Chapter 6 - The Financial Siege

The following week was a masterclass in total systemic collapse. My father, Elias Thorne, moved with the precision of a guillotine.

He didn't just target Bennett’s business; he targeted his soul. He bought out the primary investors in Sterling Industries, one by one. By Tuesday, Bennett walked into his own boardroom only to be told he no longer held the majority vote. By Wednesday, his personal credit cards were declined at a luxury dealership.

But the most exquisite part of the collapse was the domestic front. I had been feeding Miranda’s private messages to Bennett, showing him her plans to leave him as soon as the "surrogacy payout" was finalized and deposited in her secret account.

I watched from the kitchen as the final explosion happened. Bennett confronted Miranda about the embezzled funds. She didn't deny it; she laughed in his face.

"You’re a failure, Bennett!" she screamed, the sound echoing through the penthouse. "I was only with you for the status, and now you’re broke! I’m leaving, and I’m taking the jewelry!"

"You're taking nothing!" Bennett lunged for her, but my security team—my father’s elite men—stepped in, their presence absolute.

I entered the room, carrying a tray of tea. I set it down and watched as the two people who had destroyed my life tore each other apart. It was glorious.

"You're both pathetic," I said, my voice cutting through their shouting match. "You fought over a child you didn't love and money you didn't earn. And now, you have nothing."

Bennett spun around, his face purple with rage. "You! You were behind this! You’re the one who told them about the accounts! Who the hell are you?"

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I reached up and removed the glasses I had worn every day. I swept my hair back. The resemblance to the woman he had discarded in the hospital was undeniable, though the strength in my eyes was something he had never dared to imagine.

"My name is June," I said, my voice echoing with a quiet, terrifying power. "And you made the greatest mistake of your life when you assumed I was alone."