ASHES TO EMPIRE

Jasmine didn’t answer right away; she looked away, blinking her eyes. “Maxwell sent it,” she said finally. “He believes he can still trust me.” I made three calls, first to Renzo, my tech guy from the early days, who owed me everything, and another to Priya, my Indian friend, a former intelligence analyst now hiding as a schoolteacher in Croydon. A third, to someone I never thought I’d call again: my ex-father-in-law, Malik. He picked up on the second ring. “Elliot,” he said, with his voice not looking surprised. “It’s been years.” “I need your help, I said. “Jasmine and Elias they are in trouble”. And for your name, Malik.” “Where do I meet you?” He said. That night, we parked a quarter mile from the estate known for its high and impenetrable security. Renzo had disabled two security drones. Priya had mapped the landmines successfully. Malik also came with three men I didn’t know but trusted because he trusted them. “We get Elias, then burn the operation,” I said. Inside, everything unfolded with brutal speed. Jasmine and I snuck through the back while Renzo looped the cameras. It felt too easy, the way everything worked out perfectly. Priya gave directions over comms, while Malik’s men took out guards silently. I don’t want to go into detail because I was personally scared to fight. We found Elias in a candlelit room, sitting on the floor, painting, with a small smile on his face. He paused when he saw me. “Dad?” he whispered. That’s the second time he whispered Dad to me ever since he left with his mom. I couldn’t speak, I nodded and opened my arms with a broad smile. He ran into them, and I held him for the first time in what felt like ages. I missed him. “I love you, Dad”, he said. That’s when Maxwell appeared in the doorway; he didn’t raise a gun; he just stood there, then bent and picked Elias’s paintbrush in his hand. “You’re late,” he said. “Richard is already here.” Richard Kane came with ten men, who were supposed to fly Elias out, only to be surprised by company. Renzo was shot in one arm, so he was left in the van. Malik’s men held the entrance. I pushed Elias into a hidden alcove. “Stay,” I told him, “I’ll be back”. I then slowly traced Richard out to the wide study, and he turned like he knew beforehand that someone was following him. “You’re not strong enough, why follow me?” he hissed. Then he lunged forward, charging at me, and we fought, throwing wild blows against each other. We kept struggling as we pushed ourselves to the fireplace, and there I slammed his head into the fireplace mantle. He staggered back, laughing. “You’ll never outrun who we are.” “I’m not running,” I said. Then a shot rang out, loud. I cried, falling to the ground. Richard dropped. Behind him, my father stood holding a pistol, and for a brief moment, I thought I was the one being shot. “For your mother,” he said. Smokes flying out of the barrel of the Glock. Later at midnight, we burned the ledgers; my dad brought them with him. The Police came, and Maxwell was arrested, while Richard was dead. And my father, he didn’t did not have to play dead again. He stayed, yes. He said he owed my mum that much. A month later, we buried her properly in a hilltop cemetery, under soft sunlight. My father laid lilies and I carried Elias in my arms. My mom, whom I thought had betrayed me. She would’ve liked seeing Elias in my arms. When I returned to the city, the boardroom was waiting. NovaTerra Energy welcomed me with awe, and I survived all the stories that my driver narrated to me. I cleaned house. Then I left for the family firm, the Kane Legacy. When I arrived, I announced myself as the new boss of the company, and my son as next of kin. Then I announced: “This name will stand for something different now.” I became the CEO of both companies. Jasmine stood beside me the day I gave my first press speech. But she was not the woman I remarried. That came a week later. Malik came to me, humbled. He said, “Forgive me for letting you go. You were never just a poor boy. You were a man with honour.” He brought with him her daughter, Lyla. My driver was the best man on the date of the marriage. When we took photos, the flash flickered gold, and I knew I had risen from ashes to empire.