Chapter 14 - Arrival in Manhattan
The helicopter touched down atop a towering glass skyscraper in midtown Manhattan, the wind whipping through the concrete canyons. Rowan stepped out, adjusting his heavy wool coat against the humid, polluted city air. He looked remarkably out of place amidst the sea of sleek limousines, armed private security guards, and towering glass monoliths.
Julian Cross led him down a private elevator straight into the executive penthouse suite of Blackthorn Tower. The room was vast, minimalist, and dominated by cold marble and polished steel.
Waiting by the panoramic window was Victoria Vance. She wore a tailored crimson pantsuit, her silver-streaked hair pulled back in a severe bun. She turned slowly, her sharp eyes scanning Rowan from his worn boots to his steady, unblinking gaze.
"So, this is the legendary mountain orphan," Victoria said, her voice dripping with condescension. "The stray dog that bit Alaric's hand."
"And you are the one pulling the strings now that the old man is broken," Rowan countered, walking calmly into the center of the room without being invited to sit.
Victoria chuckled, pouring a glass of amber liquor. "Alaric was a dinosaur. He ruled with a rusty sword. I rule with global capital, international courts, and algorithmic control. You think because a bird landed on your arm and some backcountry farmers cheered for you that you own a global empire?"
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"I don't want your empire, Victoria," Rowan said quietly. "I want you to leave Crownridge alone."
Victoria slammed her glass down onto the marble table, the sharp sound echoing through the penthouse. "You don't get to dictate terms! You are a biological anomaly, a loose end that should have perished nineteen years ago when your mother smuggled you out of this very building. Sign over your proxy voting rights to the Trust board tonight, take a severance stipend, and disappear back into the snow. Otherwise, I will systematically dismantle every life in that valley until nothing is left."
