flash
The room spun. My reflection in the dark, silent television screen looked like a stranger—pale, barefoot, and stripped of every weapon I possessed. Evelyn thought she had cornered an orphan in a foreign land. She didn't know that the identity she tried to erase was just a decoy layer. / Chapter 15 / 20

Chapter 15 - The Global ExpansionTwo months later, the financial capitals of the world were buzzing with a single name: Victoria Vance.

From Tokyo to Zurich, and from London to New York, my new global conglomerate—Aegis Holdings—was aggressively buying up distressed tech assets and turning them into market leaders. The old boys' club of corporate tycoons quickly realized that trying to outsmart me was a fool's errand.

I was sitting in my newly designed penthouse office overlooking the glittering skyline of New York City, spinning a gold fountain pen between my fingers.

Kenji walked in, tossing a thick dossier onto my desk.

"What's this?" I asked, looking up.

"Background check on Julian and Evelyn," Kenji said, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "They packed up what was left of their personal belongings and moved into a modest, two-bedroom apartment on the outskirts of Chicago. Julian is working a mid-level desk job at a regional logistics firm, and Evelyn... well, Evelyn spends her days staring out the window, completely broken."

I opened the dossier, glanced briefly at the photographs of their new, cramped reality, and closed the folder without a trace of emotion.

"Karma has a very precise accounting system," I murmured softly.

May you like

The glass double doors of the Crown Harbor Hotel opened into the biting December air of Manhattan, but the winter chill was nothing compared to the ice freezing over my veins.

The glass double doors of the Crown Harbor Hotel opened into the biting...

The beam of the heavy-duty headlamp cut through the blinding blizzard, illuminating the crimson streaks of blood frozen against the white snow.

The beam of the heavy-duty headlamp cut through the blinding blizzard, i...

The scent of the Columbus bakery pastries—butter, flaky crust, and sweet raspberry—now made my stomach turn. Julian sat at the mahogany dining table, casually biting into a croissant while tapping away on his tablet.

The scent of the Columbus bakery pastries—butter, flaky crust, and sweet...

"Are you going to leave them alone?" Kenji asked, watching me closely.

"I already have," I replied, standing up and walking over to the floor-to-ceiling glass window. "Leaving them to live ordinary, powerless lives is a far more severe punishment than any prison sentence I could ever hand down."

Share

X Facebook Reddit LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email

Related Stories

Chapter 16 - Shadows of the PastDespite the global success and the absolute security of my new empire, a small, quiet part of me still remembered the cold dawn in Tokyo when I stood barefoot in a hotel lobby, staring at a phone that had vanished into the Pacific sky.
Chapter 17 - The Phoenix ProtocolThe growth of Aegis Holdings caught the attention of international regulatory bodies, leading to an invitation for me to keynote the annual Global Tech and Innovation Summit in Geneva.
Chapter 18 - A New HorizonAfter the keynote speech, I retreated to a private VIP lounge backstage, letting out a long, quiet breath. The adrenaline of the stage slowly faded, replaced by a deep, grounding sense of peace.
Chapter 19 - The Ultimate IronyBack in Chicago, miles away from the glittering skyscrapers of Geneva and New York, Julian Vance sat at a cramped, fluorescent-lit desk in the back of a dingy logistics warehouse.
Chapter 20 - Checkmate and BeyondLate that night, my private jet soared gracefully through the starlit skies above the Atlantic, heading back toward our primary operational hub in New York.

Other posts

The wind off the Atlantic whipped salt spray across the deck of the dolphin-watching boat, but the air between Emily, Caleb, and Rachel felt frozen in time.

Aug 08, 2026

The wind off the Atlantic whipped salt spray across the deck of the dolphin-watching boat,...

The autumn wind outside the dance studio felt like a physical blow against Claire’s burning cheeks, but it was nothing compared to the hollow ache in her chest.

Aug 06, 2026

The autumn wind outside the dance studio felt like a physical blow against Claire’s burnin...

CHAPTER 1: THE ASHES OF THE PENTHOUSE The silence of the penthouse was heavier than the sleet battering the floor-to-ceiling windows. Mara Vale stood in the center of the kitchen, her knuckles white as she gripped the marble counter.

Jun 18, 2026

CHAPTER 1: THE ASHES OF THE PENTHOUSE The silence of the penthouse was heavier than the sl...

The rhythmic buzz-buzz-buzz of David’s incoming calls echoed through the quiet cabin of my car, vibrating against the dashboard like an anxious insect. I watched the screen flash David – Mobile over and over, refusing to give it the satisfaction of a dismissal swipe.

Aug 05, 2026

The rhythmic buzz-buzz-buzz of David’s incoming calls echoed through the quiet cabin of my...

The moment the wheels of the aircraft kissed the tarmac at O’Hare International Airport, the quiet, safe cocoon Marcus Whitmore and I had built in row 14 evaporated.

Aug 05, 2026

The moment the wheels of the aircraft kissed the tarmac at O’Hare International Airport, t...

The white rose petals scattered under my heels felt like crushed glass, yet my pace remained steady. Nathan stood at the altar, looking every bit the devoted fiancé in his tailored charcoal suit, adjusting his cuffs with practiced nonchalance

Jun 30, 2026

The white rose petals scattered under my heels felt like crushed glass, yet my pace remain...

My hands trembled so violently that the edge of the brown wrapping paper tore, leaving a sharp, jagged sound in the quiet living room. Darla's neat, precise cursive had always been her signature trait; even as a child, she crossed her t's with absolute military precision. Now, that same handwriting felt less like a message from the grave and more like a live wire sparking in my palms.

Jun 19, 2026

My hands trembled so violently that the edge of the brown wrapping paper tore, leaving a s...

Bennett Cole did not walk across a lawn; he inspected terrain. Every step was measured, heel-to-toe, with the slow deliberation of a man who believed the earth rotated slightly slower out of respect for him.

Aug 05, 2026

Bennett Cole did not walk across a lawn; he inspected terrain. Every step was measured, he...