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Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 200
200Helen tried to return the smile, but it came out more strained than she intended. Her stomach churned, and her skin prickled with an ominous sense of foreboding that she couldn’t shake.Something was wrong. Her instincts, always so sharp when it came to business, were screaming at her. This wasn’t right.She glanced at the man who had spoken, trying to find some sign of warmth or sincerity. But there was none. Just cold professionalism. He didn’t seem to care that she’d just signed away a chunk of her life.The words echoed in her mind: “It’s a done deal. Congratulations.”Her hand trembled as she reached for the pen, signing the contract without hesitation. Was it a mistake? She couldn’t tell. She’d been briefed, she’d weighed the pros and cons, but now that it was done—now that the deal was final—she wasn’t sure she could even trust her own judgment anymore.“Thank you,” she said, her voice coming out softer than she had intended. Her eyes were on the paper in front of her, but
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 201
201Back to HelenHelen sat still, frozen in the middle of the conference room. The emptiness of the space around her seemed to echo her growing realization.Everything she had worked for. Everything she thought she knew.Had it all been a lie?The sinking feeling in her stomach spread like cold fire. She couldn’t ignore the dread anymore. It was a feeling that would stay with her—forever.The door clicked shut behind her, but the sound of the finality echoed in her mind.“God, what have I done?” she whispered to herself, the weight of her decisions pressing down on her chest. “How could I have been so blind?”She stared at the documents on the table. The ink seemed to mock her, the signatures binding her to something she didn’t fully understand. The deal had seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime—until it wasn’t. Now it was a trap, and she was the prey.Her phone buzzed on the table in front of her, but she didn’t pick it up immediately. Her hands were shaking too much. When she f
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 202
202Back at Jane’s ApartmentThe hallway outside her apartment was quiet, but Jane’s heart wasn’t. It thudded like a warning drum inside her chest as she reached her door and fumbled for her keys. Her fingers, usually so precise, felt clumsy against the cool metal. She finally slid the key into the lock and twisted, pushing the door open with a soft creak.The moment she stepped inside, she exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Her heels clicked on the hardwood as she moved forward, slowly closing the door behind her with a quiet click, then rested her forehead against the wood. It was cold, smooth, and grounding.The silence inside her apartment was eerie—thick, like a pause before something broke. The familiar lavender scent of the reed diffuser in the corner greeted her, but even that felt distant tonight. She slipped off her heels by the door, nudging them aside with the edge of her foot. The relief was immediate. Her toes ached, but her mind hurt more.She glanced
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203“I am right,” Lisa replied, sounding pleased with herself. “You need to stop second-guessing everything. You’re not Helen from twenty years ago, struggling to prove herself. You’re Jane White. CEO. Boss. And Bobby? He’s not just your business partner. He’s your partner, period. In every sense.”Jane exhaled through her nose, gripping her phone a little tighter as she leaned against the elevator’s mirrored wall. The ride up to the penthouse was smooth, soundless, too quiet for her thoughts. Lisa’s voice echoed even after she hung up, bouncing around the corners of her mind like a song on repeat.She stepped out onto the twelfth floor of the luxurious Westside tower and moved down the hallway, heels clicking sharply against polished marble. Her steps slowed as she reached her door—unit 12A. The keypad glowed soft blue under her fingertips as she punched in her code. With a soft hiss, the door unlocked.Inside, the apartment was dim, bathed in the amber hues of city lights filtering
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 204
204Dylan Grenville’s eyes flicked to the vibrating phone on the edge of his glass desk. The screen lit up with an unfamiliar number—no caller ID, just an empty sequence of digits that seemed to hum with menace.He hesitated.The air in his office felt heavier now, as if it were thickening with some unseen pressure. Outside the bulletproof glass windows of the high-rise, the city of Eridale glistened under the midnight rain, the skyline cut with static lightning. His pulse quickened, jaw tightening. Then—he hit accept.“Yeah?” he said, voice flat, cautious.For a moment, there was nothing—just static. A hiss, like radio silence stretched too thin. And then it came.A voice.Low. Gravelly. Mechanically distorted, as if dragged through sand and soaked in tar. Filtered, twisted—inhuman.“Mr. Grenville.”Dylan sat upright, every vertebrae snapping to attention as his spine stiffened. His fingers twitched toward the panic button under the desk, but he held off. His voice came out sharper,
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 205
205Jane’s apartment,The phone buzzed against the marble countertop, its soft vibration cutting through the heavy silence of the apartment. Jane turned from the window, where the city skyline glinted under the sinking sun, and eyed the screen with reluctant curiosity.Bobby.She hesitated only a second before swiping to answer.“Hey,” she said, her voice a little more tired than she intended.“Jane,” Bobby’s voice poured through, smooth, steady, and warm like whiskey on a winter night. “You home?”“Just walked in,” she replied, tugging her heels off one at a time. “What’s up?”“I was thinking…” he began, then paused. There was a quiet thud in the background. “No. Actually, I decided. We’re celebrating tonight.”Jane blinked, tossing her shoes aside. “Celebrating what?”“You,” he said simply. “You pulled off the impossible this quarter. The board knows it, I know it, and frankly, the city should know it too. So—champagne, skyline, music. My place. I want your mom and Adam there, too.
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 206
206The night deepened, wrapping the penthouse in a velvet hush, broken only by the soft clinking of glasses and the low hum of jazz playing in the background. From the corner of the room, floor-to-ceiling windows revealed a glittering skyline, the lights of the city twinkling like a thousand secrets waiting to be whispered.Jane stood by the minibar, swirling her champagne gently as she stared out the window. Behind her, the soft thrum of voices filled the space—laughter, banter, and just the right level of intoxicated excitement to make the room buzz without spinning out of control.Lisa appeared beside her like a ghost in heels, sipping her wine and smirking. “So… he’s pulling out all the stops. Private penthouse? Classy guest list? Jazz that sounds like it was handpicked by a man who owns three turtlenecks?”Jane gave her a look. “He doesn’t own a single turtleneck.”Lisa waved dismissively. “He feels like a man who could. Come on, Jane. Is this just a ‘you crushed the quarter’ pa
Rise Of The Phoenix: Dylan’s Rebirth 207
207Jane’s breath hitched as Bobby reached into his pocket again.The room, already hushed, seemed to freeze entirely. All eyes were locked on him—some mouths slightly agape, others tight with expectation. Lisa had both hands clasped under her chin like she was praying. Even the jazz from the corner speakers had faded out, as if the room itself held its breath.And then, slowly, deliberately, Bobby pulled something out.Not a ring box.A folded piece of paper.Lisa blinked, then narrowed her eyes. “Wait. That’s… not velvet.”The mood cracked like porcelain. A collective gasp followed by awkward chuckles and confused glances circled the table like ripples on a lake.Bobby didn’t seem fazed. He smiled that polished, camera-ready smile. “This one,” he said smoothly, waving the paper slightly, “isn’t for right now. I’ll ask it while we eat.”Lisa leaned toward Jane, her mouth close to her ear. “Did we just get emotionally blue-balled?”Jane tried to smile, but a pit had opened in her stom
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213“She finally divorced you,” Lisa said, the words slicing the air like glass. Her voice was calmer now, but only because she knew she’d drawn blood. “Finally. And thank God she did. Jane is building a life now—a future. Something you would have ruined if she’d stayed. You dragged her down long enough.”The words settled over the sidewalk like ash. A few onlookers had stopped, heads turning, phones subtly raised. The city had its own rhythm—cars hissing by on wet asphalt, neon lights flickering in windows—but all of it dimmed under Lisa’s voice.Dylan stood frozen for a beat too long. His hands curled into fists, not out of anger, but restraint. His heart pounded like a war drum behind his ribs. He wanted to yell, to peel back her lies in front of everyone, to lay out the complexities of what had really happened—what Jane had chosen to ignore, what she had run from long before any betrayal.But he knew how this would look.Lisa always knew how to hold a stage. How to paint herself i
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212Chapter 212 – Fractures at DawnThe city hadn’t fully woken up yet. Eridale slouched under the heavy gray hush of morning after rain, its streets glistening with residue from the night’s storm. Neon signs blinked over shuttered cafes, their distorted reflections swirling in rain-slicked puddles. A chill wind swept between the buildings, stirring discarded flyers and making everything feel just a little too quiet.Dylan pulled the collar of his coat higher against the cold, scanning the block as he and Lilith turned the corner onto Davlin Street. The wet asphalt whispered beneath their boots.“That’s it,” Lilith muttered beside him, nodding toward a narrow, unmarked door set between two upscale boutiques. “Veridian Bistro.”He followed her gaze. From the outside, it looked like nothing. Just another door in a city full of secrets. But Dylan knew better—Veridian was no ordinary bistro. It was a front. A meeting ground for people who didn’t like to be seen. High-end criminals, washed
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211The next morning came too quickly for Jane. The weight of the decision hung heavily over her, despite the calm façade she had tried to maintain. Her phone buzzed incessantly, messages from Lisa, Adam, and even Linda, all eager to confirm their plans to transfer their funds. The excitement from the previous night had only grown stronger with each passing hour, but Jane’s unease had deepened in equal measure.She couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being led down a path she shouldn’t follow, a path paved with promises and lies. As she scrolled through the group chat, her eyes caught a message from Bobby: “It’s all set. Ready when you are, Jane. Don’t let fear dictate your future. This is your chance.”The words sent a cold shiver down her spine. There it was again—the subtle pressure, the quiet threat wrapped in a smooth, convincing tone. Bobby was a master at this. He knew exactly how to manipulate people, how to make them think they were making their own choices while all alon
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210But then, there was Jane. She had barely spoken all evening, her quiet demeanor setting her apart from the rest. She had been sitting at the edge of the group, her eyes downcast, staring into her untouched champagne. Her fingers traced the rim of her glass absentmindedly as she listened to her friends talk about their investments, their dreams. It was so easy for them, so quick to jump in. But Jane wasn’t so sure. She could feel the unease creeping in, the tug in her gut telling her that something wasn’t right. They were so eager, so willing to throw everything into Bobby’s hands. So naïve.“You’re not worried about the risks?” she asked quietly, her voice almost lost amidst the chatter. The words seemed to hang in the air for a moment before Bobby’s eyes flicked toward her, catching the subtle challenge in her tone.Bobby’s smile didn’t falter. He leaned forward just enough to catch her gaze, his eyes dark and steady, like a predator eyeing its prey. “Worried? No,” he said, his v
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209 Adam looked up, his face a mask of calm. “I mean, what’s not to consider? Bobby’s offering us a seat at the table. You know how rare that is.” His words were matter-of-fact, but there was a certain eagerness in his eyes, a glimmer of excitement that he couldn’t hide. He was already sold. Linda, ever the practical one, nodded, her fingers tapping on the edge of her glass. “I don’t know. It sounds like a solid opportunity. Bobby’s track record speaks for itself.” The table was buzzing now, the tension thickening with every passing second. Jane felt herself shrinking in her seat. Everyone else was on board, their minds already made up. She was the only one left holding back, and she hated the feeling. But no matter how she tried, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Bobby was pulling the strings, drawing them all in like moths to a flame. She leaned back, rubbing her temples, trying to quiet the storm inside her head. The words kept swirling around, crashing into one another. “I
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208 “Wait,” Jane said slowly, her brow furrowing. “Didn’t you pitch something like this to ForwardTech last year? I remember the prototype.”Bobby blinked—just a fraction too long. His eyes darted around the table, landing on her for a beat longer than necessary. “That was… similar, but flawed. This one’s new. Better team. Better model.”Jane could sense the words slipping from his mouth too smoothly. It wasn’t the first time he’d said something that didn’t quite sit right with her, but this time there was something sharper in the air. A fine thread of doubt, like static crackling on the edge of a storm.Adam, who had been staring at the screen of his phone, looked up with a casual air that masked his curiosity. “What happened with ForwardTech, though? I remember the buzz last year. They were practically salivating over this.”Bobby shrugged, the motion too careful, too rehearsed. “They weren’t ready,” he said smoothly. “And frankly, their ethics were sketchy. I don’t want to work w
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207Jane’s breath hitched as Bobby reached into his pocket again.The room, already hushed, seemed to freeze entirely. All eyes were locked on him—some mouths slightly agape, others tight with expectation. Lisa had both hands clasped under her chin like she was praying. Even the jazz from the corner speakers had faded out, as if the room itself held its breath.And then, slowly, deliberately, Bobby pulled something out.Not a ring box.A folded piece of paper.Lisa blinked, then narrowed her eyes. “Wait. That’s… not velvet.”The mood cracked like porcelain. A collective gasp followed by awkward chuckles and confused glances circled the table like ripples on a lake.Bobby didn’t seem fazed. He smiled that polished, camera-ready smile. “This one,” he said smoothly, waving the paper slightly, “isn’t for right now. I’ll ask it while we eat.”Lisa leaned toward Jane, her mouth close to her ear. “Did we just get emotionally blue-balled?”Jane tried to smile, but a pit had opened in her stom
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206The night deepened, wrapping the penthouse in a velvet hush, broken only by the soft clinking of glasses and the low hum of jazz playing in the background. From the corner of the room, floor-to-ceiling windows revealed a glittering skyline, the lights of the city twinkling like a thousand secrets waiting to be whispered.Jane stood by the minibar, swirling her champagne gently as she stared out the window. Behind her, the soft thrum of voices filled the space—laughter, banter, and just the right level of intoxicated excitement to make the room buzz without spinning out of control.Lisa appeared beside her like a ghost in heels, sipping her wine and smirking. “So… he’s pulling out all the stops. Private penthouse? Classy guest list? Jazz that sounds like it was handpicked by a man who owns three turtlenecks?”Jane gave her a look. “He doesn’t own a single turtleneck.”Lisa waved dismissively. “He feels like a man who could. Come on, Jane. Is this just a ‘you crushed the quarter’ pa
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205Jane’s apartment,The phone buzzed against the marble countertop, its soft vibration cutting through the heavy silence of the apartment. Jane turned from the window, where the city skyline glinted under the sinking sun, and eyed the screen with reluctant curiosity.Bobby.She hesitated only a second before swiping to answer.“Hey,” she said, her voice a little more tired than she intended.“Jane,” Bobby’s voice poured through, smooth, steady, and warm like whiskey on a winter night. “You home?”“Just walked in,” she replied, tugging her heels off one at a time. “What’s up?”“I was thinking…” he began, then paused. There was a quiet thud in the background. “No. Actually, I decided. We’re celebrating tonight.”Jane blinked, tossing her shoes aside. “Celebrating what?”“You,” he said simply. “You pulled off the impossible this quarter. The board knows it, I know it, and frankly, the city should know it too. So—champagne, skyline, music. My place. I want your mom and Adam there, too.
