The letter arrived by courier at Shaw Realty headquarters on Wednesday morning, official SEC letterhead making Caroline Mitchell's hands shake slightly as she read it. By noon, she was in Elias's office with Sera, the document spread on his desk like evidence at a crime scene."This is bad," Caroline said without preamble. "The SEC has opened a preliminary investigation into potential insider trading violations from 2023. They're requesting all financial records, trading activity, communications, and documentation of any property transactions you made that year."Elias stared at the letter, his face draining of color. "2023. That was the year Shaw Realty acquired the Parkside development.""A development you purchased three weeks before the city announced the new transit line that tripled property values in that area." Caroline pulled out another document—a complaint filed with the SEC. "Someone submitted evidence suggesting you had advance knowledge of the transit plans and used that

They sat in their living room long after the sun had set, the city lights glittering through the windows like distant stars. The folder lay on the coffee table between them—evidence of Dorian's crimes, proof that could end everything in their favor. Elias had been staring at it for over an hour. "Tell me what to do," he said finally, his voice raw with exhaustion and desperation. "Please, Sera. Just tell me what the right answer is." "I can't make this choice for you," she said quietly. "Why not? You've been making strategic decisions for months. You found Dorian's weakness. You filed the FTC complaint. You've been fighting this war as much as I have." His voice cracked slightly. "I need you to tell me if I should do this. If I should turn over evidence that will send a man's business to his ruins." "Because this isn't strategy, Elias. This isn't tactics or business warfare." Sera leaned forward, her eyes never leaving his. "This is about who you are as a person. And I can't te

Sera found him at eleven-thirty, sitting on the bathroom floor with his back against the tub, still wearing the suit he'd had on for eighteen hours. She'd woken to an empty bed and found him there, the bathroom light harsh against his exhausted face.She didn't say anything, just slid down to sit beside him on the cold tile.They stayed like that for a long time, shoulders touching, neither speaking. Through the door, the apartment was silent except for the distant hum of the city that never truly slept."Three more employees gave notice today," Elias finally said, his voice hollow. "Good people. People I've known for years. Dorian offered them packages we can't match, and they took them because they have mortgages and children and they can't afford to stay on a sinking ship."Sera took his hand. It was cold."The bank called. They're 'reassessing' our credit facility. Which means they're preparing to pull it entirely." He laughed, a sound with no humor in it. "Susan ran the numbers i

Caroline Mitchell called the emergency meeting for Wednesday afternoon, her voice on the phone carrying an urgency that Sera recognized immediately as either very good news or very bad. Given the past few weeks, she'd learned to expect the latter.But when the executive team assembled in the conference room, Caroline was smiling."Sentinel Global Properties reached out to us," she said without preamble. "They want to discuss a merger."The room went silent. Elias looked up sharply. "Sentinel? The European firm?""The same. They've been expanding into North American markets and are looking for an established partner with a strong local presence." Caroline pulled up a presentation on the screen. "They're offering a fifty-fifty partnership structure. Full capital infusion—enough to cover our debt, restore operations, and fund expansion. They bring international connections, we bring market knowledge and existing infrastructure."Susan Chen was already scrolling through documents on her t

The call came at nine PM on Friday, just as Sera and Elias were leaving the office. Caroline's voice was tight with controlled panic."We have a problem. A serious one. I need you both back in the conference room. Now."Twenty minutes later, they sat across from Caroline, who had documents spread across the table and an expression that suggested the world had just tilted sideways."Mrs. Andersen's investigators dug deeper" Caroline said without preamble. "They found the original marriage contract."Sera felt the blood drain from her face. Elias went very still beside her."What marriage contract?" Walter Harrison asked. He'd been called in as well, along with Susan Chen, both looking confused and concerned.Caroline pulled out a document—old, formal, bearing Preston Vance's signature alongside Elias's and Sera's. "The marriage arrangement Preston negotiated some years ago. When the company was failing, when he was desperate for someone to take over and save it. The contract stipulated