First Observations

Elena arrived at Knight Industries at exactly 7 PM, her palms sweating. She'd spent the day at the library researching Arthur Knight, trying to figure out what he might want from her.

What she'd found was interesting. Arthur Knight was thirty-four, self-made, and had built Knight Industries from nothing into one of the most successful investment firms in the city. He specialized in corporate restructuring, buying struggling companies and either fixing them or breaking them apart for profit.

He was also known for being ruthless with companies that engaged in fraud or unethical practices.

Elena took the elevator to the executive floor, her heart pounding. The office was quiet except for the hum of air conditioning. Arthur's office door was open, and she could see him sitting at his desk, reading documents.

Elena knocked softly on the doorframe.

"Come in," Arthur said, looking up. "Close the door behind you."

Elena did as he asked, then stood uncertainly by the door. In the bright office lights, Arthur Knight looked even more intimidating than he had last night. He was handsome in a sharp, dangerous way, with intelligent eyes that seemed to see everything.

"Sit," Arthur said, gesturing to the chair across from his desk.

Elena sat on the edge of the chair, ready to run if necessary.

Arthur studied her for a long moment. "How long have you been cleaning offices?"

"Three weeks."

"And before that?"

Elena hesitated. "I was married. I didn't work."

"But you said you used to work with numbers."

"That was a long time ago."

Arthur leaned back in his chair. "Elena, I've been watching your work for two weeks. You've been correcting errors in complex financial analysis. You solved a merger evaluation that stumped my team of MBAs. Either you're the most overqualified cleaning lady in history, or there's more to your story."

Elena stared at her hands. "I shouldn't have touched your papers. I'm sorry. I just... I couldn't help myself."

"Don't apologize. I'm impressed. I'm also curious." Arthur picked up the Sterling Tech analysis she'd completed last night. "This work is exceptional. You identified problems my analysts missed and proposed solutions I hadn't considered. Where did you learn to do this?"

Elena looked up at him. His expression wasn't angry or suspicious. It was genuinely interested.

"I have a degree in business and finance from Northwestern," Elena said quietly. "I used to be good at this kind of thing."

"Used to be? You still are." Arthur set down the paper. "What happened? Why are you cleaning offices instead of running a company?"

Elena felt tears threatening. "My husband happened."

Arthur waited, not pushing, just letting her decide how much to tell him.

"I helped build his company from nothing. Then he decided he didn't need me anymore. He took everything, the business, the kids, the money, even my identity. According to him, I never contributed anything meaningful. I was just... administrative support."

"And you believed him?"

Elena looked up, surprised by the sharpness in Arthur's voice.

"I... yes. For a while. He was very convincing."

Arthur leaned forward, his eyes intense. "Elena, what's your last name?"

Elena's stomach dropped. "Why?"

"Because I think I know who you are. And if I'm right, your husband is about to have a very bad week."

Elena stared at him. "You're investigating Sterling Tech."

"I'm preparing to destroy Sterling Tech," Arthur corrected. "Mark Sterling is a fraud, a thief, and a liar. He's stolen patents, hidden assets, and manipulated financial records. I've been building a case against him for months."

"Why?" Elena whispered.

Arthur's expression went cold. "Because years ago, Mark Sterling destroyed my father's company through corporate espionage and fraud. My father lost everything, his business, his reputation, his will to live. He died of a heart attack later, broken and disgraced."

Elena felt the blood drain from her face. "Oh my God."

"Mark Sterling has been stealing from people for years. Companies, investors, partners..." Arthur's eyes met Elena's. "Wives."

"You know who I am."

"Elena Sterling. Former business partner and co-founder of Sterling Tech, according to the original incorporation papers I dug up. Brilliant strategic mind, if the early business plans I found are any indication. Recently divorced, currently missing, last seen having what the business community is calling a 'public breakdown' at a charity gala."

Elena closed her eyes. "That's me."

"The woman who built the algorithms that made Sterling Tech billions of dollars?"

Elena nodded, not trusting her voice.

"Then you're exactly who I've been looking for."

Elena opened her eyes. "What?"

Arthur stood up and walked around his desk, sitting on the edge so he was closer to her eye level. "Elena, I have evidence of Mark's financial crimes, but I'm missing pieces. You have the inside knowledge I need to make the case bulletproof. Together, we could not only take down Sterling Tech, we could take down Mark Sterling permanently."

Elena's heart was racing. "I don't understand. You want to hire me?"

"I want to offer you a partnership. Help me destroy the man who destroyed both our lives. In return, I'll help you get back everything he stole; your company, your reputation, your children."

Elena stared at him. "Why would you help me?"

Arthur's expression softened slightly. "Because I know what it's like to lose everything to Mark Sterling's lies. Because you're brilliant and you deserve better than cleaning offices. And because..." He paused. "Because justice delayed is justice denied, and it's time Mark Sterling faced justice."

Elena was quiet for a long moment, processing everything. "What exactly are you proposing?"

"First, I offer you a real job. Senior financial analyst, competitive salary, your own office. You help me complete the Sterling Tech investigation while rebuilding your own career and credibility."

"And second?"

Arthur's smile was sharp as a blade. "Second, we make Mark Sterling pay for every life he's destroyed. Starting with yours."

Elena thought about her children, who thought she'd abandoned them. About Mark's engagement to Veronica while he was still married to her. About twelve years of being made to feel worthless.

"There's something you should know," Elena said. "I have evidence too. Original patents, founding documents, emails proving my role in building Sterling Tech. Mark tried to erase me from history, but he missed some things."

Arthur's eyes lit up. "What kind of evidence?"

"The kind that proves Mark Sterling built his empire on stolen intellectual property. My intellectual property."

Arthur leaned forward. "Elena, if you're serious about this, we could do more than just destroy Sterling Tech. We could expose Mark as the fraud he is, recover damages for intellectual property theft, and probably send him to prison."

Elena thought about Mark's cold smile when he called her pathetic. About Veronica wearing Elena's engagement ring. About her children being turned against her.

"I'm serious," Elena said quietly. "But I have one condition."

"Name it."

"When we're done, I want my children to know the truth about who their father really is. And I want them to know their mother isn't the weak, crazy woman he made me out to be."

Arthur extended his hand. "Deal."

Elena shook it, feeling a surge of power she hadn't experienced in years. For the first time since walking out of her old life, she wasn't just surviving.

She was planning to win.

"When do we start?" Elena asked.

Arthur's smile was dangerous and beautiful. "We already have."