Chapter 3

"Silas, you can't do that!" Amanda's voice shook.

"Why can't I?" I shot back. "Isn't that what you thought when you watched my dad jump? Why shouldn't I stand by and watch you fall?"

Every word was ground out between clenched teeth.

Luke puffed out his chest, hiding his panic behind empty bravado. "Silas, this is extortion! Amanda, let's call the cops!"

"Call them?" I laughed as if hearing the punchline to a bad joke. "Go ahead. Let the police weigh in. Let's see what they think of a top auditor driving her own father-in-law to suicide under the guise of avoiding conflicts of interest."

"You..." Luke was left speechless.

Amanda grabbed his arm. She drew a deep breath, trying to steady herself, her bloodshot eyes fixed on me.

"Silas, what do you actually want?"

"What do I want?"

I took a threatening step forward. The sheer weight of my presence forced Luke back a step.

"Simple." My eyes locked onto Amanda. "I want you, and him"—I jabbed a finger at Luke—"to pay for my father's death."

Without another glance, I turned and walked away.

Back in the ballroom, my assistant Chloe was scanning the crowd anxiously.

Chloe was sharp, competent, and fiercely loyal—someone I had personally groomed from the ground up.

Seeing me, she hurried over. "Mr. Vance, where were you? Chairman Hastings was just looking for you."

"Ran into a couple of ghosts from the past," I said casually.

Chloe was clever. She followed my line of sight and spotted Amanda and Luke emerging from the corridor, looking hollow and shaken.

Her eyes flickered, but she asked no personal questions. Instead, she leaned in and reported softly:

"Mr. Vance, we just got word. Summit Advisory is bidding on a massive corporate contract. Their main rival is Horizon Group."

Horizon Group?

Details flashed through my mind.

Horizon's founder, Marcus Reed, used to work under my dad years ago before branching out on his own. He was an honorable man.

"Understood."

I raised my glass, masking the sharp glint in my eyes.

Amanda, you care about Summit Advisory more than anything else in this world.

Then I will make you watch as it slips through your fingers, piece by piece.

The charity auction began.

Lot after lot went under the hammer.

When the centerpiece—a magnificent royal blue sapphire necklace—was brought out, the energy in the room peaked.

Starting bid: five million dollars.

The moment the auctioneer finished speaking, Luke raised his paddle. "Six million."

He threw a smug, provocative glare my way, trying to prove Amanda's wealth still eclipsed mine.

I didn't even twitch.

Soon, another voice chimed in: "Seven million."

"Eight million!" Luke countered immediately, desperate to claim it.

The price climbed all the way to twelve million.

Only Luke and an unfamiliar billionaire remained in the bidding war.

"Thirteen million!" Luke gritted out, sweat beading on his forehead.

He kept glancing back at Amanda. Though her complexion was awful, she gave him a slight nod.

The other bidder seemed to hesitate.

A triumphant grin crept across Luke's face.

Just as the auctioneer raised his gavel, I held up my paddle.

"Twenty million."

The entire room gasped.

Every eye swung toward me.

Luke's face turned the color of a bruised plum. He shot up from his seat, pointing at me. "You—!"

I didn't spare him a glance, keeping my eyes locked calmly on the auctioneer.

Amanda stared at me, her expression an agonizing mix of shock, resentment, and a strange, unreadable grief.

In the end, the necklace was mine.

After the gala, Chloe drove me home.

"Mr. Vance, that necklace... did you buy it to..." She trailed off cautiously.

"To deliver a gift," I murmured, leaning back with my eyes closed.

"To whom?"

"Marcus Reed over at Horizon."

Chloe paused, then caught on instantly.

"I understand, Mr. Vance. You want Horizon to gift it to the lead commissioner's wife—she has a well-known obsession with sapphires."

"Yes," I opened my eyes, watching the city lights streak past the window. "I want Summit Advisory to lose everything."