Chapter 17
The detectives aggressively dragged Jonathan Blackwood out of the boardroom, his high-pitched screams of denial echoing down the limestone corridor much like Julian’s had. Eleanor stood entirely motionless, watching the heavy frosted glass doors swing shut until the seventy-second floor descended into total, suffocating silence. The war was officially over. In the span of a single evening, Eleanor had systematically dismantled the Vance logistics firm, completely annihilated the Sterling family empire, and surgically excised the treasonous rot from her own bloodline. Arthur slowly straightened his bespoke tuxedo, picking up the fallen bronze sculpture and carefully setting it back on the table. He looked at his daughter, his gray eyes shining with an immense, profound respect. "You executed it flawlessly, Eleanor," Arthur murmured, his deep voice softening. "You didn't just step back into the light. You permanently blinded everyone who thought they could thrive in your shadow." "They severely underestimated the cost of my silence," Eleanor said, walking over to the panoramic windows. Below her, the sprawling, glittering expanse of Manhattan stretched out into the dark—a city full of billionaires and shipping magnates who were currently waking up in cold sweats, terrified by the sudden, apocalyptic wrath of Blackwood Global. "The board will require a formal address in the morning," Arthur noted, stepping up quietly beside her. "We need to officially name you as the uncontested Chairman to stabilize the stock before the opening bell." "The board will do exactly as they are told," Eleanor replied smoothly. "And if any of them attempt to challenge my psychological stability again, I will personally buy their debt and call it upon demand." Harrison stepped back into the room, holding his encrypted tablet. "Director Blackwood. The perimeter is entirely secure. The mercenary team has formally surrendered their weapons and completely vacated the premises." "And my daughter?" Eleanor asked, the icy armor around her heart finally beginning to thaw. "Maya is perfectly safe in the subterranean vault, ma'am. She has been sleeping peacefully through the entire ordeal." Eleanor let out a long, ragged breath, the sheer exhaustion of the night finally catching up to her. "Take me to her, Harrison."
