Chapter 7
The arrest of Richard Vance sent shockwaves through the financial district,
causing the Vance Corporation stock to hit absolute zero.
Trading was suspended indefinitely,
and the board of directors immediately filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Sinclair Capital swooped in like a hawk,
buying up the remaining assets for pennies on the dollar.
Jacqueline had officially won the war,
and she had done it in less than a month.
She was sitting in her office late that evening,
reviewing the final acquisition contracts,
when her assistant buzzed in.
"Miss Sinclair,
Mr. Thorne is here to see you,"
the assistant announced softly.
Jacqueline looked up,
a small smile touching her lips.
"Send him in."
Alexander walked through the double doors,
looking devastatingly sharp in a custom charcoal suit.
He carried a bottle of incredibly rare champagne in one hand,
and two crystal flutes in the other.
"I believe congratulations are in order,"
Alexander said,
setting the glasses on her desk and popping the cork.
"The Vance Corporation is no more,
and my military contracts have been approved."
Jacqueline leaned back in her chair,
watching him pour the bubbling liquid.
"You move fast, Mr. Thorne,"
she observed,
accepting the glass he handed her.
"I only move fast when I see something I want,"
he replied,
his eyes locking onto hers with intense,
unapologetic interest.
"To mutual success,"
Jacqueline toasted,
clinking her glass against his.
"To the beginning of a beautiful partnership,"
Alexander countered,
taking a slow sip.
He walked around her desk,
leaning against the edge of the mahogany wood,
looking down at her.
"Now that your revenge is complete,
what is your next move,"
he asked,
his voice a low rumble.
"I rebuild,"
she answered simply,
"I strip the rot out of the Vance assets,
and I turn them into something profitable under the Sinclair name."
Alexander nodded approvingly,
admiring the fierce determination in her eyes.
"You need a partner for the logistics division,"
he pointed out,
"Thorne Industries has the infrastructure you lack."
Jacqueline smiled,
knowing exactly where this negotiation was going.
"Are you asking me out on a business date, Alexander,"
she teased,
using his first name for the first time.
A slow,
dangerous grin spread across his face.
"I am asking you out on a real date, Jacqueline,"
he corrected her,
"no contracts,
no lawyers,
just dinner."
Jacqueline considered the man in front of her.
He was powerful,
intelligent,
and entirely unafraid of her strength.
He did not want to diminish her light,
he wanted to stand in it.
"Friday night,"
she agreed softly,
"pick me up at eight."
Alexander reached out,
gently taking her hand and pressing a warm kiss to her knuckles.
"I will be counting the hours,"
he murmured,
his breath ghosting over her skin.
As he walked out of her office,
Jacqueline felt a flutter in her chest,
a feeling she had not experienced in years.
She was finally free from the ghost of Julian Vance,
May you like
and the future was wide open,
waiting for her to conquer it.
