Chapter 14 - The Enemy of My Enemy
I didn't move. I simply watched her, analyzing every twitch of her fingers, every flicker of fear in her eyes. "Warn me about what, Caroline? Eleanor is behind bars, Ethan is facing federal prison, and their entire empire is sitting in my desk drawer. Who is left to pose a threat?"
Caroline took a deep, shuddering breath and pulled a manila folder from her handbag, sliding it across the glass conference table.
"You think the Montgomerys are just a family of arrogant snobs, Katherine," Caroline said, her voice dropping to a harsh, urgent whisper. "You don't understand the syndicate behind them. The old-money council of Chicago—the 'Board of Seven.' Eleanor answered to them. Ethan thought he was part of them. But they control real estate, shipping, and municipal politics across the entire Midwest."
I opened the manila folder. Inside were photographs, corporate diagrams, and confidential banking records detailing a shadowy network of ultra-wealthy elites who operated behind the scenes of Chicago’s high society—men and women who made Eleanor Montgomery look like a harmless amateur.
"When Eleanor fell," Caroline continued, "the Board of Seven didn't panic. They saw an opportunity. They viewed Eleanor’s arrogance as a liability, but they want your tech conglomerate and your control of the lakefront properties. They’re planning a hostile counter-strike, Katherine. They’ve already hired Vance & Sterling’s primary rival—Blackwood Legal—to file a flurry of fabricated antitrust lawsuits against your firm by tomorrow morning."
I looked up from the folder, meeting Caroline’s terrified gaze. "And why are you telling me this? You could have stayed out of it. You could have run away to Europe with whatever money your father managed to stash offshore."
Caroline let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. "Because my father spent my entire life teaching me that loyalty is just a transaction. And the Board of Seven sold me and Ethan out the second the wedding fell apart. They treated me like a pawn in a chess game. I want to watch them lose the board."
I studied her for a long moment, weighing her words, searching for any sign of a double cross. But all I saw was raw, unadulterated vengeance—the exact same fuel that had kept me alive in that tiny apartment five years ago.
"Welcome to the resistance, Caroline," I said softly, closing the manila folder. "Julian, get her a desk on the seventh floor and set her up with full corporate clearance. If we’re going to war with the Board of Seven, we’re going to need their internal playbook."
Julian grinned, stepping out from the corner of the room. "Right away, boss. Welcome aboard, Ms. Hastings."
May you like
As Caroline turned and walked out of the office, flanked by Julian, I stood up and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out over the sprawling grey expanse of Lake Michigan.
The battle for the Montgomery empire was over. But the war for the soul of Chicago had just begun.
