Thanks to ’dave_brown’ for the Golden Tickets. Bonus Chapter coming up.

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Backstage, the cool glow of a dozen high-definition security monitors illuminated the faces of the two men who had organised and controlled many of the events in Veyra for decades. The room was silent, save for the hum of the cooling fans and the rhythmic ’tap-tap-tap’ of a silver-headed cane against the floor.

"The second part is coming to an end, Kennedy," Mark Orton said, his eyes darting between the monitors. He was a small man, and currently, he looked as though he were shrinking further into his oversized leather chair. "We should go up now. If we catch him before the third round, we can frame it as a gesture of respect. If we wait, it looks like a snub."

’I shouldn’t have listened to him,’ Mark thought, his palms beginning to sweat. ’This Jake Rivers doesn’t look like a boy playing with a dead man’s wallet. From the rumours, he was already swimming with Adrian Vale, Marcus Sheele, Leon Hart and Noah Chen way before the inheritance. This proves he was already a man on a mission and I doubt he will take this lightly.’

Kennedy Reigns didn’t even look over. He remained reclined, his legs crossed comfortably, a half-smirk etched into his features. "Relax, Mark. You’re fluttering like a trapped bird. Julian Sterling personally authorized this venue’s use. He’s the one who gave us the keys to the kingdom. As long as Julian is our shadow, Jake Rivers is just a landlord who hasn’t yet realized he doesn’t own the people inside the walls."

Kennedy’s mind was a fortress of arrogance. ’He such a coward. Getting all worked up over a child with a bit of money. I’ve dealt with ’new money’ heirs before. They puff their chests until a real titan like Sterling clears his throat. I’ll make the boy wait. It builds character.’

The phone on the table between them buzzed. Kennedy glanced at the ID. Alice Chase.

"Ah, the assistant," Kennedy said, his smirk widening. He hit the speakerphone. "Alice, dear. I assume you’re calling to see how the ’adults’ are handling the heavy lifting?"

"Mr. Reigns," Alice’s voice came through the line, perfectly level and devoid of any warmth. She had called specifically to confirm their stance, wanting to see if they were merely busy or intentionally avoiding their new benefactor. "I am calling to confirm your arrival at Box 1. His bodyguard just sent me a list of people who had entered the room but I don’t see you on the feed. Have you had your formal introduction with Mr. Rivers yet?"

"We were planning to head up during the third part," Kennedy replied, his tone dripping with patronizing confidence. "Listen, Alice, you’re new to this. In Veyra, we don’t rush the greetings. We give the owner time to feel the weight of the room before we grace him with our presence. It’s a matter of professional etiquette."

Alice’s expression hardened on the other end of the line. She realized immediately that Kennedy was trying to belittle Jake, using ’etiquette’ as a weapon to undermine his authority. The fact that he was bragging about this power play to her—his personal assistant—struck her as a profound sign of disrespect. It was a calculated insult to the man she served, and it gave her all the validation she needed to stop being polite.

Mark Orton winced, his heart sinking. "Miss Chase," he stammered, leaning toward the phone. "We certainly didn’t mean any—"

"Mr. Orton, please," Alice interrupted softly, though the edge in her voice was unmistakable. "Mr. Reigns, I’ve been reviewing the Meridian Gallery’s corporate filings. The contract for the lease was signed by Mr Julian Sterling. Looking at the data here, the Meridian Group holds thirty percent of this gallery. Julian Sterling holds only sixteen percent of the Meridian Group. He signed your venue contract as an individual, without a board resolution or the majority consent of the parent group."

Kennedy’s smirk faltered. He sat up slightly, the leather creaking under his weight. "And what is your point, Alice?"

"The point, Mr. Reigns, is that Julian overstepped his legal authority. The contract has no legal binding, making it void. Which means, from a strictly legal standpoint, you and your entire production team are currently trespassing on private property."

Mark Orton let out a sharp, panicked wheeze. ’I knew it. I knew something felt wrong today.’ "Trespassing? Miss Chase, surely we can—"

"Alice, you’re overreaching," Kennedy snapped, though the annoyance in his voice was now tinged with a flicker of doubt. "Sterling wouldn’t leave a hole like that. He’s the backbone of this entire infrastructure."

"Mr. Sterling is currently in a great deal of trouble, Mr. Reigns," Alice replied, her voice as sharp as a scalpel. "He doesn’t have the time to be your backbone, and he certainly doesn’t have the power to protect you from the legal reality of this building’s ownership. Mr. Rivers’s inheritance trust was activated yesterday. As stated in the trust, every asset—including this gallery—is now under his absolute, uninhibited management."

Kennedy and Mark froze. At the mention of Sterling being in "trouble," the rumors they had been hearing all evening suddenly coalesced into a terrifying reality. They had both heard the whispers—vague, frantic reports of ’Sterling Infrastructure being hit by a suffocating four-way asset seizure.’ If those rumors were true, Sterling wasn’t just "in trouble"; he was being dismantled.

Mark’s face went ghostly pale. ’If Sterling is falling, we’re standing on a collapsing bridge,’ he realized, his heart hammering. Kennedy, too, felt the blood drain from his face. The smugness he had worn like armor a few moments ago felt suddenly like lead. He had been gambling with a hand he didn’t actually hold.

"Is... is he going to shut us down?" Mark asked, his voice trembling. He could already see the headlines: ’Orton & Reigns Arrested for illigaly holding a Charity Gala at the Meridian Gallery.’ It would be the end of his life’s work.

"Mr. Rivers is not a petty man," Alice said, the subtle shift in her tone offering a sliver of mercy. "However, he expects a certain level of... synergy. He intends to auction shares for a major corporation as the final piece of the evening. It will be the surprise lot of the final round."

The two men exchanged a look of pure, unadulterated shock. A share auction? The commission alone would be astronomical, and the prestige of hosting such a sale would cement their reputation for another decade.

"We... we can certainly facilitate that, Miss Chase," Mark said, his voice climbing an octave in his eagerness to please. "We’ll make it the centerpiece. The lighting, the auctioneer’s script—it will be flawless."

"I expect nothing less," Alice said. "Make sure it is the lead story for every major paper tomorrow. If it isn’t, my next call just happen be to the authorities regarding the ’trespassing’ issue. Have a productive intermission, gentlemen."

The line went dead.

Mark wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. "Kennedy, move! Get the auctioneer. We need to restructure the final act immediately!"

Kennedy Reigns didn’t say anything. He just stared at the phone, his face pale. He had tried to claim superiority over an assistant, only to realize she was the one holding the leash.

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In a quiet room miles away, Alice Chase sat at her desk, the silence of her bedroom a stark contrast to the electric tension she had just navigated. She didn’t have a glass of champagne, but a small, genuine smile played on her lips as she looked down at her phone.

"Trespassing," she whispered to herself, a soft, melodic laugh escaping her. "You actually fell for it, Kennedy. All that talk about ’adults’ and you didn’t even check your own paperwork. You got so scared that you didn’t even think that I was bluffing. If Jake really shutdown the event, the public fallout would be massive and he would be pissing off a lot of rich and powerful people. There’s no way anyone would take that risk."

She leaned back in her chair, staring up at the ceiling as the adrenaline slowly began to simmer into a warm glow of satisfaction. It wasn’t just about the victory over two arrogant men; it was the realization of the platform she now stood upon.

’Six months ago, I was just looking for a stable paycheck,’ she thought, her eyes softening. She looked at a small photo on her desk, then back to the laptop screen filled with complex corporate structures. ’Jake didn’t just give me a job. He gave me a seat at the table. He trusted me with his legacy before he even knew how big it would become.’

"Thank you, Jake," she murmured, her voice filled with a quiet, fierce gratitude. "I won’t let you down. I’ll make sure no one ever sees you coming."

She felt a surge of genuine happiness—not just for her own growth, but for the man who had seen something in her worth betting on. She wasn’t just a personal assistant; she was becoming the gatekeeper of an empire. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

She turned back to her laptop, her fingers hovering over the keys with renewed energy. She began searching for more information on the business structures of the Meridian Group, her mind already three steps ahead. She had to be better. She had to be faster. If she was going to be the shadow of a king, she had to ensure that shadow was long enough to cover everything he built.

Alice Chase didn’t just have a job anymore. She had a purpose.

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