CHAPTER 1 : THE GILDED CAGE

The air inside the Grand Ballroom of the Sterling Tower smelled like expensive champagne, old money, and unspoken tension. It was the annual Sterling Group Foundation Gala, an event where the who’s who of the business world gathered to toast to the empire Robert Sterling had built from scratch.

For Riley Sterling, however, it felt less like a celebration and more like an annual performance review she hadn’t studied for.

"Riley, darling! You look... presentable."

Riley stiffened as she felt a manicured hand brush against her arm. She turned to face her older half-sister, Bella Harington. Bella was dressed in a blood-red gown that clung to her curves like a second skin, her blonde hair styled in a sleek bob that screamed power and wealth.

"Thank you, Bella," Riley said softly, clutching her champagne flute tighter. She wore a simple emerald silk dress—elegant, but understated compared to Bella’s extravagance. "You look... striking."

Bella laughed, a sharp, brittle sound. "I look like the future CEO, darling. That’s the point. Unlike some people who look like they’re here to serve the canapés."

Riley’s jaw tightened, but she said nothing. She was used to the jabs. For twenty-six years, she had lived in the shadow of her father’s past mistakes and his present indifference. She was the "legitimate" daughter, the one born from the only marriage Robert Sterling had ever bothered to legalize, yet she felt like the biggest outsider in the room.

"Where is Father?" Riley asked, scanning the crowd.

"Making his rounds, pretending he cares about the peasants," Bella sneered, checking her diamond-encrusted watch. "Speaking of the devil, look who’s coming."

Riley followed Bella’s gaze. Across the room, cutting through the sea of suits and gowns, was Kael Ashford.

He was the middle child, the son from Robert’s second mistress. If Bella was fire and Riley was water, Kael was ice. He wore a tailored black suit that fit him like a glove, his dark hair slightly messy, a glass of scotch in his hand. He looked bored. He always looked bored.

Kael’s eyes scanned the room until they landed on the two sisters. A smirk played on his lips as he sauntered over.

"The Cinderella and the Evil Queen," Kael drawled, stopping in front of them. "Am I interrupting a catfight, or are you two actually behaving for once?"

"Mind your own business, Kael," Bella snapped, her voice dropping an octave. "We were discussing the future of the company."

"Are we?" Kael raised an eyebrow, taking a slow sip of his drink. His eyes shifted to Riley. "And what does the baby sister think about the future?"

Riley felt a flush creep up her neck. Kael always had this effect on her—intimidating and infuriating. "I think the company is in good hands with Father," she said, trying to sound firm.

Kael chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that sent a strange shiver down her spine. "Loyalty. Cute. But loyalty doesn't pay the bills, Riley. Results do."

Before the tension could snap, the room suddenly dimmed. A spotlight hit the grand staircase at the far end of the ballroom. There, standing tall and imposing, was Robert Sterling.

He looked older than he did six months ago. His face was gaunt, his usual tan replaced by a sickly pallor. He gripped the railing with a strength that seemed forced.

"Ladies and gentlemen," his voice boomed through the microphone, raspy but commanding. "Welcome."

The room fell silent. Riley’s heart began to race. She knew her father was sick. The doctors had warned the family months ago, but seeing him look so frail in public was a shock.

"I have called you here tonight not just to celebrate our foundation," Robert said, his eyes scanning the crowd until they locked onto his three children. "But to announce a change in leadership."

Bella straightened beside Riley. Kael’s smirk vanished, replaced by a sharp, calculating focus.

"My health has declined," Robert continued, his voice steady. "I will be stepping down as CEO in six months."

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

"However," Robert raised a hand, silencing them. "I will not simply hand over the keys to the kingdom. I have three children. Three candidates."

Riley felt the air leave her lungs. Beside her, Bella gasped audibly. Kael remained stoic, but his grip on his glass tightened until his knuckles turned white.

"Over the next six months," Robert announced, his voice ringing with authority. "You three will compete. You will be given projects, responsibilities, and challenges. I will be watching. I will be judging. And at the end of those six months... one of you will be named the Heir."

The room erupted into chaos. Cameras flashed. Reporters scrambled. But Riley couldn't hear anything. She looked at Bella, whose face had turned a dangerous shade of red with rage and excitement. Then she looked at Kael.

Kael was looking at her. For the first time all night, his expression wasn't bored or mocking. It was predatory. He raised his glass slightly in a mock toast, his eyes narrowing.

The game has begun, his look said.

 

Two hours later, the gala had turned into a frenzy of speculation. Riley had escaped to the rooftop garden, desperate for fresh air. The cool night wind bit at her skin, but it was better than the suffocating atmosphere inside.

"Heir," a voice came from behind her. "Who would have thought the old man had it in him?"

Riley turned. Kael was leaning against the glass door, watching her.

"It’s a disaster," Riley whispered, hugging herself. "He’s pitting us against each other."

"He’s testing us," Kael corrected, walking closer. "And you, little sister, are the weakest link."

Riley glared at him. "I am not weak."

"No?" Kael stopped just inches from her. He smelled of expensive cologne and danger. "Bella has been scheming for this since she was ten. I’ve been running the finance division like a machine for years. What have you got, Riley? Your little marketing campaigns for affordable housing?"

"I have integrity," Riley shot back, lifting her chin. "Something you and Bella seem to have misplaced."

Kael laughed, a short, harsh sound. "Integrity won't keep the board members in line. It won't stop the stock from crashing. And it certainly won't stop Bella from destroying you."

He stepped closer, invading her personal space. "Let me give you a piece of advice, Riley. Go back to your little office. Do your job. Stay out of the way. Because if you try to play this game, you’re going to get hurt. Badly."

"I don't need your advice, Kael," Riley said, pushing past him. "I’m doing this for Father. I’m going to win this fairly."

Kael watched her walk away, her emerald dress swishing against the concrete. As the door slid shut, his expression darkened.

"Fairly," he muttered to the empty night. "You’re going to be eaten alive."

 

The next morning, Riley arrived at the Sterling Group headquarters with a new fire in her belly. She wasn't going to be the victim. She was going to prove to her father—and to Kael and Bella—that she belonged here.

She headed straight for her office, clutching a folder containing her proposal for the "Green City Initiative"—a project she had been working on for months to revitalize the slums near the city center. It was her passion project, and she intended to present it to her father as her first major contribution to the contest.

"Good morning, Riley," her assistant, Jenny, said nervously as she walked in. "Um... there was a delivery for you."

Riley frowned. "A delivery?"

Jenny pointed to the conference table. Spread across it were dozens of newspapers and financial magazines. On the front page of the Business Chronicle, in bold, screaming headlines, was a picture of her.

RISING STAR OR RECKLESS SPENDER?

Riley’s blood ran cold. She grabbed the paper. The article claimed that Riley Sterling had embezzled funds from the marketing budget to fund a "personal luxury lifestyle," citing fake invoices and doctored bank statements.

"No," Riley whispered, her hands shaking. "This isn't true."

Her phone buzzed. It was her father’s secretary.

"Miss Sterling," the woman’s voice was cold. "Mr. Sterling requests your presence in the boardroom immediately. And bring your laptop. We need to discuss your... irregularities."

Riley dropped the phone. She looked at the door, then at the proposal in her hand.

Bella.

It had to be Bella.

She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and walked out of her office. The hallway was silent. Employees stopped talking as she passed, their eyes filled with whispers and judgment.

She reached the boardroom. The heavy double doors were closed. She could hear the muffled sound of her father’s voice, angry and booming.

She pushed the doors open.

Inside, the board of directors sat in a semi-circle. At the head of the table was Robert Sterling, looking furious. To his right sat Bella, a picture of innocent concern.

And to his left, watching her with an unreadable expression, was Kael.

"Explain this, Riley," Robert roared, slamming a stack of papers onto the table. "Explain why my daughter is stealing from my company!"

Riley stood tall, her eyes locking with Kael’s. She saw the flicker of something in his eyes. Pity? Or amusement?

"I didn't do it, Father," Riley said, her voice trembling but clear. "This is a setup."

Bella sighed dramatically, placing a hand on Robert’s arm. "Father, don't be too hard on her. Maybe she just got in over her head. We can fix this. We can cover it up—"

"No!" Riley snapped. "I didn't steal anything!"

"Silence!" Robert stood up, his face purple with rage. "Effective immediately, Riley Sterling, you are suspended from all duties pending a full investigation. Get out of my sight."

Riley felt the tears prick her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She looked at Bella, who gave her a subtle, victorious smirk. Then she looked at Kael.

Kael didn't say a word. He just watched her, his face a mask of stone, as she turned and walked out of the room, her reputation in ruins before the contest had even truly begun.

As the doors closed behind her, Kael reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He opened a hidden folder containing security footage from the IT department. On the screen, he saw Bella’s assistant sneaking into Riley’s office the night before, planting a virus on her computer.

Kael stared at the screen for a long moment. He looked at the closed doors where Riley had just been humiliated.

"Interesting," Kael whispered, a slow, dangerous smile spreading across his face. "Very interesting."

He deleted the file.

For now, he would let the game play out. But he knew one thing for certain: Riley Sterling wasn't going to win this war alone. And he wasn't sure if he was going to help her... or bury her.