Chapter 13 - The Betrayal Within
Panic swept through the board members like wildfire. Seeing Sterling’s paper fortress collapse in seconds, the remaining directors scrambled to distance themselves from the hostile takeover attempt. One by one, they pushed their chairs back, abandoning Sterling to his fate.
"This isn't over, Alexander!" Sterling snarled, sweeping his legal briefs off the table as he stood up, his face twisted in desperate rage. "You can't run a global shipping and security empire with bleeding-heart charity work! The underworld partners will never accept a cleaning woman's daughter ruling this board!"
"Let them come," Alexander replied coldly. "I built this empire on steel and blood, and I will protect it with the same."
Sterling stormed out of the bunker, flanked by his jittery lawyers. But as the heavy steel doors slammed shut behind them, Victor Vance leaned down and whispered into Alexander’s ear.
"Boss, monitoring feeds just picked up something interesting outside. Sterling didn't go to his car. He met with a representative of the Syndicate—Viktor Rostova’s crew. They're planning a direct strike on the penthouse tonight while everyone is distracted by the legal fallout."
Alexander’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. Rostova was the last major rival warlord operating out of the eastern docks, a man who had long wanted to carve up the Carter shipping routes.
"They think our guard is down because of a boardroom battle," Alexander murmured, a cruel, calculating smile touching his lips. "Good. Let them walk right into the trap."
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Upstairs in the penthouse, Elena and Sofie were entirely unaware of the impending storm. Elena was tucking Sofie into bed, reading her a favorite storybook, when the penthouse windows suddenly vibrated with a low, ominous thrum.
Outside, the city lights flickered. The power to the upper floors had just been cut.
