Chapter 4

The annual Architect' s Guild Gala was the most important event of the year, a glittering affair where deals were made, and reputations were forged. This year, Chloe' s firm was set to unveil the centerpiece of their new portfolio: the finalized, innovative design for the Sterling Tower.

It was her moment to prove to the world that her father' s legacy was not only restored but was stronger than ever. The air in the grand ballroom was thick with anticipation. Arthur Vance was there, schmoozing with potential clients, a smug look on his face. He believed Chloe' s firm was crippled, that her presentation would be a disaster.

Chloe took the stage, poised and confident. She began her presentation, and the room fell silent. The designs she projected onto the massive screen were breathtaking. They were elegant, futuristic, and structurally brilliant. A murmur of awe rippled through the audience of seasoned architects and developers.

She had not only recovered from the supposed sabotage, but she had produced something extraordinary. Vance' s smug expression faltered, replaced by one of disbelief and fury. He couldn' t understand how this was possible.

Just as Chloe was about to move to her concluding remarks, the grand screens behind her flickered and went black. A moment later, they lit up again, but not with her designs. Instead, a grainy, poorly lit video began to play.

It showed a much younger Chloe, her face etched with exhaustion, standing in the garish, neon-lit lobby of a casino. She was arguing with a thick-necked man in a cheap suit. The audio was clear.

"I need another week," Chloe' s younger self pleaded. "I can get the money."

"No more time," the man grunted. "Your sister racked up a thirty-thousand-dollar debt at the tables. The boss wants his money tonight, or we start breaking things. And we' ll start with her."

The camera panned to show Bella, looking terrified, being held by two other large men. The video then cut to another scene. Chloe was in a smoky backroom, dancing on a small stage in a skimpy outfit, her face a mask of humiliation as men threw cash at her feet. It was a sordid, degrading scene, designed for maximum shock and shame.

The video ended, and the ballroom was plunged into a stunned, horrified silence. Chloe stood frozen on the stage, the blood draining from her face. The memory of that night came rushing back, a trauma she had buried deep. Bella had been on a trip to Vegas, a trip Chloe had paid for, and had fallen in with a bad crowd, gambling away money she didn' t have with a loan shark.

Chloe had flown there in a panic, using the last of her personal savings to pay off the debt. But it wasn' t enough. The loan shark had demanded more. To save her sister from being beaten or worse, Chloe had been forced to endure a night of utter degradation to earn the remaining amount. She had done it to protect Bella, to save her. And now, Bella was using that sacrifice to destroy her.

The silence in the ballroom broke as people began to whisper. Phones came out, and the video, clearly leaked to a media outlet simultaneously, was already going viral. The narrative shifted in an instant. Chloe, the victimized sister, was now a woman with a sordid, scandalous past. The headlines would be brutal. Her professional credibility was shattered.

Her assistant, panicked, rushed to her side. "Chloe, we need to leave. We need to issue a statement."

Chloe looked out at the sea of judging, curious faces. She saw Arthur Vance in the corner, a triumphant sneer on his face. He was talking to Leo on the phone, no doubt congratulating him. In this moment of public humiliation, a strange calm settled over her. This was their big move, their knockout punch. And they had just handed her the perfect weapon.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. It was Bella. Chloe stepped away from the microphone and answered.

"Did you like my little surprise, sister?" Bella' s voice was giddy with vindictive pleasure. "Everyone' s seeing the real you now. The little dancer who sells herself for cash. No one is ever going to take you seriously again. The Sterling Tower is mine. Vance is going to give me a cut."

The sheer, venomous joy in her sister' s voice solidified something in Chloe. There was no pain, no hurt left. Only a cold, clear path forward.

"I' d like to see you, Bella," Chloe said, her voice even. "You and Leo. Let' s meet. We have a lot to discuss."

"Why would I meet with you?" Bella scoffed. "You have nothing."

"You want the Sterling Tower project, don' t you?" Chloe said. "Meet me tomorrow. The Oak Room at the Plaza. Noon. Come alone, or the deal is off." She hung up before Bella could reply. She knew Bella' s greed, and Leo' s, would be too strong for them to resist. They would come, expecting her to beg. They would be walking into the lion' s den.

The next day, Chloe arrived at the opulent, wood-paneled Oak Room to find Bella and Leo already there, sipping champagne. They looked smug and victorious. Vance was also there, sitting at a nearby table, pretending not to be with them but clearly overseeing the meeting.

Bella and Leo were behaving obnoxiously, speaking loudly, trying to draw attention to their perceived victory over the now-disgraced Chloe. They were a portrait of nouveau-riche vulgarity.

"So," Bella said as Chloe sat down, dispensing with any pleasantries. "You' re ready to be reasonable. Good. Here' s the deal. You' re going to publicly announce that due to your... personal issues... you are stepping down from the firm. You will sign over all your shares and control of the company to me."

Leo leaned forward, a greasy smile on his face. "Think of it as an early retirement, Chloe. You' ve earned a rest. Let your sister, who has a clean reputation, take over. It' s for the best."

The arrogance was staggering. They didn' t just want to ruin her, they wanted to possess everything she had ever worked for. They thought a single video had been enough to break her completely. They had severely underestimated her.