My Revenge Begins With a Divorce

Chapter 3: The Sovereign’s Court

"He wants to know if you think Julian’s head will look better in gold or silver."

The messenger’s voice faded into the sound of the pouring rain, leaving Sarah Miller paralyzed in the filthy alleyway. She watched the screen as the massive wrecking ball smashed through the glass of her office. The Miller Group logo, the symbol of her pride, shattered into a thousand jagged pieces.

"No! Stop it! My files! My life is in that building!" Sarah shrieked.

The man in the hoodie didn't answer. He simply folded the tablet and stepped back into the shadows. "The Young Master says the trash belongs in the bin, Ms. Miller. You should start looking for yours."

"Wait! Come back! Give me your phone! I need to call him!"

Sarah lunged forward, but her high heels caught in a drain cover. she fell hard, her silk gown soaking up the stagnant water of the gutter. When she looked up, the alley was empty. Only the distant sound of her own crumbling empire echoed in the night.

Meanwhile, five miles away, a fleet of thirty black armored SUVs carved through the city traffic like a silent, predatory shark. At the center of the motorcade was a custom-built Rolls-Royce Phantom with tinted windows that could stop an anti-tank missile.

Inside the car, Leon Ardent sat in total silence. The cheap polyester suit was gone, replaced by a hand-tailored charcoal three-piece suit that cost more than a Miller Group subsidiary. He stared at a digital display embedded in the armrest, watching the real-time liquidation of the Vance Group.

"The police have Julian Vance in custody, Young Master," Albert said from the front seat. "His father is currently begging for a heart attack in a holding cell. Should we proceed with the silver platter order?"

"It was a metaphor, Albert," Leon said, his voice cold and resonant. "But make sure he never sees the sun again. I want him to rot in a cell where no one knows his name."

"Understood, sir. And the woman?"

"Sarah?" Leon tilted his head. "Let her watch. Let her see everything she ever wanted vanish bit by bit. Taking her life would be a mercy. I want her to have a long, long life of poverty."

The motorcade turned into a private road blocked by a massive steel gate. Beyond it lay the Sovereign Estate, a fortress of glass and steel perched on the highest cliff overlooking Northwood City. As the cars pulled into the courtyard, hundreds of men and women in professional attire stood in perfect rows, their heads bowed.

As the car door opened, a woman stepped forward. She wasn't like Sarah. She didn't wear diamonds to prove her worth. She wore a simple, elegant white suit that radiated power. This was Elena Thorne, the woman who held the strings of the city’s legal and political world.

She didn't speak. She walked to the car door and knelt on one knee on the damp pavement.

"Welcome home, My Lord," Elena said, her voice steady and filled with genuine reverence.

"Rise, Elena," Leon said, stepping out of the car. "I heard you had a busy night at the Hilton."

Elena stood up, a small, professional smile on her lips. "It was a pleasure to serve the papers, sir. Watching Ms. Miller realize her mistake was the highlight of my career."

"Is the council waiting?" Leon asked, walking toward the grand entrance.

"The heads of the top ten conglomerates are in the War Room," Elena replied, falling into step half a pace behind him. "They have been sitting in silence for two hours. None of them dared to drink the water we provided."

"Good," Leon said. "They should be thirsty. They’ve been drinking from the Ardent Syndicate’s well for three years while I was gone. It’s time to see who is loyal and who needs to be replaced."

They entered the War Room, a massive circular chamber with a panoramic view of the city. Ten of the most powerful men in the country stood up instantly as Leon entered. These were men who could crash a national economy with a single tweet, yet their hands were visibly shaking.

"Please, sit," Leon said, taking his place at the head of the long obsidian table.

No one sat.

"I said, sit," Leon repeated, his voice dropping an octave.

The sound of ten chairs pulling back at the same time filled the room. Leon leaned back, his eyes scanning the faces of the billionaires.

"Three years," Leon began, tapping his fingers on the table. "I spent three years living in a house smaller than this room. I spent three years being called a dog by a woman whose father used to beg for my family’s scraps. And during those three years, I noticed something interesting."

The CEO of Northwood Bank swallowed hard. "Young Master, we didn't know you were in the city! If we had known—"

"If you had known, you would have been even more terrified," Leon interrupted. "But that isn't the point. While I was gone, the Miller Group received three massive loans without collateral. Loans that were backed by Syndicate funds. Who authorized those?"

The room went deathly silent.

"I asked a question," Leon said.

"It was... it was the Vance Group, sir," the CEO of Global Tech stammered. "Julian Vance claimed he had your blessing. He said the Millers were part of the Ardent expansion plan."

"And you believed a boy who spends his weekends on yachts with models?" Leon’s eyes flashed with a dangerous light. "Or did you just want a piece of the pie?"

"We were misled!" another man cried out.

"Elena," Leon said without looking at her.

"Yes, My Lord?"

"Which of these men took a kickback from the Miller Group?"

Elena tapped her tablet, and a holographic list appeared in the center of the table. Three names were highlighted in red. The men identified turned pale. One of them actually fell out of his chair.

"Sir! It was a mistake! I’ll give it all back! Ten times over!" the fallen man pleaded, crawling toward Leon’s feet.

"You won't give anything back," Leon said, looking down at the billionaire. "Because you no longer have anything. Your assets were seized the moment I stepped into this room. You are no longer a CEO. You are a debtor."

"Guards," Elena commanded.

Four soldiers entered and dragged the three men out. Their screams for mercy echoed down the hall until the heavy doors slammed shut.

"Now," Leon said, looking at the remaining seven CEOs. "Let’s talk about the future of this city. The Miller Group will be a parking lot by tomorrow. The Vance Group is being absorbed. That leaves a lot of empty space in the market."

"We will follow whatever direction you set, Young Master," the Bank CEO said, his forehead dripping with sweat.

"I want you to invest in the Thorne family," Leon said, gesturing toward Elena. "From this day forward, Elena Thorne is my proxy in Northwood. Her word is my word. Her enemies are my enemies."

Elena bowed her head slightly. "I am honored, My Lord."

"There is one more thing," Leon said. "I need a personal assistant. Someone who knows the city’s underbelly but hasn't been corrupted by it yet."

"I have already prepared a list of candidates, sir," Elena said.

"No," Leon said, standing up. "I’ll find my own. I want to see how the city reacts to the news first. I want to see who tries to climb the Miller family’s empty throne."

"Leon!" a voice screamed from the hallway outside.

Leon paused. He recognized that voice. It was raw, desperate, and filled with a madness that only comes from losing everything.

"It seems our guest has arrived at the gates," Albert said, looking at a security monitor.

"She actually followed the motorcade?" Leon asked, a look of genuine amusement on his face.

"She crashed her car into the perimeter fence, sir," Albert replied. "She is currently being held by the guards at the main gate. She is demanding to see her husband."

Leon walked to the window and looked down at the distant gate. Even from this height, he could see the tiny figure of a woman in a red dress being held back by two soldiers.

"She still thinks I am her husband," Leon whispered. "She still thinks there is a heart left to break."

"Shall I have her removed, sir?" Elena asked, her hand moving toward her radio. "The police can take her for trespassing."

"No," Leon said. "Bring her in. I want the council to see what happens to someone who treats the Sovereign like trash."

"Are you sure, My Lord?" Elena asked, her eyes showing a hint of concern. "She might cause a scene."

"That is exactly why I want her here," Leon said. "I want her to see me on this throne. I want her to realize that the man who cooked her breakfast was the same man who can delete her from history."

Five minutes later, the doors to the War Room flew open. Sarah Miller was dragged in by two guards. Her dress was torn, her hair was a mess of wet tangles, and her makeup was smeared across her face like a war paint of despair.

She stopped in the center of the room, panting heavily. Her eyes darted from the billionaires she used to worship to the woman in white standing next to the throne. Finally, her gaze landed on Leon.

"Leon!" she gasped, her voice cracking. "Leon, please! You have to stop them! They are destroying the office! My father... they took my father!"

Leon didn't say a word. He sat on the obsidian chair, his hands folded under his chin.

"Leon, talk to me!" Sarah screamed, trying to lunged forward before the guards pinned her back. "I know you’re mad about Julian! I’ll never see him again! I’ll sign a paper! I’ll do anything! Just give me back my life!"

Leon finally spoke, his voice echoing with a power that made the billionaires in the room flinch.

"Your life, Sarah?"

"Yes! My company! My house! We can start over! We can go back to how it was!"

Leon stood up and walked toward her. He stopped just inches away, looking down at her with eyes that held no anger, only an infinite, freezing void.

"How it was?" Leon asked. "You mean the nights I spent waiting for you while you were in Julian’s bed? You mean the days your mother called me a dog while you laughed?"

"I was wrong! I was confused!"

Leon reached out and gently lifted a strand of her wet hair. "You weren't confused, Sarah. You were greedy. You thought you found a bigger mountain to climb, so you kicked the one you were standing on."

"Leon, I love you!" Sarah sobbed, her tears mixing with the rain on her cheeks.

Leon leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear. The billionaires held their breath. Elena Thorne tightened her grip on her tablet.

"Do you know what the phoenix represents, Sarah?" Leon whispered.

"Rebirth?" she gasped, a spark of hope in her eyes.

"No," Leon said. "It represents a fire that consumes everything until only ashes remain."

He stepped back and looked at the guards.

"Throw her out," Leon commanded. "And tell the media that the Miller family is no longer under the protection of the Ardent name. Let the vultures have what’s left."

"Leon! No! Please!" Sarah wailed as she was dragged away. "I’m your wife! Leon!"

As the doors closed on her screams, Leon turned back to the room. The billionaires were all looking at the floor, terrified to make eye contact.

"Now," Leon said, sitting back down. "Where were we?"

Elena stepped forward, her eyes glowing with admiration. "We were discussing the new headquarters, sir. And... the invitation."

"The invitation?" Leon asked.

"The Thorne family gala next week," Elena said. "The entire country will be there. They are all asking the same question."

"And what is that?"

Elena looked at him, a bold smile on her lips. "They want to know if the Sovereign is looking for a new Queen."