Chapter 35
Chapter 35:
“But p>
“The higher he climbs, the harder the fall,” Aurora said. “When the truth comes out, it won’t just be a correction. It will be a crash p>
Back at the bar, Sterling was on his fourth scotch. He was loose. He was loud.
“Women,” Sterling slurred, leaning into the investors. “They’re all leeches. Take my ex-wife. Aurora p>
Julian, who had been trying to leave, stopped. He turned on the voice recorder app on his phone in his pocket.
“She was a drain,” Sterling laughed. “Useless. Uneducated. Came from a trailer park. I had to teach her which fork to use. Good thing I cut her loose. She was holding me back p>
The investors chuckled politely, though some looked uncomfortable.
“She tried to take half, you know,” Sterling lied. “But I made sure she got nothing. She’s probably turning tricks in the Bronx right now p>
Julian’s hand clenched into a fist in his pocket. His face darkened.
Sterling’s phone buzzed. A text from Isabella, his current fiancée.
Are you coming home? I bought that lingerie you like.
Sterling smirked. He stood up, swaying slightly. “Sorry boys, duty calls. The new model is waiting p>
He stumbled out of the booth, leaving the bill on the table.
Julian picked up the check. He looked at the bartender.
“Put it on the ‘Education’ budget,” Julian said coldly.
He walked out into the cool night air and sent the audio file to Elias.
Scene Shift: Elias’s Study.
Check full story at
Elias sat in his armchair, the room illuminated only by the fire.
He played the audio file.
“…She was a drain. Useless… turning tricks in the Bronx p>
Elias’s grip on his phone tightened. His knuckles turned white. The glass screen protector cracked under the pressure of his thumb.
“He calls her a leech?” Elias whispered. The sound was more dangerous than a shout.
He remembered Aurora’s hands steadying the needles. He remembered her eyes, sharp with intelligence. He remembered the way she refused his money for dinner.
He picked up his secure line to his broker.
“Sir? It’s 10 PM,” the broker answered sleepily.
“Tomorrow morning,” Elias said, his voice devoid of humanity, “I want you to open a short position on Sterling Conglomerate p>
“How big of a position, sir p>
“Massive,” Elias said. “Bet against him. Bet everything p>
The coffee shop was a boutique place in SoHo, all exposed brick and Edison bulbs. It was quiet, filled with freelancers typing on MacBooks.
Aurora sat at a small corner table. She was reviewing the code for the matchmaking algorithm of Apex Ascendant. She took a sip of her black coffee. Jones was waiting outside in the SUV, respecting her wish for twenty minutes of “normalcy p>
The door chimes jingled.