Chapter 7 - THE MORNING AFTERThe sun rose over New York City, casting a golden light across the brick facade of a modest apartment building in the Bronx.
Inside a small, warm kitchen smelling of fresh coffee and cinnamon toast, Elena Brooks sat at the table, staring at a laptop screen with wide, unblinking eyes.
Beside her, sitting in a brand-new medical wheelchair, her husband Frank wiped tears from his eyes as he looked at the official bank notification confirming a direct wire transfer of one hundred million dollars from Hartwell Enterprises to their family trust.
At the end of the table sat Ethan, wearing a pair of brand-new sneakers that actually fit his feet, carefully polishing the wooden knight with a soft cloth.
The door opened, and Catherine Vale walked in, holding a leather briefcase and a warm smile.
"Good morning, Mr. Brooks," Catherine said gently, walking over to Ethan. "Hartwell Enterprises has a new majority stakeholder. Mr. Hartwell has taken an 'extended leave of absence' to rethink his investment strategies in the Bahamas. And as for me... well, I’ve decided I like working for true champions."
Ethan looked up, holding the scarred knight in his palm.
"Is the board safe, Ms. Vale?" Ethan asked.
Catherine smiled, kneeling down to his eye level.
"The board is safer than you think, Ethan," she said softly. "Because now, the pawns make the rules."
Ethan looked out the kitchen window toward the horizon, where the Manhattan skyscrapers pierced the morning clouds. He remembered what his grandfather had told him about knights jumping over obstacles.
He wasn't jumping anymore.
He was flying.
May you like
The End.
(A story proving that true power is never found in the millions in your bank account, but in the courage of a soul that refuses to break when the world tries to crush it.)
