Chapter 15 - The New EmpireSix months later, the corporate landscape had completely transformed.
The skeletal remains of Aether Innovations had been fully dissolved, its assets absorbed into Stark Global’s cutting-edge technological division. Under my direct leadership as Chief Executive Officer, the company had launched the Stark Initiative—a global philanthropic and venture fund dedicated to backing female entrepreneurs, supporting victims of domestic abuse, and dismantling predatory corporate structures.
My portrait hung proudly in the main lobby of Stark Global Tower: sharp, elegant, unyielding, and completely in control.
One afternoon, my private secretary buzzed through the intercom.
"Ms. Stark? There’s a visitor in the ground floor lobby insisting on seeing you. She says her name is Eleanor Vance."
I paused, swirling my pen between my fingers. A thin, cold smile touched my lips.
"Send her up," I instructed smoothly. "Let's see what the former queen has to say to the maid."
Ten minutes later, the private elevator pinged. The heavy glass doors slid open, and Eleanor stepped out.
She looked a decade older. Her expensive South Sea pearls were long gone, replaced by a frayed wool coat. Her hair was streaked with gray, and her posture—once so rigid and arrogant—was now permanently slumped under the crushing weight of reality.
She walked slowly into my expansive corner office, her eyes wide as she took in the sweeping views of the city and the sheer scale of the empire surrounding her.
"Elena..." Eleanor whispered, her voice cracking as she stopped a few feet away from my desk.
May you like
I didn't stand up. I simply leaned back in my leather ergonomic chair, resting my chin on my intertwined fingers, and looked down at the woman who had once smiled so brightly while handing me a frying pan and a divorce notice.
"Take a seat, Eleanor," I said softly. "Let’s talk about housekeeping."
Related Stories
