Three months later…
The revolving glass doors of Vale Group opened, and was followed by the sound of Lara Alden's heels as she stepped onto the marble floors.
This time, there were no photographers,No white dress, No family...Just her....And power.
She walked past the front desk without so much as a glance. Her crisp black suit clung to her curves, sleek and businesslike. Her dark red lipstick made her mouth look like a warning label. She didn't need an escort.....she knew exactly where she was going.
The elevator ride to the 49th floor was quiet as she stared at her reflection in the mirror paneling. The eyes looking back at her were cold, sharper than the girl who once cried herself to sleep in this same city. That girl was soft, Gullible and.....In love.
This version of Lara...She was a loaded gun in lipstick.
You ruined my name, Ethan.
You buried my dignity in front of a crowd.
Now I'll bury you in silence....Smiling.
The Executive Boardroom
"Gentlemen," the company's legal advisor began, as she stepped into the sun drenched boardroom, "let me introduce the new Chief Operating Officer of Vale Group, effective immediately."
Lara entered without hesitation.
Ethan Vale was seated at the head of the table, stylus in hand, reviewing a document. His sleeves were rolled, his expression showed he was bored until he looked up.
The pen stilled in his hand.
The world paused for exactly four seconds.
She held his stare without flinching.
"Miss Lara Alden," the lawyer continued, "daughter of Gregory Alden, founder of Alden Dynamics. As of this morning, her family's merger deal with Vale Group is complete. She'll be managing operations moving forward." The room stirred.
Ethan set the pen down slowly. "This must be a mistake."
Lara smiled with polite restraint. "If it is, it's one backed by three legal teams and a signed board approval. You can find the details in your inbox, Mr. Vale. It was finalized at 8:00 a.m. this morning."
The old men sitting around the table avoided eye contact. Everyone had heard about the infamous wedding day. Most believed Lara had fled in disgrace. No-one had expected this, Least of all Ethan.
"You look…" he started, then stopped. He stood slowly, tension in every joint.
"Different?" she offered. "I've grown."
His eyes narrowed. "This is personal."
"No," she replied. "This is business. The Alden name is still valuable, despite what you and my sister tried to do to it. And my father, in his wisdom, made sure the board knew that."
"You're not qualified to run my company." Ethan yelled
"Oh, but I'm not here to run your company darling.... I'm here to transform it."
She stepped forward, opened her leather folder, and placed a thin document on the table in front of him.
"Here's my first proposal: internal restructuring. Starting with your executive assistant. She's been leaking confidential information to Maya. Thought you should know."
He blinked.
"How do you....."
"I pay attention now," she said coolly. "Every detail. Every weakness. Every crack in your empire."
After the meeting…
Ethan cornered her in the corridor, just outside the boardroom.
"Why are you really here?" he asked. His tone was quieter now, not gentle but cautious.
Lara didn't stop walking. "I'm here to build something."
He followed. "Don't play this game, Lara. You were gone for three months, and now you walk in here like you own the place?"
"Because I do honey," she said, stopping in front of him. "Not all of it, of course. But enough."
"You think this little power play will scare me?"
"No, Ethan. I don't need you scared."
She leaned in just enough for only him to hear.
"I need you helpless."
Their eyes locked. For a moment, something flickered in his gaze.... like a shock... Regret? Or.... Memory?
Lara stepped back, her gaze calm.
"Let's keep this professional," she said with a tight smile. "We have a company to run, after all." She said and walked away.
Flashback: One Week After the Wedding Disaster
Lara sat alone in her father's study, staring at the blank screen of her laptop. Her mother hadn't called. Her sister had posted engagement pictures on Instagram...smiling, glowing in a dress Lara had picked out herself.
It was rage that woke her up and not tears.
She opened her father's merger file.
She read everything.
And then she called the one person she'd always avoided....her father's private lawyer.
"Is the deal still valid?" she asked.
"It is," he replied. "But Ethan's unaware of the clause granting Alden control of operations."
"Good," she said. "Let's keep it that way."
Back in the present…
Later that evening, Lara stepped into her penthouse the one she bought under her own name, with cash from selling off one of Alden Dynamics' patents. Her assistant handed her a tablet.
"Here's the internal data you requested. It's untraceable and encrypted like you asked."
Lara scrolled through the information.
Vendor bribes, Hidden offshore accounts, False financial reports buried under real ones.
Evidence that Ethan Vale wasn't just cold hearted.
He was vulnerable.
This isn't about revenge anymore, she thought.
It's about justice.
And watching you burn while I hold the matches.
She locked the screen.
Tomorrow, she'd begin the first phase of her plan.
'Not to destroy Vale Group. No that would be too easy'
She'd take it from him. Slowly and quietly.
Until the company he built called someone else boss. Until she stood where he once stood untouchable.
And when he finally realized who he lost…
She'd make him beg.
And she wouldn't be so generous next time.