Chapter 5: The Empress Takes Her Throne
Chapter 5: The Empress Takes Her Throne
Miles away, the atmosphere was entirely different.
The penthouse office of Escalante Holdings overlooked the entire city skyline.
Mariana stood by the window, a cup of black coffee in her hand.
She was no longer wearing the understated clothes she used to blend into Andrew's world.
She wore a razor-sharp charcoal suit.
Her posture was flawless.
Her eyes were unreadable.
The heavy mahogany doors swung open, and an older man walked in.
He had the same piercing eyes, the same undeniable presence.
Arthur Escalante. Her father.
"The takeover is complete," Arthur said, pride swelling in his chest.
"Every asset he thought he owned is now firmly back under our corporate umbrella."
"And the boy?"
Mariana didn't turn around.
She kept her eyes on the tiny cars moving on the streets below.
"He's currently standing in the rain outside the estate," she replied smoothly.
"Good," Arthur grunted. "I told you four years ago it was a mistake to hide your identity."
"You wanted to see if he loved you for you."
"Now you know."
Mariana finally turned to face him.
The naive, hopeful girl who married Andrew Sterling was dead.
The slap had killed her.
"I know," she said quietly. "But I don't regret it."
"It taught me how the world really works."
"It taught me how people treat those they believe are beneath them."
She walked over to her massive oak desk and sat down in the leather chair.
"What's our next move, CEO?" Arthur asked, officially passing the torch.
Mariana opened a fresh legal folder.
"Now," she said, a dangerous smile touching her lips.
"We teach them what it means to be truly powerless."
"Initiate the audits. Find every fraudulent expense Andrew filed over the last four years."
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"I covered his tracks before."
"Now, I'm going to hand those tracks directly to the IRS."
