an aura of untouchable confidence.
The destination was the annual 'Business Elite Gala,' held in the very same ballroom where her life had imploded. As she walked in, the chattering crowd fell silent. Whispers followed her: "Is that Aurora Vance?" "But she never shows her face!"
Her gaze swept across the opulent room, cool and unblinking behind her shades. She spotted them immediately: Richard Vance, looking older, a hint of desperation in his eyes, now struggling to maintain Thorne Industries (which he had renamed 'Vance Industries'). Beside him, Stella, her face still pretty but with a visible hardness, clutched his arm possessively. Their company was failing, teetering on the brink of collapse. Perfect.
Richard noticed her. His eyes, usually arrogant, narrowed in confusion, then slight apprehension. He had never seen her before, yet something about her presence unsettled him.
Aurora approached them, her heels clicking softly on the marble floor. She removed her sunglasses, revealing eyes that were no longer the soft, warm brown he remembered, but sharp, calculating emeralds.
Stella gasped, her champagne glass slipping from her fingers, shattering on the floor. "Emily?" she choked, her face paling.
Richard's face drained of all color. He stared at her, utterly speechless, his mind struggling to reconcile the broken girl he'd sent to prison with this formidable, stunning woman who radiated an undeniable power.
Aurora smiled. It wasn't the sweet, genuine smile of the past, but a predatory curve of her lips that promised destruction. "Hello, Richard. Stella. Did you miss me?"
The game had officially begun. And this time, she was playing to win.