Chapter 74: Ashes and Oaths

The world narrowed to the frantic beat of my pulse and the sound of Dominic’s voice shouting my name through the smoke.

I couldn’t breathe.

I couldn’t think.

Sirens blared from the upper floors. Sprinklers hissed above us, but the fire was spreading too fast—greedy flames licking the walls, swallowing everything in its path.

Dominic gripped my wrist and yanked me to my feet, shielding me with his body. “We have to move. Now!”

We bolted down the hallway, dodging shattered glass and pieces of burning debris. Behind us, the vault—the one that held all the proof we’d risked everything to uncover—was engulfed in flames.

“I got the drive!” I gasped, holding it up like it was made of gold.

“Good,” he said, voice hoarse. “Because they’re going to burn everything else.”

A deafening crash behind us told me just how true that was. Richard hadn’t just come to threaten us—he’d come to destroy the only leverage we had.

My father had gone full scorched-earth.

We burst through the emergency exit, into the alley behind Caldwell Tower. Liam’s car screeched to a halt in front of us.

“Get in!” he shouted.

We dove into the back seat, coughing, gasping, hearts pounding. Liam didn’t ask questions. He just hit the gas and tore into traffic like his life depended on it—because it did.

I turned to Dominic, my face streaked with ash. “He tried to kill us.”

He looked at me, something feral in his eyes. “And he failed.”

Liam glanced at us through the rearview mirror. “What the hell happened down there?”

“He torched the archives,” Dominic said. “But we got the drive. That’s all that matters.”

“For now,” I added grimly. “He won’t stop until we’re buried along with those secrets.”

Liam’s jaw tightened. “Then we burn him first.”

I blinked at him. “You’re serious.”

He nodded. “I’ve let Father control everything for too long. But after tonight? After almost losing you?” He looked at me, then at Dominic. “It ends now.”

We drove straight to the Sinclair estate.

The moment I stepped into that house, memories surged—of piano lessons in the sunroom, of cocktail parties I was paraded through like a trophy, of my father’s lectures in this very foyer about appearances, legacy, power.

I was done playing the obedient daughter.

Dominic stood close beside me as I walked into my father’s office without knocking. He sat at his desk like a king on a throne, glass of scotch in hand, fire flickering in the hearth like nothing had happened.

“I was wondering when you’d show,” Richard said smoothly.

“You tried to kill us,” I snapped.

“I warned you,” he said, shrugging. “You made your choice.”

“No,” I said coldly. “You made yours a long time ago. You chose control over family. Lies over truth. Legacy over love.”

He stood slowly. “I built this family. Everything you have is because of me.”

“No,” I said, stepping forward. “Everything I have is despite you.”

I reached into my coat and held up the flash drive.

“I have your confessions. Your voice ordering Eleanor’s disappearance. Your paper trail covering up the affair between Mom and Victor. Every dirty deal you’ve made with the Caldwells and every political bribe you thought was buried.”

Richard’s face twisted, but he didn’t falter. “You’re bluffing.”

Dominic stepped beside me. “We’re not.”

“You release that and you destroy this entire family.”

“No,” I said. “You did that the moment you decided I was expendable.”

“I did it to protect you!”

“Don’t lie to me,” I snapped. “You did it to protect yourself.”

He reached forward, grabbing the edge of his desk, but I saw it—his hand shaking.

“You’re losing,” I whispered. “And you know it.”

Behind me, Olivia stepped into the room. Her voice, though soft, sliced through the tension like a knife. “It’s over, Richard.”

His head jerked toward her. “You.”

She nodded. “I stayed quiet for too long. I let you ruin everything. But not anymore.”

Victor entered next, and Richard actually recoiled.

“Come to see the end of your empire?” my father sneered.

Victor didn’t flinch. “No. I came to watch Elena burn it down.”

There was a long silence, then Richard whispered, “If I go down, I’ll take you all with me.”

Dominic crossed the room, looming over him. “Try. We’re not afraid anymore.”

And just like that, the war flipped.

My father knew it.

He sank back into his chair, and for the first time in my life… he looked old. Small. Beaten.

I turned to walk out—but paused at the door.

“I’m going public,” I said. “And this time, you won’t be able to spin it.”

His eyes burned into my back as I walked away.

But I didn’t look back.

Later that night, in Dominic’s penthouse, I stood by the window, the city lights flickering like stars below. Everything felt different. Sharper. Real.

Dominic stepped behind me, his hands finding my waist. “You were incredible tonight.”

I turned to face him. “We still have a long way to go.”

He cupped my face. “I know. But I’m not letting you go through it alone.”

There was something in his eyes—unspoken promises, a future we hadn’t dared to imagine.

“I hated you once,” I whispered.

“I hated you more,” he murmured back.

I smirked. “Still think we were doomed from the start?”

He shook his head. “No. I think we were forged in fire. And that kind of bond? It doesn’t break.”

He leaned in.

Our lips met in a kiss that was everything—anger, passion, forgiveness, hope. All of it poured into one breathless moment that felt like falling and flying at the same time.

But just as I started to believe we’d won, Dominic’s phone rang.

He pulled away, checking the screen.

His expression shifted. Hard. Cold.

“What is it?” I asked.

He looked at me, jaw tight. “The board just called an emergency meeting.”

My heart dropped. “Why?”

He handed me the phone.

On the screen was a headline.

BREAKING: Caldwell Enterprises Under Federal Investigation. Allegations of Murder, Conspiracy, and Political Corruption Emerge.

The storm hadn’t ended.

It had just begun.