Chapter 2
The morning sun hit the glass windows of Sinclair Capital,
casting long,
sharp shadows across the mahogany desk.
Jacqueline sat in her leather chair,
sipping a cup of black coffee.
Her phone had not stopped ringing since the gala,
but she had instructed her assistant to mute all calls from the Vance family.
David Miller walked into her office,
holding a thick financial report.
"The market opened ten minutes ago,"
David said,
a dark smile playing on his lips.
"Vance Corporation stock is already down by twenty percent."
Jacqueline set her coffee down,
her expression unreadable.
"Keep selling our phantom shares,
drive the panic higher,"
she ordered,
her eyes scanning the data on her computer screen.
"We want the board of directors sweating by noon."
David nodded,
typing rapidly on his tablet.
"Richard Vance is calling an emergency board meeting,
he is trying to secure a bailout from the European banks."
"Block them,"
Jacqueline replied smoothly,
"call my grandfather's contacts in London,
tell them anyone who lends a dime to the Vance family becomes an enemy of the Sinclair family."
David chuckled,
knowing exactly how powerful that threat was.
"Consider it done,
Miss Sinclair."
Down the street,
inside the Vance Corporation headquarters,
chaos was tearing the building apart.
Phones were ringing off the hooks,
executives were screaming at each other in the hallways,
and Richard Vance was sitting in his office with his head in his hands.
Julian burst through the door,
his tie loosened,
his hair a mess.
"The Roth family is denying any involvement with Khloe,"
Julian reported,
his voice tight with anger.
"And the banks are freezing our credit lines."
Richard looked up,
his eyes bloodshot.
"Because of her,"
Richard muttered,
"because of that Sinclair girl."
Eleanor paced back and forth in the corner,
wringing her hands nervously.
"We have to talk to her,
Julian,
you have to go apologize."
Julian clenched his fists,
remembering the cold,
dead look in Jacqueline's eyes last night.
"She will not listen to me,
mother,
you saw her."
"Then beg,"
Eleanor snapped,
her desperation turning into venom.
"Get on your knees if you have to,
she loved you for five years,
she must still care."
Julian felt a sickening twist in his stomach.
He remembered the sunflowers,
the way she had smiled at him,
and the way he had thrown it all away for a fleeting moment of nostalgia with Khloe.
"Where is Khloe,"
Richard asked suddenly,
looking around the room.
Julian looked away,
shame burning in his chest.
"She packed her bags this morning,
she said she could not handle the stress."
Eleanor let out a sharp,
bitter laugh.
"So she runs,
the moment the money dries up."
Richard slammed his fist on the desk,
the sound echoing like a gunshot.
"Go to Sinclair Capital,
Julian,
and do not come back until she stops this attack."
Julian nodded slowly,
knowing it was a suicide mission,
but he had no other choice.
He walked out of the building,
the hot summer wind hitting his face,
and looked up at the towering,
glass structure of Apex Tower.
It looked like a fortress,
and she was the queen sitting at the top,
untouchable,
and furious.
He crossed the street,
May you like
his heart pounding in his chest,
ready to face the nightmare he had created.
