Chapter Three: The Queen's Awakening

The elevator didn’t climb; it groaned, cables singing the same three-note they had always hummed since the building was new. Aurora leaned in onto the mirrored wall, hoodie reversed, wet hair dripping on the marble that cost more per square foot than most people’s rent. The keycard sat against her ribs as it burned against her skin; the flash drive in her bra moved with every heartbeat.The elevator stopped at Forty-seven.

Doors parted with a tired sigh.

Victor Kane waited in a robe the color of dried blood, oxygen hissing from the tank beside his wheelchair. Snow-white hair, parchment skin, storm-gray eyes damien’s eyes, only older locked on the faint curve beneath her hoodie.

“You’re late,” he rasped. “And you’re not traveling light.”he said staring down on her stomach

Aurora’s hand flew to her stomach. “How—”she muttered as if trying to ask him how he knew she was pregnant

“Sit.”he said to her but she didn’t. “You knew my mother.”? She said as if asking a question 

“I loved her.” His laugh cracked like thin ice. “She built an empire in the dark while I built one in the light. We were supposed to be one. Unfortunately she died,left you the keys.”he said

Aurora pulled the letter from her pocket, waved it in the air like a flag. “This marriage clause”. Explain it she told him

Victor’s fingers drummed the armrest, faint, uneven. “Old money bullshit needs to Protects bloodlines. Your mother tried to burn it she tried to fight it but she Lost.” He coughed, wet and ugly. “I’ve got six months or even maybe less. Marry me on paper and I'll sign over twenty-four percent,You hit seventy-five.and you will be untouchable

She gasped in shock . “You want me to marry you.”? She asked

“On paper,” he repeated. “No sex. No love. Just ink. You keep the kid. I keep my legacy out of Damien Ryder’s sticky hands.”

Her knees betrayed her. She felt weak as if her own knee could no longer carry the weights of her body. She dragged a chair and sat.

Victor slid a tablet across the coffee table. Which brightly showed everything about Voss tech boldly"VOSS TECH – LIVE DASHBOARD.”

Market cap: $12.4B and climbing.

Ryder Corp: $9.1B and bleeding.

“Look.” He tapped. Red alert: HOSTILE TAKEOVER ATTEMPT – RYDER CORP TARGETING VOSS AI DIVISION.

Damien.

Aurora let out a dry laugh making her throat raw. “He doesn’t even know I have it.”

“He will.” Victor’s eyes narrowed. “He froze your accounts right? And also Leaked the divorce to Page Six. Next move: prove you’re unstable. Unfit. Get a judge to void the will.”Auroras screen flared white against the dark marble.

Unknown Number:

Sign the NDA by 8 a.m. or the abortion clinic records go public. – D.

She showed Victor. His face went dark.

“Clinic?” she whispered.

“Fake,” he said. “But convincing. Mud sticks.”

Aurora stoodup and paced around her heart pounding inside her chest. The city blurred below.

He thinks I’m broken she muttered

He thinks I’ll crawl back sighed slightly wiping off the drops off sweats that had formed on her forehead

She stopped as commanded to. “I want in the board meeting. Tomorrow.”

Victor’s smirk was crooked, proud. “Already arranged. Nine a.m. Voss Tower. Wear black.”

6:47 a.m. – Brooklyn Motel

Aurora hadn’t slept. She’d showered in Victor’s guest bath, water hot enough to peel the night off her skin. Now she stood in front of a mirror the size of a billboard, wearing a black pantsuit Victor’s stylist had delivered at five. Platinum hair slicked back. Heels sharp enough to kill.

She looked like a stranger.

She looked like a queen.

Victor wheeled in, holding a velvet box. Inside: a ring. Black diamond The Voss family crest.

“For the wedding,” he said. “Tomorrow. City Hall. Quiet.”

She slipped it on. It fit like it had been waiting.

There was a message again.

Lila Hart she was Damien's mistress:

He’s spiraling. Sent me to “handle” you. I have proof he paid off the clinic. Meet me. Noon. Central Park. Bench by the fountain.the message read Aurora's thumb hovered.

Trap? Or opportunity?she asked Victor raising an eyebrow which formed an arch

Victor watched. “Take security. Two men. Ex-Mossad. My men”

She nodded. Tucked the flash drive into a new clutch it was a black leather with a bulletproof lining.

8:59 a.m. – Voss Tower Boardroom

The room smelled of leather and fear.

Twelve suits. All men. All old. All staring at the woman who walked in like she’d built the place.

Because she had.

Aurora took the head of the table. Dropped the proxy forms.

“Fifty-one percent,” she said. “Plus Victor Kane’s twenty-four upon our marriage. Effective tomorrow.”

Gasps. Whispers.

One bald guy stood. “This is absurd. You’re a housewife—”

She slid the NexGen contract across. “I saved Ryder Corp’s ass last night. While my husband served me divorce papers. Any questions?”

Silence.

Victor’s voice crackled over speakerphone: “Motion to appoint Aurora Voss as interim CEO. All in favor?”

6hands shot up. Not all and obviously wasn't enough if she was going to be appointed as the interim ceo she needed more than half of the votes Aurora was scared and uncertain at this point

Was she going to win this or is she just playing right into the hands of Damien

Was she going to be back under the shadow of Damien where he believed she always belonged this thoughts ran through her mind as she walked into the Ryder Corp lobby.

11:12 a.m. –At Ryder Corp Lobby

The paparazzi walked in, asking .

“Aurora! Is it true you’re pregnant?”

She smiled the smile was slow but yet it seemed dangerous “Ask my ex-husband.”

A message notification came in again.and it showed a message from damian but this time it was a drunk text” cum homm Aurora “it read

The message was simple yet it layed a new burden in her heart and increased her fear of playing right into Damien's game

Noon – Central Park

Lila waited on the bench, sunglasses huge, trembling.

She handed over a manila envelope. Clinic records. Forged. He paid them she said there were photos ,signatures and bank transfers in the envelope

Lila’s voice cracked. “He made me abort our baby. Said it was bad reviews. I hated you. Then I saw you last night. You didn’t break.”and I realized how strong of a woman you are

Aurora glared at her

“You watched me burn while you enjoyed the embrace of the man I called a husband..and now all of a sudden you want my sympathy?? Aurora asked ,, Lila's shivered Aurora stood up and walked past Lila brushing her shoulder against hers and whispered to her ears “you just came looking for help under the light that would burn you to death” this sent cold shivers down Lila's spine as Aurora left for the city hall…

3:00 p.m. – City Hall

Aurora stood in a simple black dress. Victor in his wheelchair. No flowers. No guests. Just a judge and two witnesses of which were Victor's security

“I do,” she said.

The ring slid on. The wedding was done and marriage sealed.

Victor whispered, “Your mother would’ve been proud.” 

6:00 p.m. – Voss Penthouse

Aurora stood on the balcony, city lights flickering on.

She opened the flash drive again. One new file: BABY RYDER – PATERNITY TEST.

She clicked.

99.9% MATCH – DAMIEN RYDER.

Her laugh echoed into the night sharp, broken, free.

A new message came in one last time.

Damien:

I know about the test. Sign the custody papers or I burn VossTech to the ground. Midnight. My office. Come alone.

 She read the message with a smirk on her face and deleted the message.

Then opened the secure app Victor had installed.

Typed:

Package en route. 11:58 p.m. Don’t open until I’m inside.

Victor:

Ex-Mossad in the vents. Lila’s wired. You’re not alone…..