Section 1: The Pretensive Engagement Dinner
The scent of money, truffle oil, and aged leather filled the private dining room at L’Orangerie.
It’s not the kind of money you make; rather, it’s the kind of money that accumulates interest in accounts for three generations before ending up in the hands of someone like Arthur Sterling.
King Arthur, dressed in a custom Italian suit, sat at the head of the table and meticulously dissected his filet mignon. His wife Eleanor, whose face was so tight from surgery that she appeared constantly astonished, sat to his right. Liam, my fiancé, sat to his left, seeming as though he wanted to crawl beneath the table and perish.
Then there was me. Sophia. seated across from Arthur, the evening’s aim.
Arthur said, without bothering to glance up from his dish, “So, Sophia.” “You work from home, Liam informs me. on a laptop.
He pronounced “laptop” in the same manner as “sewer.”
“Yes, Arthur,” I answered, maintaining a steady tone. “I own a technological business. Our area of expertise is financial infrastructure.
Arthur laughed. The sound sounded arid and patronizing. “Technology firm.” Yes. Is that the current term for it? My niece owns a tech business. On Etsy, she offers knitted cat sweaters for sale. Do you do that, my love? Sweaters for cats?”
Liam shifted uneasily. Sophia’s business is a little more intricate than that, Dad. The backend was created by her for—
Arthur yelled, dismissively waving his fork, “Quiet, Liam.” “Avoid interrupting your dad. The kind of potential your young lady provides to the Sterling brand is what I’m attempting to comprehend.
At last, he turned to face me. Like a pawnshop proprietor examining a bogus Rolex, his eyes were icy and analytical.
You see, Sophia, the foundation of this family is steel. production. actual items. items that are touchable. The bridges this city travels on were constructed by us. We don’t use fictitious online currency.
I took a sip of water to quench the burning sensation in my throat and said, “It’s not imaginary.” In the current economy, digital payments form the foundation. Actually—
Arthur interrupted once more, saying, “Stop.” “A girl who most likely works in her pajamas doesn’t need to lecture me. Let’s get right to the point. You’re attractive. You’re silent. Liam likes you, and I can see why. However, you are not among us.
He pointed to the crystal chandelier, the velvet draperies, and the ghostly waiter in the corner of the room.
You were raised in… where? Ohio?”
I corrected it to Cleveland.
“All right. Cleveland. I take it that this is a public school? on a scholarship at a state university?”
“Yes,” I said. I neglected to add that I received a summa cum laude degree in computer science at the age of 19.
“Exactly,” Arthur said with a predatory grin. “Sophia, you’re a traveler in this world. Additionally, visitors ultimately run out of money and return home.
He motioned for the waiter to leave the room after using a linen napkin to wipe his mouth. We were locked within as the big oak doors clicked shut. Suddenly, the air felt quite thin.
Arthur reached into his jacket’s inner pocket and remarked, “I think we should stop pretending this is a celebration.” Liam is completely enamored. He believes that he wants to wed you. However, I am aware of your true desires.
He produced a checkbook. It has gold initials etched on a leather-bound cover.
Arthur remarked, “You want security.” “You want to leave Cleveland with a ticket. I’m feeling giving tonight, though.
I gave Liam a look. His hands were clutching the tablecloth, and he was pallid. “Don’t do this, Dad.”
“Liam, stop talking!Arthur growled. “I’m going to save you! She’s a leech, but you’re too weak to notice!”
A fountain pen made of gold was uncapped by Arthur. In the quiet, the sound of its scraping on the paper was unbearable.
With a flourish, Arthur tore the check from the book and exclaimed, “I have a business proposition for you, Sophia.” “You are also not permitted to decline.”
Section Two: The Rain of Confetti
Arthur raised the check to the light.
“Five thousand dollars,” he declared. “Cashable right away.”
He didn’t slide it in my direction; instead, he put it on the table. His hand remained on it.
He hissed, “This is a severance package.” “For being Liam’s girlfriend. For a few months, it ought to pay your rent. Perhaps get you a new laptop so you can knit more sweaters.
I gazed at the check. Five thousand bucks. It was a petty and well-planned remark that nearly made me giggle.
I muttered, “Arthur, I don’t want your money.”
You do, of course!Arthur chuckled. “Sterling money is what everyone wants.” Avoid being the martyr. Simply accept it and go. Tonight, end your relationship with him. Inform him that you have found another person. Inform him that you’ve come to acknowledge your shortcomings. Simply vanish; I don’t care what you say.
“No,” I replied.
Arthur’s grin disappeared. His face took on a perilous purple hue.
“Pardon me?”
“I declined. I adore Liam. Your financial situation is unimportant.
Arthur got to his feet. He picked up the check.
“Irrelevant?He let forth a shout. “You believe that a nobody like you cares about $5,000?”
He examined the check he was holding. Then he started to rip it with a look of utter hate.
Rip. Rip. Rip.
It was a violent sound. He ripped the paper into little, uneven fragments.
Are you up for a game of hardball?Arthur shouted. “All right. Nothing is given to you. Sophia, you are garbage. similar to this paper.
The fistful of confetti he flung at me.
Slow motion, the pieces fluttered through the air. I got them in my hair. They adhered to my silk blouse. One piece drifted down and rested gently in my Pinot Noir glass, where it dissolved into a mushy mess.
Arthur spat, “That’s confetti for your canceled wedding.” “Leave my sight. Liam, you will be cut off if you follow her. No inheritance. No work. No trust fund. You’ll be as impoverished as she is.
Liam’s chair fell backward as he sprang to his feet. “Dad! You’re crazy!”
“Take a seat!Arthur yelled, causing the silverware to jump as he slammed his hand down on the table. “I am the family’s leader! I am in charge of the money and the future! You’ll follow my instructions!”
Liam froze. His eyes were full of helplessness and shame as he gazed at me. He was a kind man, but he had been a tyrant’s slave for thirty years. He had no idea how to defend himself.
I carefully lifted my hand and removed a fragment of the ripped check from my shoulder. I examined it. It was a piece of blue security paper that was now worthless.
Arthur appeared content as he adjusted his tie and breathed heavily. He believed he had triumphed. He believed he had subdued me by humiliating me.
He didn’t know.
I took my phone out of my purse. It was a sleek, black device that had been specially encrypted. My face was identified, and the screen lit up.
“Arthur,” I said. My voice had changed, but it was still not loud. The courtesy had vanished. There was no longer any warmth. I utilized that tone of speech when I dismissed executives who lacked competence.
I looked him square in the eye and said, “You just made two mistakes.” “One, believing that I require your funds. Secondly, believing you still have money to donate.
Section 3: The Quiet Deal
Arthur chuckled. He made an effort to conceal it, but now it was a worried sound.
“What are you doing?As he saw my thumbs go across the screen, he inquired. “Making an Uber call? To save money, make sure you select the pool option.
“No,” I said without raising my gaze. “I’m logging into Nebula Pay’s admin portal.”
Arthur gave a blink. “Nebula? The person who handles payments? You have an account there, right?”
“Arthur, I don’t have an account,” I said. “The admin keys are with me.”
I tapped a series of codes. The user interface changed from a straightforward application to a sophisticated dashboard with real-time transaction volumes, data streams, and charts of global liquidity.
I held the phone up so he could see the screen and added, “You see.” You referred to my company as a “little laptop business,” although Nebula Pay handles 40% of all B2B transactions in the manufacturing industry worldwide. include yours.
Arthur narrowed his eyes at the screen. The logo caught his eye. The live feed was visible to him. Then he noticed the name in the upper right corner:
ROLE: FOUNDER & CEO; USER: SOPHIA VANCE
“Vance?Arthur muttered. “I mistook your last name for Miller.”
I said, “My mother’s name is Miller.” “Socially, I utilize it to stay away from folks like you. those who are only interested in me because of my wealth. However, in a professional capacity? My name is Sophia Vance. And from a dorm room, I turned Nebula Pay into a unicorn worth ten billion dollars.
The room was completely silent. Eleanor stopped chewing her salad as well.
“Ten billion?Arthur stumbled.
I amended it to “ten point four, as of the market close today.” As a result, my personal net worth is almost fifty times yours.
Arthur reclined in his seat. He appeared to have been struck in the stomach. However, he was a bully, and bullies don’t give up lightly. He reached for a lifeline.
“So what?In an attempt to gather himself, he scoffed. You’re wealthy, then. Well done. I still don’t want you in my family, regardless of that. Sophia, money is new. Classes never end. You also have no class.
I tapped a new menu on my screen and stated, “Arthur, I’m not interested in your class.” “I’m curious about your debt.”
“My loan?”
“Yes. You see, a strategic purchase was approved by my board of directors this morning. In order to broaden our credit offerings, Nebula Pay acquired a majority interest in a local lending organization.
I gave him the phone back. The screen displayed a logo.
RIVER CITY BANK
Arthur’s expression turned gloomy. “My bank is in River City.” My business loans are located there.
Corrective action, I said icily. They were in that location. And now they are mine.
I tapped the STERLING INDUSTRIES folder icon, which was red.
I read out loud, “This means that Sterling Industries has forty million dollars in term loans and revolving credit lines with River City Bank at the moment. And have a look at this.
I enlarged a section of the contract text.
“A ‘Change of Control’ clause is present. It states that if the bank’s ownership changes, the new owner is entitled to examine all high-risk loans and demand prompt repayment if the borrower’s character is judged to be… unstable.
I raised my gaze to Arthur. He was shaking.
I looked at the ripped bits of the check floating in my wine glass and murmured, “And Arthur.” Throwing trash at a woman in a restaurant, in my opinion, is a sign of really unstable character. Would you not?”
Section 4: The Call for Margin
“You’d be foolish,” Arthur said. He had beads of sweat running down his temple from his forehead. That would destroy me. We lack the necessary liquidity. The payroll, the manufacturing…
I answered, “You ought to have considered that before you called me a leech.”
The EXECUTE RECALL button was on the screen, and my thumb was hovering over it.
Eleanor said, “Please,” in a high-pitched voice for the first time. “Sophia, my love. Don’t act hastily. We were merely testing you! It was a test!”
Without glancing at Eleanor, I said, “It wasn’t a test.” “It was an execution. You intended to destroy our relationship. You intended to destroy my self-respect. I am now repaying the favor.
I hit the button.
SENT THE COMMAND.
Arthur’s phone started vibrating on the table three seconds later. Against the delicate china, it buzzed fiercely.
He gazed at it.
“Grab it,” I urged.
Arthur’s hand trembled as he grabbed for the phone. He held it up to his ear.
“Hey?”
On the other end, we could hear the screaming. His CFO was there.
“Arthur! What’s happening? The accounts have been frozen! River City just sent me a notification! The loans are being called! Every single one! Within 24 hours, forty million dollars must be paid or the assets will be seized!”
Arthur shut his eyes. “Is it possible for us to bargain?”
“No!The CFO shouted. “According to the Chairman’s Executive Order,” the notification reads. “Arthur, the plant gates will be locked tomorrow am! We’re done!”
Arthur hung up the phone. The screen cracked as it clattered into his plate.
His eyes were no longer haughty as he gazed at me. They had no substance. He appeared to be a man who had just witnessed the destruction of his home.
“Why?He growled. “You have billions.” Why ruin me over a meal?”
I answered, “Because you believe that having power gives you the right to be cruel.” “You believe that you can treat people like trash just because you’re wealthy. Arthur, you have to realize that there’s always a bigger fish. And you were simply swallowed tonight.
I took a sip from my wine glass. I managed to retrieve a damp portion of the $5,000 cheque.
I got up and approached him. He remained still. He was unable to.
I threw the damp piece of paper into his lobster bisque dish.
I said, “Bon appétit, Arthur.” “It’s possible that this will be your last costly meal.”
Section 5: The Option
A wrecked man’s heavy breathing was the only sound in the room.
Arthur carefully swiveled his head in Liam’s direction. His eyes were frantic and begging.
He coughed out, “Son.” “Take action. Speak to her. She is your fiancée. Tell her to quit. Inform her that we are family.
Liam turned to face his dad. He turned to face the guy who had dominated, humiliated, and intimidated him all his life.
Then he turned to face me. He saw the lady who had supported him when he had little, but who had just destroyed an empire to protect herself.
Liam got to his feet. His suit jacket was altered. He appeared taller than he had ever been.
“Dad,” Liam said in a steady, composed voice. “I’ve always learned a business rule from you. “Money talks, and the poor listen,” you said.
Arthur gave a hasty nod. “Yes! Indeed!”
“All right,” Liam went on. Sophia is speaking today. You are also impoverished. Thus, you ought to pay attention.
Arthur winced like he had been smacked. “Are you supporting her? In opposition to your own blood?”
Dad, you flung the confetti, Liam remarked. “The mess was your fault. You now need to tidy it up.
Liam approached me and grasped my hand. He held on tightly. “Come on, Sophia.”
I stopped. Arthur was slumped in his chair, a broken king, when I gazed down at him.
I whispered, “Arthur, I’m not a monster.” “I don’t want your workers to be laid off. I do not wish for the factory to go down.
Arthur’s eyes sparkled with hope. “You’ll stop it?”
I said, “I’ll restructure the debt.” “With one caveat.”
“Whatever,” Arthur pleaded. “Anything.”
I said, “Resign.” “Effective right away. As CEO, you resign. You give Liam complete operational authority. You live on a stipend after retiring to Florida. You will never again enter the boardroom.
Arthur gave Liam a look. He surveyed the empire he had established.
And if I say no?”
I added, “The factory locks at 8:00 AM.” “I also sell the equipment for scrap.”
Arthur buried his face in his hands. He gave a slow nod. “All right. I’m quitting.
I took my wallet out. I produced my Titanium Black Card, a cold, weighty card composed of real metal.
“Hold on!I yelled.
The waiter, obviously frightened, opened the door immediately.
“Yes, ma’am?”
I said, “Bring the bill.” “For the whole eatery.” Tonight, everyone is dining here. I’ll pay for their food.
I gestured toward our table.
“With the exception of this table,” I stated. “Mr. Sterling is going to cover his own soup costs.
Section 6: The Modern Boardroom
After Three Months
The Vance Tower’s top floor offered an amazing view. Below, the city stretched out like a circuit board of energy and lights.
I was sitting behind my desk going over Nebula Pay’s quarterly reports. River City Bank had been successfully acquired. The stock had risen 15%.
The door opened. Liam entered.
He had changed appearance. He no longer hesitated after his walk. He had a briefcase containing the plans for Sterling Industries’ rebirth, and he was dressed in a superbly fitting suit.
The factory had modernized under his direction. For the first time in five years, he had made a profit, increased productivity, and showed respect for the employees.
He put a cheque on my desk.
“First installment,” Liam grinned. debt repayment. with curiosity.
I took the check. Five million dollars.
It was precisely a thousand times as much as Arthur had flung at me.
I looked at the check and responded, “You know.” “I don’t require this.”
“I understand,” Liam answered. However, the business must settle its debts. I also need to feel that we are on an equal footing.
I grinned. I slowly tore the check in half after accepting it.
Liam’s gaze expanded. “Sophia? Five million dollars, that is.
I threw the pieces in the recycling bin and muttered, “I don’t want your money, Liam.” “On the first day, I informed your father that. People, not bank accounts, are what I invest in. How about you?”
I got up and went around the desk to give him a kiss.
“I have never made a better investment than you.”
With a laugh, Liam embraced me and asked, “How is Arthur?”
I said, “He’s in Boca Raton.” “He gave me a call yesterday. He was upset over the increase in his golf club dues. I believe he’s finally grasping the concept of a budget.
“Well,” Liam remarked.
Together, we made our way to the window and gazed out at the metropolis that we now controlled—not out of fear, but out of skill.
I was referred to as a gold digger by them. They believed I was trying to steal some of their dwindling fortune. They were too busy protecting their small gold hoard to notice that I had purchased the pickaxes, the mine, and the mountain.
My head was resting on Liam’s shoulder.
“Are you hungry?He inquired.
I said, “Starving.” However, let’s go somewhere inexpensive. I have a burger craving.
“What’s your treat?Liam made a joke.
“Always,” I said.
And I realized that the true power wasn’t in the billions as we exited the workplace and turned off the lights on the empire I had created. It was the capacity to leave the table when you were certain you had won the game.
