Chapter 31
Chapter 31:
“Technically, they were,” Julian explained. “But Aurora managed the remaining assets. She convinced the trustees to vote against her husband. She overruled him from the shadows p>
Elias leaned back in his leather chair. The pieces of the puzzle slammed together with a deafening click.
The healer. The fighter. The strategist.
“My hypothesis was correct,” Elias whispered, a slow smile spreading across his face. It wasn’t shock; it was the satisfaction of a theory proven true. “She wasn’t just his advisor. She was the architect. Sterling was merely the face, a puppet dancing on her strings while she built an empire under his nose p>
A wave of emotion hit him. Anger—pure, white-hot anger on her behalf. And something else. Admiration. Deep, profound respect for a woman who had built an empire from the shadows and let a fool take the credit.
“Get me her number,” Elias ordered. “The personal one p>
“You have it, sir,” Julian reminded him gently. “In your pocket p>
Elias patted his jacket. He pulled out the plain white card. He stared at the digits. His chest tightened. It was a strange sensation, like anxiety, but sharper.
“She saved my company three years ago,” Elias murmured. “And she saved my life yesterday p>
He picked up his phone. His thumb hovered over the screen.
“What are you going to say?” Julian asked.
“I’m going to invite her to dinner,” Elias said. “To discuss business p>
He typed the message.
Dinner. Tonight. The Oak Room. To discuss a business proposition. – E. Thorne.
He hit send.
Uncover your next adventure at gαℓησν𝒆𝓁s․com
He waited.
Ten seconds later, his phone buzzed.
No. Busy earning money. – A.
Elias stared at the screen. He blinked. He had been rejected. By a woman who claimed to be busy but had saved his life twice.
Julian, watching from the side, saw the corner of Elias’s mouth twitch.
Elias smiled. It wasn’t a nice smile. It was a predatory, amused smile. It was the smile of a man who had finally found a game worth playing.
“She bites,” Elias said, putting the phone away. “Good p>
Back at Pulse, Aurora sneezed.
“Bless you,” Victor said. “Someone is talking about you p>
“Probably cursing me,” Aurora muttered, rubbing her nose.
Victor pointed to the budget spreadsheet. “Marketing. How much do we allocate p>
Aurora looked at the numbers. She thought of Sterling’s face. She thought of his upcoming launch.
“Ten million,” she said. “Target Sterling’s demographic specifically. Buy ads on every platform he uses. I want him to see ‘Apex Ascendant’ every time he opens his eyes. We drown him p>
Sterling Thorne sat in his corner office, his feet resting on the polished mahogany desk. He was throwing a stress ball against the glass wall, catching it on the rebound.