The morning sun rose over New York, but for Richard Vance, the world was shrouded in darkness. He sat on a cold stone bench in a public park, his expensive suit rumpled and stained. Stella was gone; she had fled the moment she realized Richard had no hidden cash left, leaving him with nothing but a bitter goodbye. He had gone from being the most powerful CEO in the city to a homeless fugitive in less than twenty-four hours.
Suddenly, three black SUVs screeched to a halt in front of the park. Before Richard could even stand up, six men in dark suits surrounded him. But they weren't the police.
One of the men stepped forward, holding a tablet. "Richard Vance? You are required for questioning regarding the 'Phoenix Holdings' acquisition. But first, there is someone who wants to say goodbye."
He turned the tablet screen toward Richard. It was a live video feed from Aurora's office—the very office that used to be his. Aurora was sitting in his chair, slowly sipping coffee.
"Do you like the view, Richard?" she asked, her voice calm and chilling. "From the top of the world to the dirt of a park bench. It's a long fall, isn't it?"
"You... you won't get away with this!" Richard hissed, his eyes bloodshot. "I'll tell everyone what you did! How you manipulated the board!"
"Go ahead," Aurora invited with a shrug. "But while you're talking, the police are arriving at your current location with a warrant for embezzlement, fraud, and the wrongful imprisonment of Emily Thorne. I've already submitted the original ledgers you thought you burned. The ones that prove you stole from my father even before he died."
Richard's face went white. He felt the cold metal of handcuffs being snapped onto his wrists. The police had arrived.
"Goodbye, Richard," Aurora said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Rot in the hell you built for me."
As Richard was dragged away, screaming and cursing, Aurora closed the tablet. The room was silent, but her heart wasn't at peace yet. She had destroyed her enemy, but the void in her life remained. She walked to the window, staring at the city, when a sudden knock on the door broke her thoughts.
"Ms. Vance," Mr. Hayes said, his voice unusually tense. "There is a man downstairs. He says he represents the 'Vanguard Group'. He claims you are occupying his building."
Aurora frowned. "Vanguard Group? I bought this entire block. Who is he?"
"His name is Xavier Black," Hayes replied. "And he says he doesn't care about your contracts. He wants you out by midnight."