2025-06-11 00:02:58The conference hall was packed. Cameras lined the back wall. Reporters jostled for position, and their faces glowed with anticipation.
Every seat was filled—investors, city officials, business rivals, and more. Sarah could feel the heat of every eye on her. She stood at Charles’s side, just a little behind him, hands folded. Her dress was crisp white, her makeup perfect. She’d practiced her smile in the mirror for hours, but her lips still trembled at the edges.Charles, on the other hand, looked like he’d been born for this spotlight—tall, confident, suit pressed so sharp it could cut glass. Charles stepped up to the podium and adjusted the microphone. The crowd quieted. “Thank you, everyone, for coming,” he began, voice smooth and steady. “We’re here today not just to welcome Sarah Chen back, but to celebrate new beginnings for this city.” Reporters raised their phones. Flashbulbs popped. The tension i
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123
The rain had stopped, but the city still looked gray and tired. Brent sat at the kitchen table, stirring instant coffee that had gone cold. James stood by the window, phone in hand, mouth twisted in a frown. “Brent, you’re going to want to see this,” James said. Brent didn’t look up. “Let me guess. More headlines?” James nodded. “It’s everywhere. Sarah’s new company just cut their prices again. She’s poaching clients left and right.” Sophia walked in, holding a stack of papers. Her hair was up, her eyes sharp. “Three more clients just left us for her. They’re posting about it on social media. Saying we’re finished. That you’re finished.” Brent finally looked up, his face calm. “Let them talk. Let her enjoy it.” James shook his head, scrolling through his phone. “It’s not just talk, Brent. She’s undercutting us on everything. Cleaning contracts, security, logistics. She’s eve
122
It was a cold morning. Brent watched the drizzle run down the window. Out there, somewhere, Sarah was probably throwing champagne in a gold-plated glass, celebrating his “downfall.” Charles was right beside her, no doubt. Robert Chen would be grinning too. Brent’s phone was blowing up. Headlines everywhere. “Sarah Chen & Charles Walker: The New Power Couple of the City?” He scrolled through the news, every article nastier than the last. They’d bought journalists, paid trolls, even staged a protest in front of Sophia’s foundation. He read it all with a blank face. James came in, holding a mug of instant coffee. “They think they’ve got you cornered,” he said, grinning. “Charles is on TV right now, talking about ‘ethical business’.” Brent shook his head. “Charles talking about ethics. Now I’ve seen everything.” James snorted. “Don’t worry. Sophia’s playing her part. She’s on the boa
121
The city had never seen anything quite like Chen Walker Holdings. Their new headquarters rose like a monument in the heart of downtown—a shimmering glass tower, all sharp corners and blinding reflections. It dwarfed every building around it, as if Sarah and Charles had built it just to remind the world that they could. On opening day, a sea of drones hovered overhead, broadcasting the event on every social feed in the city. A red carpet snaked from the curb to the doors, lined with velvet ropes and paparazzi. It was less a business debut and more a royal coronation. Sarah stood at the center of it all. Her suit was crisp, white as snow, her hair perfectly styled, her heels high enough to hurt but steady enough to make her look invincible. Cameras snapped, reporters shouted her name, and she smiled for each lens with the poise of someone who’d won and lost everything and learned
120
The rain started just after midnight, tapping the windows of Brent Walker’s study with a restless rhythm. The air outside was heavy. Brent stood by the window, hands in his pockets. Inside, the mansion was quiet, but not empty. In the living room, James slouched on the leather sofa, laptop open and a pile of files spread across the coffee table. Sophia—sharp-eyed, always thinking—sat on the rug in front of the fire, sorting through reports. Across from her, Lucy and Adams played chess. Their moves were slow and wary, as if they were negotiating more than just pawns and rooks. Brent watched the city lights flicker, the distant thunder rolling in. His jaw was set, his eyes cold. He hadn’t said much since the gala started. He didn’t have to. The whole team felt the storm coming. James looked up from his screen, catching Brent’s eye. “They’re still at it,” he said, nodding toward the television, wh
119
The Chen family had never done subtle. Not when it came to power, not when it came to saving face, and certainly not when it came to welcoming Sarah back into the world of the living. So when Robert Chen announced a gala—the first in the city since Sarah’s release—it was less an invitation and more a declaration: We’re back. And this time, we’re untouchable. The city’s elite flocked to the grand ballroom of the Imperial Tower, the same chandeliered palace where Sarah once made headlines for her charitable “philanthropy.” Tonight, the air was heavy with perfume, the walls echoing with laughter that didn’t quite reach anyone’s eyes. Sarah stood at the top of the marble staircase, her mother fussing over her hair with trembling, jeweled fingers. “You look perfect, darling,” her mother whispered, smoothing a stray strand into place. “Remember, no matter what they say, tonight is about you. About us. They want a show—give them one.”
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The conference hall was packed. Cameras lined the back wall. Reporters jostled for position, and their faces glowed with anticipation. Every seat was filled—investors, city officials, business rivals, and more. Sarah could feel the heat of every eye on her. She stood at Charles’s side, just a little behind him, hands folded. Her dress was crisp white, her makeup perfect. She’d practiced her smile in the mirror for hours, but her lips still trembled at the edges. Charles, on the other hand, looked like he’d been born for this spotlight—tall, confident, suit pressed so sharp it could cut glass. Charles stepped up to the podium and adjusted the microphone. The crowd quieted. “Thank you, everyone, for coming,” he began, voice smooth and steady. “We’re here today not just to welcome Sarah Chen back, but to celebrate new beginnings for this city.” Reporters raised their phones. Flashbulbs popped. The tension i
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