Chapter 47
Chapter 47:
“Impressive work, Ms. Vance,” Elias said.
“Thank you, Mr. Thorne,” Aurora replied. Her voice was professional, detached.
Elias noticed the detachment. It intrigued him more than the victory.
Julian Reed remained seated while the others rose, shuffling papers into his briefcase. He caught Aurora’s eye for a split second—a look that said ‘Phase One complete’—before turning his attention to consoling a furious Sterling, playing his role as the loyal cousin to perfection.
Sterling watched the interaction between Elias and Aurora. The veins in his neck were bulging. He looked like he was about to stroke out. His uncle—the man he feared and worshipped—was complimenting his discard pile.
The double doors opened. A swarm of business journalists was waiting in the corridor. They had been tipped off about the major contract decision. Reporters surged forward, microphones extended.
“Mr. Thorne! Mr. Thorne! Is it true you lost the bid to a startup p>
“Mr. Thorne, how will this affect the stock price p>
Sterling forced a smile. It was a grimace, really. “We are… reevaluating our partnerships. This is a strategic pivot p>
Victor King stepped to the microphone stand near the elevators. “We are excited to announce our partnership with Thorne Industries on this venture p>
The cameras flashed. They weren’t pointed at Sterling. They were pointed at Aurora and Victor. Sterling was pushed to the periphery of the frame. He was literally out of focus.
Victor approached Aurora privately as the crowd dispersed. “There’s a celebration dinner at Le Bernardin. The whole team is going. My treat p>
Aurora checked her phone. It was 6:00 PM. The server status lights were blinking amber. A minor load balancing issue, but it needed her eye.
𝓒𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓵𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓼 𝓽𝓸 g𝓪𝗅𝗇𝓸ν𝓮𝗅𝓈﹐ⅽ𝗼𝗺
“I appreciate it, Victor,” she said. “But I have a prior engagement p>
Victor looked surprised. “A better offer? Who turns down Le Bernardin p>
“Work,” Aurora said with a straight face.
“Work? You just won p>
“The game is live, Victor. Success means maintenance,” she explained, adjusting her laptop bag.
She turned and exited the building through a side door, slipping away from the chaos.
Sterling spotted her leaving. He grabbed Isabella’s arm. “Look,” he hissed. “She’s running away. She can’t handle the pressure. She knows she got lucky p>
“She’s running away because she feels guilty,” Sterling told Isabella, nodding to confirm his own delusion. “She knows she stole that contract from me p>
Isabella looked at him. She looked at the reporters ignoring him. For the first time, a crack appeared in her adoration. She started to doubt his sanity.
Outside, Aurora hailed a yellow cab. She exhaled a long breath, watching the rain streak the window. She didn’t pull out a textbook. She pulled out her tablet, logging into the admin console of Apex Ascendant. She didn’t care about the dinner. She didn’t care about the fame. Her priority was her creation.
She was rebuilding her foundation, brick by brick.
“Obsidian Tower, please,” she told the driver.
Back on the sidewalk, Sterling got into his limo. He checked his phone. Thorne Industries stock was down 4% in after-hours trading. Pulse Interactive was trending.