Chapter 13 - The Queen’s Gambit
The rooftop was wind-swept and freezing. Avery peered over the ledge, looking for an escape route, but the alleyway below was swarming with black-clad tactical units. She was trapped.
Then, the heavy door to the roof groaned open. Victoria Sterling stepped out, alone. She looked remarkably calm, her silver hair unruffled by the gale-force wind. She held a small, black pistol, her aim steady and cold.
“You’ve caused enough trouble for one lifetime, Avery,” Victoria said, her voice cutting through the wind with unnatural clarity. “You think a few leaked files will topple an empire? We are the foundation of this city. We are the ink on the contracts. We are the ones who write the laws.”
“The laws just caught up to you, Victoria,” Avery countered, standing tall despite the weapon pointed at her. “I’ve released everything. The dark web links, the offshore accounts, the trafficking reports. By tomorrow, your entire family will be behind bars.”
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Victoria’s expression didn't change. She just smiled. “You still don't understand, do you? Those accounts? They aren't ours. They belong to the people who actually run this world. People far more powerful than the Sterlings. By leaking that data, you haven't exposed us—you've invited the predators to come feed.”
Avery felt a chill. The stakes weren’t just corporate greed anymore; she had accidentally declared war on someone else.
