4| HOW TO BURN

Valerie’s POV

“Oh god.” I cried bitterly as the door slammed shut in my face. I didn’t know what to do for a moment as all I could feel was pain.

All I wanted was to give him the big news but he gave me the bigger news. How didn’t I know that his numerous business trips were spent with his real family?

I managed to flag down a taxi, the driver helping me into the backseat with a grunt of annoyance at my heavy wheelchair but I paid him no attention. When we arrived at the penthouse, my heart plummeted. My few belongings, which ranged from the oversized knits and the worn books that kept me company through my lonely days, were scattered across the floor like trash.

With a sob, I realized the lock had been changed, just like Cassian had said.

With trembling fingers, I dialed my father’s old family lawyer, Mr. Aris, who had warned me to be careful but I had ignored his warnings for years, blinded by Cassian’s love and devotion.

"Valerie?" Mr. Aris answered. He didn’t seem surprised by my call. "I saw the press conference and I have been running the numbers and the filings because I had a feeling you were going to call me shortly."

So, I was all over the news already?

"Is the marriage... is it real?" I whispered, leaning my head tiredly backwards in my wheelchair.

"No," he sighed. "The certificate was a high-quality forgery and it was never filed with the state. And Valerie... I dug into the closed police report from your father’s accident. The mechanic who inspected the wreckage back then knew something was wrong but the lead investigator was paid off by someone anonymous to buy their silence, and that anonymous person is Cassian Thorne."

A pained scream tore off my lips at his words. The very man I fell in love with, slept beside and funded was the same person who murdered my father and put me in this condition.

I heaved deep breaths as I tried to control myself. I looked at my things that were scattered and I knew what I had to do.

"Mr. Aris," I said, my voice deep with rage. "I want every cent of the inheritance moved to an offshore account he cannot touch. I am leaving tonight but I’ll be back to pay him for all he has done."

^^^^^

Five Years Later

I brushed my hair with my fingers as my eyes raked through the men that were looking up to me with apt attention.

I stood at the head of the table with a perfect posture. I was no longer in a wheelchair like I was years ago. Now I stood on my own two feet, the four-inch heels of my designer pumps clicking loudly as I paced the room with authority.

My once messy hair was cut in a professional bob and my expensive suit hugged my soft curves perfectly as I stared at the men.

"The merger is finalized, gentlemen," I said, my once timid voice flowing calmly through the room. "V. Intl now controls forty percent of the logistics market. If there are no further questions, this meeting is adjourned."

As the men stood to leave, offering me respectful nods, it was a reminder of what I was years ago. I had been the complete opposite of what I am now.

After leaving that penthouse five years ago, I had disappeared to a private clinic in Switzerland. I spent two years in agonizing physical therapy and underwent three experimental spinal surgeries funded by the billions my father had left me. I had pushed myself past the breaking point, fueled by a single, burning desire, which is revenge.

The years were pretty rough for me but I pushed through. There were days I was tempted to give up but I didn’t dare to. I came back better and stronger and even now, I owned a fast-growing company that was going to top the charts in only a few days.

While Cassian probably thought I was dead, I was building an empire that already surpassed his. He wouldn’t know what hit him until it was too late. This, I had made sure of.

Five years was enough to make my heart beat with only the thought of vengeance. I was no longer the skinny cripple that was covered in oversized clothes. Now I was a CEO with a stunning curvy body and a face that made heads turn.

When everyone had left, I took a seat and my eyes flew over the reports on the table. Just then, the door pushed open and my trusted manager, Marcus, walked in.

"The report you asked for, Ma'am," Marcus said, handing me his tablet. "It just went public."

I took the device, my eyes scanning the headline. Then my lips curled into a slow, predatory smile.

"Thorne Industries has officially placed a bid on the State Infrastructure Contract," Marcus informed me. "It is the largest contract in the history of the state. Cassian has leveraged everything he owns, including his personal properties, to back this bid. He is desperate for this win and he is currently topping the charts."

“Good.” I said in glee. Putting all your investments, including your personal assets, was a huge risk but of course, the reward for the contract was unimaginable.

But there was something he didn’t know. He had no idea that the anonymous buyer who had been snapping up his suppliers and shorting his stock for the last eighteen months was the same woman he had assumed to be dead.

“What is the next step ma’am? We have to act fast before it is too late.” Marcus said, reading the report. This was a huge opportunity for me to go public fully but at the same time, pull Cassian down.

I handed the tablet back to Marcus with a smile still tugging at my lips. "Prepare our counter-bid immediately. We are going to snatch that contract out of his hands at the very last second.”