Chapter 2: Five Minutes Later, His Kingdom Began to Burn
Matthew had barely reached the underground parking garage when his phone vibrated.
11:42 p.m.
A message from the Chief Financial Officer.
Urgent. Call me immediately.
He ignored it.
Then another.
And another.
Within thirty seconds, twelve notifications flooded his screen.
The board chairman.
General counsel.
His executive assistant.
The head of investor relations.
"What the hell..."
He slid into his Bentley and finally answered.
"Sir," the CFO said without greeting, "every one of Sterling Capital's institutional investors has frozen negotiations."
Matthew frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
"They're pulling out."
"They can't."
"They already have."
His assistant called next.
"Mr. Hayes... every bank that was processing tomorrow's acquisition has suspended the transaction pending a compliance review."
"Who ordered that?"
"We... we don't know."
The line disconnected.
Matthew stared at the phone.
For the first time that night...
His hands trembled.
Thirty miles away, Arthur Sterling's convoy raced toward Manhattan.
Inside the lead SUV, nobody spoke.
Arthur looked out the window.
"Henderson."
"Yes, sir."
"How many board members still owe me favors?"
Henderson checked his tablet.
"Eight."
"And the banks?"
"Three CEOs still answer your calls personally."
Arthur nodded once.
"Good."
Another phone lit up.
"Arthur."
The voice belonged to the chairman of NexusCore.
"I've already suspended Matthew Hayes pending an emergency vote."
"I didn't ask you to."
"No."
The chairman paused.
"But after what your security team sent us..."
Silence.
"...he'll never sit in that boardroom again."
Arthur ended the call.
Not because he was satisfied.
Because he hadn't even started.
Back inside the penthouse, Clare drifted in and out of consciousness.
Sirens echoed somewhere below.
Her phone remained pressed against her ear.
"Dad..."
"I'm here."
"I'm so tired."
"I know."
"I should've listened."
Arthur closed his eyes.
"You came home."
"That's all that matters."
The elevator chimed.
Heavy footsteps thundered down the hallway.
Then someone shouted,
"Mr. Sterling's security!"
The apartment door exploded inward.
Henderson entered first.
Thirty-one years protecting presidents, diplomats, and billionaires had taught him to control his emotions.
Tonight...
He failed.
His face hardened the moment he saw Clare lying beside the broken orchids.
Blood.
Glass.
Torn silk.
Bruises already darkening across her face.
His jaw clenched.
"Call EMS again."
"They're two minutes out."
"No."
He looked toward another guard.
"Tell them to bring trauma specialists."
Five minutes later...
Arthur Sterling stepped into the apartment.
He wasn't running.
He never ran.
But Clare had never seen him move so fast.
He crossed the marble floor in seconds.
Then stopped.
His daughter looked nothing like the woman who had left home seven years earlier.
Arthur slowly knelt beside her.
His hands shook as they touched her face.
"I'm here."
Clare burst into tears.
"Daddy..."
He wrapped his suit jacket around her trembling shoulders.
"You don't apologize for surviving."
Then he stood.
Every trace of warmth disappeared.
"Henderson."
"Yes, sir."
"Bring me everything."
"The cameras."
"The medical reports."
"The neighbors."
"The concierge."
"The elevator logs."
"The garage footage."
"The doorman."
"I want every second of tonight preserved."
His eyes settled on the torn blouse lying across the marble.
"And find Matthew Hayes."
May you like
"For his sake..."
"I hope the police reach him before I do."
