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The last syllable of Khloe’s toast hung in the air, tasting of sour champagne and reckless vanity. Six hundred people—investors, philanthropists, board members, and society columnists—held their collective breath. They had come to celebrate the annual Founders’ Gala for Hayes Dynamics, anticipating a pleasant evening of quiet networking and charitable donations. Instead, they had just witnessed a public execution of professional etiquette. / Chapter 4 / 30

Chapter 4 - The Midnight EvictionBy 2:00 AM, the grand ballroom was empty, save for the cleaning staff and the federal marshals securing the corporate servers.

Victoria sat in the back of her silver Bentley as it glided silently through the rain-slicked streets of San Francisco toward the Pacific Heights penthouse.

Her phone buzzed continuously with panicked text messages and missed calls from Daniel, his board members, and mutual acquaintances who had suddenly realized which side of history they needed to be on. She muted the device and tossed it into her leather handbag.

When the car pulled up to the security gates of the penthouse, the private guards recognized the Whitmore crest immediately and opened the gates without hesitation.

Upstairs, the penthouse was quiet.

Khloe’s designer luggage sat zipped and packed by the double doors—she had evidently planned to celebrate her "victory" by moving in permanently tonight.

Victoria walked through the expansive living room, running her fingers along the polished mahogany mantelpiece where she had spent twelve years hosting dinners, charity galas, and board meetings.

The front door clicked open.

Daniel stumbled into the foyer, soaking wet from the rain, his tuxedo jacket ruined, his tie hanging loose. Behind him trailed Khloe, sobbing hysterically as her designer heels squished against the hardwood floor.

"Victoria!" Daniel choked out, rushing toward her. "Please... you have to listen to me. She manipulated me! It was a mid-life crisis! I was stressed about the Series C funding round! I swear to God, I never loved her!"

Khloe stopped crying instantly, her face twisting in pure fury as she stared at Daniel. "You lying coward! You said you were going to divorce her next week! You said she was a cold, lifeless mannequin!"

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The heavy mahogany door of the dressing room seemed to close in on us, trapping the suffocating tension inside. Richard’s hands were shaking as he clutched the small, tarnished silver pendant. His knuckles were bone-white.

The heavy mahogany door of the dressing room seemed to close in on us, t...

The heavy silver fork slipped from my fingers, clattering sharply against the gold-rimmed porcelain of my dinner plate.

The heavy silver fork slipped from my fingers, clattering sharply agains...

The heavy mahogany door of the Fairmont Copley suite clicked shut with a muffled, expensive thud.

The heavy mahogany door of the Fairmont Copley suite clicked shut with a...

Victoria turned slowly from the window, looking at the two people who had believed they were clever enough to outsmart a family that owned half the city.

"You're both right, in a way," Victoria said calmly. "Daniel is a coward. And Khloe... you are profoundly bad at math."

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