May 2009
Las Vegas sweltered under early summer heat, the kind that made the air feel like static. But inside the Phoenix Fund offices, things were heating up for very different reasons.
On paper, they were thriving.
In reality, someone had started moving against them.
The Vanishing Contractor
Phoenix Property #14 was supposed to be the team's next feather in the cap: a two-story commercial strip minutes from UNLV with foot traffic, pre-signed tenants, and zoning for late-night service businesses.
But on Monday morning, the contractor didn't show.
By noon, calls went to voicemail. By 3 p.m., Ryan got a text from the project foreman.
"Sorry, Ryan. We're pulling out. Got a better offer. Can't compete with what we were just given. I wish you the best—really."
Ryan stood over the conference table, the message still glowing on his phone.
Ryan Keller:
"They're not walking. They were bought."
Dylan Cho:
"Same group that underbid us on the Tropicana site last week—Pillar Capital Ventures. New firm. No history. All cash."
Leah Montgomery (quietly):
"Someone's building a shadow version of us."
Ryan didn't reply. He just nodded and walked out of the room.
Glow-Up Momentum
Leah had started arriving at the office earlier. Her routines had changed—smooth, untangled hair tucked behind her ear, soft liner replacing her usual bare-faced look. Her old glasses were gone, replaced with subtle hazel contacts.
She hadn't said anything about it. And neither had the guys—at first.
That morning, as she walked in with an iced coffee in one hand and a sleek laptop bag over her shoulder, Ryan looked up from a folder and actually paused mid-sentence.
Ryan:
"Okay, Montgomery. Who are you and what have you done with our sleep-deprived spreadsheet wizard?"
Leah (grinning):
"She's on vacation. I heard her replacement wears sunscreen, gets eight hours of sleep, and enjoys being perceived as a functional human being."
Ryan:
"Functional is overrated. But you… you're pulling off powerful and dangerous."
Leah (playfully):
"I'm sorry, is that a compliment? Or a warning?"
Ryan (smiling):
"Maybe both."
She walked past, her shoulder brushing his.
Leah (over her shoulder):
"You're not the only one who gets to be underestimated, Keller."
Dylan's Discovery
Later that afternoon, Dylan stormed into the office with a small stack of papers.
Dylan:
"You're gonna want to sit down. Pillar Capital? It's a shell. Registered in Delaware, set up three months ago. But guess who just filed a strategic advisor role on their website?"
He dropped the printout on the table.
Jordan Vance.
Ryan didn't even blink.
Ryan:
"Of course it's him."
Leah (frowning):
"He's not watching anymore. He's working."
Dylan:
"He's copying our strategy, undercutting our bids, and stealing our vendors. I checked—he signed two of our top contractors last week. They ghosted us within days."
Ryan folded his arms, staring at the dry erase map of their upcoming properties.
Ryan:
"Alright. No more playing defense. We tighten vendor contracts, increase our transparency with local councils, and we keep our footprint wide but quiet."
Leah:
"And what about the media attention? That profile put us in his crosshairs."
Ryan (quietly):
"Then next time they write about us, it'll be about how we outplayed him."
Nightfall Tension
That night, the office was quiet. Everyone else had gone home. Ryan stood by the window, sipping a flat energy drink, gazing at the twinkling cityscape.
Leah:
"Still here?"
Ryan turned. Leah leaned on the doorframe, shoeless, her hair up in a soft braid.
Ryan:
"Just trying to out-stare the problem."
Leah (walking over):
"Any success?"
Ryan:
"None. But it blinked first, so I'm claiming victory."
They sat on opposite ends of the long leather couch. Between them sat a laptop, a shared notepad, and far more tension than either of them was used to managing.
Leah:
"You know… I always thought you were more machine than man. But lately…"
Ryan (raising an eyebrow):
"Lately?"
Leah (tilting her head):
"You're looking very… human. Stressed. Exhausted. Slightly charming, if I dare say."
Ryan (grinning):
"You're flirting with me, Montgomery."
Leah:
"A little. I'm allowed."
He leaned in, not much—but enough that she noticed.
Ryan:
"You are. I like it."
Leah (softly):
"So do I."
Silence settled between them. Not awkward. Not yet action. But something hung in the air—undeniable, fragile, and waiting.
In the Distance – Vance Moves
Across town, in a penthouse Airbnb suite temporarily converted into a command center, Jordan Vance closed his laptop and stood over a series of property files.
He sipped his whiskey and muttered to himself:
"So they've got heart. Let's see how much it can take before it breaks."
He pinned a photo of Phoenix Property #14 to the corkboard beside it:
PROPERTY ACQUIRED – CONTRACTOR PULLED – TIMELINE DELAYED.
He smiled and circled it in red.
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