Chapter 94
Chapter 94:
Aurora didn’t look up immediately. She stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the city lights that she now practically owned. She took a sip. The wine was complex, oaky, exactly the kind of vintage Sterling used to hoard for himself. It tasted like victory.
“What kind of rumor?” Aurora asked, her voice steady, unreadable.
Harper hesitated, tucking a strand of perfectly styled hair behind her ear. “That you… that you’re burning through a settlement. That you’re pretending to be solvent to save face p>
Aurora lowered the glass. She turned to look at her friend. Harper’s eyes were filled with a protective indignation. It wasn’t pity—Harper knew Aurora was capable—but she was worried about the social warfare.
“Sterling thinks I’m a fraud,” Aurora said softly. “He thinks the Phoenix Ventures funding is a house of cards p>
Harper sighed, a sharp exhale. She reached out, picking up a silver fork to poke at the high-end takeout container on the table. “Oh, Rory. It’s annoying. The way people talk, they make it sound like p>
“Like I’m a lottery winner who’s about to go broke?” Aurora finished for her. She offered a faint, dry smile. “It’s okay, Harper. Let him believe that. Let him believe I’m spending my last dime on this penthouse and these clothes p>
Harper’s grip on her glass tightened. “That’s horrible. He’s delusional. You’re… look at you. You’re brilliant. You built this p>
Aurora walked back to the table and set her glass down. The sharp click of the crystal against the marble echoed in the massive room.
“It doesn’t matter what he thinks,” Aurora said. “What matters is the reality p>
She sat down opposite Harper. The playful, casual demeanor she usually wore like a mask slipped away. Her spine straightened. The air in the room seemed to shift, growing heavier, charged with static.
“Harper, I need to tell you something. And I need you to listen without screaming p>
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Harper froze. The wine in her glass sloshed slightly. “You’re scaring me. Are you in trouble? Is it the board p>
“No,” Aurora said. “It’s about Pulse p>
“Pulse?” Harper blinked. “The company you work with? Did Victor King fire you? Is that why we’re eating truffle pasta out of boxes p>
“I’m not just a partner at Pulse, Harper,” Aurora said. Her voice was low, vibrating with a power Harper had never heard before. “I own it p>
The silence that followed was absolute. The hum of the climate control seemed to stop.
Harper stared at her. She blinked once, twice. She looked around the luxurious penthouse—the modern art on the walls, the view of the skyline, the security detail waiting in the hall.
“You… you own it?” Harper stammered. “Like… you’re a silent partner p>
“Majority shares,” Aurora corrected. “Fifty-one percent. Hidden behind shell companies and proxy agreements, but mine. All mine. Victor King answers to me p>
Harper set her glass down. She missed the coaster. “But… Rory… if you own the company… why do you let Sterling run his mouth? Why don’t you crush him publicly right now p>
Aurora looked around the room. It was grand. It was safe. But it was a fortress.
“Because shadows are necessary in a world of blinding spotlights,” Aurora said. She picked up a silk throw pillow and held it, grounding herself. “Sterling thinks I’m a desperate ex-wife flashing new money. He thinks I’m scrambling for relevance. That belief is my greatest weapon. While he looks down, sneering at my ‘spending habits,’ I’m building a ladder to climb right over his head and dismantle his empire brick by brick p>