Luisa Velez sat alone in her penthouse, her legs crossed beneath her on the velvet sofa, a wine glass untouched in her hand. The lights were low, and the fire in the hearth crackled faintly, casting flickers of gold across the cold steel of the open laptop in front of her.
The screen glowed with images—Damien laughing beside Victor, Victor shaking hands with a foreign investor, Damien whispering something to a man she didn't recognize in a private booth.
And then—Nathan. In the shadows. Always watching. Always distant. Always… real.
Luisa's lips curled into a humorless smile as she leaned back, her robe parting slightly to reveal a black satin nightgown. She tapped the edge of the wine glass thoughtfully before speaking to no one in particular.
"Funny," she murmured, "how the boys with the softest eyes hold the sharpest blades."
She sighed and reached for the file folder beside her, its contents chaotic but damning. Victor's financial dealings. Damien's surveillance logs. Bribes. Whispered phone calls. Suspicious 'accidents.' She had compiled it all. Every betrayal. Every manipulation. Every trace of how they'd used her like a pawn.
She stood, heels clicking against marble as she walked toward the window, staring down at the city glittering beneath her like a kingdom just out of reach.
"I wanted the name," she whispered, voice hardening. "That's all I ever wanted. I didn't care about Nathan. Not really. But he had the name, the legacy. That quiet power that people feared. And I thought—if I could get close enough, play sweet enough, maybe…"
Her reflection in the glass smirked back at her.
"But he never truly let me in. Not like Damien did."
She scoffed and turned away, pouring her wine into the sink.
"And look how that ended."
She paced the room, speaking aloud now, more venom in each word. "Damien promised me the world. Promised he'd take over Vosstech. That we'd rule it together. He fed me lies and I… I believed every damn word. Because I thought he was stronger. Colder. The winner."
She laughed bitterly. "Turns out, he was just a parasite. And he used me."
Her eyes glinted with hate.
"But now… I'll make sure he never gets the one thing he's always wanted."
She moved to her desk and opened a drawer, pulling out a small voice recorder and a hidden USB drive. On it—audio of Damien admitting to burying company secrets, and worse, threatening to "handle" someone if they got too close to the truth.
"I'll burn his empire to the ground," she said. "And when Nathan rises from the ashes… I'll be right there. Waiting."
She glanced at the photo of Nathan she hadn't had the heart to throw away. His eyes stared straight ahead—cold, pained, unreadable.
"You're still the prize," she said, tracing the edge of the frame. "And when you win, Nathan, I'll be there to comfort you. To show you that I never truly left… I was just lost."
She smiled sweetly, tilting her head.
"And who knows… maybe you'll need a Mrs. Voss, after all."
⸻
Vosstech Tower – Late Night
The executive floor of Vosstech was quiet, lit only by the soft hum of amber lights and the occasional flicker from the city outside. Nathan stood by the wall of glass, staring out into the skyline, lost in thought. His jaw was set, his arms crossed over his chest.
Behind him, Samson Ray finished placing several files on the glass conference table.
"You should sit," Samson said calmly. "You haven't slept in two days."
Nathan turned slightly, eyes shadowed. "I can't sleep. Not until I know exactly what Victor's planning."
Samson gave a slight nod. "I've spoken to Clarke. He's in."
Nathan's brows rose. "Gideon Clarke? My father's old friend?"
"He's been biding his time for years, waiting for someone to challenge Victor. He believes in you—and he isn't alone. Three more board members are shifting allegiance. They were loyal to your father. And they're done playing Victor's game."
Nathan walked to the table, scanning the names on the list. "If we get six board members, we can override any executive decision Victor makes."
"Exactly."
Nathan exhaled slowly. "What about Damien?"
"Still posturing. Still feeding Victor's ego," Samson said. "But the cracks are showing. Word is, he's been sloppy. Angry. Jealous. You've rattled him."
Nathan gave a small, humorless smile. "Good."
Samson added quietly, "And there's another wrinkle… Luisa left you a message. She says she has information on Damien and Victor. Serious information."
Nathan's expression didn't change, but something shifted in his eyes. "Luisa?"
"She's volatile," Samson warned. "But if she's turning on Damien, we might use that to our advantage."
Nathan said nothing for a moment, then turned his back to the window. "Set the meeting. Carefully."
"Already done," Samson replied. "Tomorrow night. Neutral ground."
Nathan nodded once. "If she's telling the truth, we'll use her. And if she's not… I'll know."
He reached for one of the files, flipping it open to an old blueprint his father had once designed—plans for Vosstech's future, never implemented.
"Everything they've tried to erase," Nathan murmured, "I'll rebuild."
Samson's eyes softened. "You're not alone, Nathan. Your father left you more than a legacy. He left you people who still believe in what Vosstech was meant to be."
Nathan closed the file.
"Then it's time we take back what's ours."