Chapter 2 - The Ashes of the Past
We took a taxicab home. The driver, seeing three soaked people in ruined formal wear, didn't ask questions—he just turned up the heat.
When we reached our modest three-bedroom house on the outskirts of the city, I wrapped my mother in warm blankets and brewed hot tea. My father sat at the kitchen table, staring at his trembling, water-wrinkled hands.
"I ruined your future, Clara," my father whispered. "The Sterlings... they control everything in this city. You worked so hard at Sterling Financial."
"I didn't lose a future, Dad. I escaped a cage," I replied gently, kneeling beside him. "And as for my job... I won't be returning to Sterling Financial."
What Olivia Sterling didn't know—what even Ethan hadn't fully understood—was that for the past four years, I hadn't just been a senior analyst at Sterling Financial. I was the architect behind their three biggest investment portfolios. Ethan took the credit in front of his mother and the board, but I wrote the algorithms, analyzed the risk metrics, and managed the offshore client relationships.
My phone buzzed on the counter. It was Ethan.
Ethan: Clara, please answer. My mother was just stressed. You can't just walk away from us. Think about your career.
I blocked his number without typing a single word.
Ten minutes later, my phone rang again. An unknown caller ID. I answered, expecting a news reporter or another furious Sterling loyalist.
"Miss Clara Vance?" a deep, refined voice spoke through the speaker.
"Who is this?" I asked defensively.
"My name is Marcus Vance," the voice replied calmly. "I was a guest at the estate today. I saw what happened at the pool."
May you like
My grip tightened on the phone. "If you're calling to laugh, save your breath."
"On the contrary," Marcus said softly. "I am calling to offer you the CEO position at Vance Global's asset management division. And more importantly... an opportunity to destroy Olivia Sterling."
