CHAPTER 52

The air in the penthouse felt suffocating, thick with the weight of decisions that would determine their future. Fiona’s fingers tightened around her phone as she absorbed the weight of Marcus’s words.

Bella had aligned herself with William.

It wasn’t just a betrayal—it was a direct threat to everything they had worked for.

Darwin ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. “We should’ve cut her out sooner.”

“She was already drowning,” Thalassa said, tapping her nails against the marble countertop. “Now she’s just grasping at whatever lifeline she can find.”

Fiona’s jaw clenched as she paced across the living room. The city skyline beyond the glass windows stretched out like a kingdom she refused to lose. “But she knows too much. Our strategy, our timeline—William won’t waste time using that against us.”

Marcus’s voice remained calm but firm. “We still have an edge. William is desperate, and desperate men make mistakes. He’s trying to move his money, but his offshore accounts aren’t fully liquid yet. If we act fast, we can shut them down before he disappears.”

Darwin straightened, his dark eyes narrowing. “Then that’s our next move.”

Fiona nodded sharply. “Marcus, I need you to make the call. Lock those accounts before he gets a chance to reroute anything.”

Marcus was already typing. “Consider it done.”

Thalassa pulled up another file on her screen. “And I’ve been digging into Bella’s financials. If she thinks she can walk away from this unscathed, she’s in for a rude awakening.”

Darwin’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

Thalassa smirked, the kind of smile that meant trouble. “Let’s just say Bella’s been cooking the books. A few well-placed leaks, and she’ll be too busy fighting for her career to be William’s pawn.”

Fiona’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Do it.”

Thalassa didn’t need further instruction. She turned to her laptop, fingers flying over the keys. The screen reflected in her sharp blue eyes, a predator watching its prey.

Fiona turned to Darwin. “And what about you?”

Darwin met her gaze, something unreadable in his expression. “I’ll do what I should’ve done a long time ago. I’ll end this.”

She didn’t ask what he meant. She already knew.

---

The Fall of Bella Kingston

Bella’s hands trembled as she scrolled through her phone.

One by one, the headlines flooded in, each more damning than the last.

Breaking: Bella Kingston Under Investigation for Financial Misconduct.

Anonymous Sources Reveal Major Irregularities in Company Accounts.

Exclusive: Did Bella Kingston Embezzle Funds? Board Members Demand Answers.

“No, no, no,” she whispered, her pulse skyrocketing.

She had been so careful. So meticulous. How had this happened?

Her office door burst open. A group of board members entered, their expressions cold, unyielding.

“Bella, we need to talk,” Mr. Sterling, the head of the board, said stiffly.

She forced a smile, though her stomach twisted violently. “Of course. What’s this about?”

Sterling dropped a stack of documents onto her desk. The sound was deafening in the silence that followed.

Bella’s breath hitched as she recognized the ledgers. The forged numbers, the hidden transactions—it was all there.

“We gave you our trust,” Sterling continued. “But after these revelations, we have no choice.”

Bella swallowed, her mind scrambling for an escape. “This is a mistake. A misunderstanding—”

“It’s an official motion for your removal,” another board member interrupted. “Effective immediately.”

Her world tilted.

No. This wasn’t happening.

She had been so focused on taking Fiona down that she hadn’t seen the knife coming for her.

“Please,” she rasped, desperation clawing at her throat. “You don’t understand—”

“We understand perfectly,” Sterling said coolly. He gestured toward the door.

Two security guards stepped forward.

Bella’s knees nearly buckled.

Not like this.

Not when she was so close to winning.

Her fingers gripped the edge of her desk as the guards reached for her.

“Don’t touch me!” she snapped, but her voice lacked its usual venom.

“Ms. Kingston,” Sterling said with finality, “please leave before we have you forcibly removed.”

And just like that, the empire she had clawed her way up crumbled beneath her.

She had lost.

And worse—she was alone.

---

William’s Last Stand

William stormed through his penthouse, his usual composure unraveling. He barked orders into his phone.

“I don’t care what it costs—buy me time!”

His assistant hesitated. “Sir, the offshore accounts… they’ve been frozen.”

William’s grip tightened around his phone. “What?”

“All of them. Someone got there first.”

A muscle in his jaw ticked.

Fiona.

She had cut off his escape.

His mind raced. He still had contacts, still had favors to call in. But the walls were closing in faster than he had anticipated.

His thoughts were interrupted by another call.

Unknown number.

He answered. “What?”

“We have a problem,” came the low voice on the other end. “Darwin is making moves. If you want to survive this, you need to act now.”

William’s grip tightened.

There was only one move left.

Eliminate the problem.

All of them.

---

A Final Warning

Fiona’s phone buzzed.

Unknown number.

She hesitated before answering. “Who is this?”

A distorted voice came through the line. “You should’ve left well enough alone.”

Her stomach turned to ice.

“I don’t scare easily,” she said, keeping her voice steady.

The caller chuckled. “You should. Because by this time tomorrow, you won’t have anything left to fight for.”

The line went dead.

Fiona slowly lowered the phone, her heart pounding against her ribs.

Darwin stepped forward. “What was that?”

She met his gaze, her voice like steel. “A warning.”

Thalassa stood, her eyes sharp as a blade. “Then we strike first.”

Fiona exhaled, steadying herself. “No more waiting.”

Darwin nodded. “Let’s finish this.”

As they prepared for the final battle, one thing was clear.

This wasn’t just about revenge anymore.

It was about survival.

And only one side would walk away victorious.