CHAPTER 54

The night had swallowed the chaos, but the echoes of battle remained.

Fiona stood at the edge of the underground garage, watching as the police escorted William away in handcuffs. His once-impeccable suit was disheveled, his face a storm of barely restrained rage.

He turned his head slightly, locking eyes with her one last time.

“You think this is over?” he murmured, a twisted smile curling his lips. “You’ve just made yourself a bigger target.”

Fiona didn’t flinch. “You already tried to destroy me, William. Look where that got you.”

A flash of something unreadable crossed his face—then he was shoved forward, disappearing into the waiting police van.

Silence settled over the garage.

Darwin exhaled, lowering his weapon as he walked up beside Fiona. “It’s done.”

Fiona wasn’t so sure. “No, not yet. We stopped William, but the Echelon won’t just roll over.”

Thalassa leaned against a pillar, arms crossed. “They’ll regroup, sure. But they just lost their golden boy. That kind of shake-up takes time.”

Marcus’s voice crackled through the earpiece. “We’re clean on our end. No casualties, no loose ends.”

Darwin slid his phone into his pocket. “Then we move to the next phase.”

Fiona turned to him. “And that is?”

His expression was unreadable. “We dismantle what’s left of William’s influence before anyone else can step in.”

Fiona knew what he meant. William may have been the face of the problem, but the real threat—the corruption, the alliances, the unseen hands pulling strings—was still very much alive.

And if they stopped now, it would all rise again.

---

Loose Ends

Morning arrived, but there was no relief.

Fiona sat in her penthouse, staring at the multiple news channels broadcasting William’s downfall. His arrest had already gone viral. Reporters were dissecting his financial crimes, his corporate sabotage, his desperate last-ditch efforts to hold onto power.

The public loved a scandal—especially when the villain fell spectacularly.

Thalassa strolled in, holding two coffee cups. “Thought you could use this.”

Fiona took one, murmuring her thanks.

Thalassa flopped onto the couch, stretching. “So. How’s it feel? Seeing him finally pay?”

Fiona sipped her coffee, considering. “Like an illusion. He’s out of the way, but the damage he caused still exists.”

Thalassa tilted her head. “And what about Darwin?”

Fiona hesitated. That was a more complicated question.

Since the moment they’d joined forces, she had forced herself to keep her guard up. Darwin had been part of the problem for so long—was he truly ready to be part of the solution?

Thalassa must have caught her hesitation because she smirked. “Careful, F*e. I think you’re starting to trust him.”

Fiona scoffed, shaking her head. “Trust? No. But… he’s proven he’s not the man he used to be.”

Thalassa studied her for a moment. “And what about you? You’ve changed too, you know.”

Fiona frowned. “What do you mean?”

Thalassa took a sip of her own coffee, watching her carefully. “At the start of this, it was just about survival for you. Now? It’s more than that. You’re not just reacting anymore. You’re leading.”

Fiona opened her mouth to argue—but stopped.

Because Thalassa was right.

At the start, all she had wanted was to escape the mess William had dragged her into. But now, she wanted to see it through. To fix what had been broken.

She wasn’t the same woman who had walked into this war blind.

And she wouldn’t walk away from it now.

---

The Boardroom Showdown

Later that afternoon, Fiona arrived at the Kingston Enterprises headquarters.

Bella was already there, sitting at the far end of the boardroom table, flanked by her last remaining allies.

Her face was pale, but she had composed herself.

Fiona took her seat, meeting Bella’s cold stare.

The board members whispered among themselves, still reeling from the financial scandal that had just exploded across the media.

One of them, an older man named Sterling, cleared his throat. “Let’s get to it. Miss Kingston, we’ve reviewed the reports. The allegations are substantial.”

Bella’s nails tapped against the table. “Allegations are not proof.”

Sterling’s expression didn’t change. “No, but the evidence is damning. We’ve already taken steps to mitigate the damage.”

Fiona leaned forward. “And that includes your removal from the company.”

Bella’s eyes flashed. “You think you’ve won?”

Fiona tilted her head. “Winning implies there was ever a competition. This isn’t a victory, Bella. It’s the natural consequence of your actions.”

Bella’s lips curled into a sneer. “You self-righteous—”

Sterling raised a hand. “Enough. The decision is final.”

Another board member, a woman in her fifties, spoke next. “The only remaining issue is who will take over in Bella’s absence.”

Silence stretched across the room.

Then, Sterling turned to Fiona.

“What do you say, Miss Davenport?”

Fiona blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You were once an integral part of this company. And, given your role in uncovering this corruption… the board believes you’re the best person to restore its credibility.”

Fiona hesitated.

Taking this position meant stepping into a world she had once sworn to leave behind. It meant responsibility. Scrutiny.

It meant no longer fighting from the shadows, but from the front lines.

Darwin’s voice echoed in her mind. We dismantle what’s left before anyone else can step in.

If she didn’t take this seat, someone else would. Someone who might undo everything they had fought for.

She straightened, meeting their gazes.

“I’ll do it.”

Bella’s chair scraped against the floor as she stood abruptly. “You think this makes you better than me?”

Fiona met her glare without flinching. “No. It just means I won’t make the same mistakes.”

Bella scoffed. “We’ll see.”

With that, she turned and stalked out of the room.

As the doors closed behind her, a weight settled onto Fiona’s shoulders.

This wasn’t the end.

It was the beginning of a new war.

But this time—she was ready.

---

The Shift

Darwin found Fiona later that evening, sitting in her new office.

He leaned against the doorway, watching her. “Didn’t think you’d take the offer.”

Fiona glanced up. “Neither did I.”

He stepped inside, hands in his pockets. “So what now?”

Fiona exhaled, leaning back in her chair. “Now… we rebuild. But we do it the right way.”

Darwin nodded slowly. “And us?”

She hesitated.

There had always been something between them—something unresolved, something complicated.

But for the first time, she didn’t feel like running from it.

A small, knowing smile played on her lips.

“We’ll see.”

Darwin smirked. “Fair enough.”

As he turned to leave, Fiona called after him.

“Darwin.”

He paused.

She met his gaze. “We did it.”

His smirk softened into something more genuine. “Yeah. We did.”

And for the first time in a long time—

Fiona felt like she could finally breathe.