Chapter 3
1575 Words
The next morning, the financial district of Blackstone City was buzzing with hushed whispers.
Luxury cars formed a convoy at the entrance to Sinclair Group Headquarters.
Reporters were waiting eagerly at the entrance to the skyscraper, and business executives were rushing through the revolving doors of the building.
Something big was happening, and no one knew exactly what.
All that was known was that the elusive billionaire Victor Sinclair had called an emergency meeting of the board of directors.
The mere fact that he had shown interest in the affairs of the company was enough to make the business world take notice.
Inside the executive conference room on the top floor of the headquarters, dozens of executives sat discussing the mysterious meeting.
The tension was palpable as they exchanged worried glances.
"Do you know what this is all about?"
"Have you heard any rumors?"
"It could be another acquisition, you know."
"Maybe they're finally replacing the CEO."
"Whatever it is, the chairman would hardly have called an emergency meeting if it wasn't important."
The doors to the conference room opened, and a hushed silence fell over the room as Victor Sinclair and his entourage entered.
The mere sight of the billionaire was enough to send shivers down the spines of the executives.
Behind him, his son Adrian entered the room, followed by Sophia Sinclair.
And finally, the last person to enter the room drew gasps from dozens of executives.
A woman in an ivory business suit stood in the doorway, her presence sending shockwaves through the crowd.
Aurora Sinclair.
Several executives choked on their own saliva, while others stared in disbelief.
Some looked confused, while others looked positively horrified.
Everyone, however, knew who she was.
For the past three years, she had gone by the name Aurora Blackwood, wife of Damian Blackwood.
This was the same woman who had kept a low profile for the past three years, rarely seen in public.
But now, as she stood before them, her presence was nothing short of breathtaking.
Victor took his place at the head of the long mahogany table, and Aurora took a seat at his side.
The sight of her there sent another wave of murmurs through the room.
Victor tapped his fingers on the edge of the table, silencing the room.
"I'll keep this brief," he said.
His steely gaze swept over the room.
"As of today, Aurora Sinclair has returned to Sinclair Group."
There were more murmurs as the executives tried to process this information.
"As of today, she will be serving as the Executive Vice President of Global Development," Victor announced.
The room practically exploded with chatter.
Several directors nearly jumped out of their seats in surprise, while veteran executives looked positively stunned.
Executive Vice President?
That was a position of incredible power and responsibility, overseeing billions of dollars of investment.
One of the directors stood up.
"Chairman Sinclair, with all due respect, Miss Sinclair has no experience in executive management."
Aurora turned her gaze on the man, her expression calm and composed.
Before she could say anything, however, Victor's lips curled into a smirk.
"Is that so?"
With a press of a button on the edge of the table, a large screen at the front of the room turned on, displaying a slide with text on it.
A.S. Holdings
Several of the directors frowned as they took in the words on the slide.
The name was familiar to them all.
A.S. Holdings was one of the most successful investment companies in the world, having made a fortune over the past five years.
However, the identity of its founder had remained a mystery.
The company had an extensive portfolio that included technology conglomerates, luxury fashion houses, real estate developments, and shipping companies.
It was impossible to name a single industry that A.S. Holdings did not have a stake in.
Victor gave the directors a knowing look.
"Would anyone care to guess who the founder of A.S. Holdings is?"
The room was silent for a moment, then murmurs of confusion and curiosity began.
Finally, Victor gave a knowing smile.
"Aurora Sinclair."
The room fell completely silent.
Not a single person moved as dozens of pairs of eyes were fixed on Aurora.
Some of the directors looked stunned, while others looked positively terrified.
One of them even laughed nervously.
"That can't be right!"
Aurora opened a file on the table in front of her and slid several documents across the table for the directors to see.
Ownership records, company registration, and investment reports were all there, each one bearing her signature.
The evidence was undeniable, and the room fell completely silent as the directors stared at the documents in stunned silence.
One of the directors looked up at Aurora, his hand shaking.
"You're the founder?"
Aurora gave a simple nod.
"Yes."
The room practically exploded with murmurs of disbelief.
It seemed that the woman who had kept a low profile for the past three years was not only a genius investor but also the founder of one of the world's largest investment companies.
Victor leaned back in his chair, clearly proud of his daughter.
"As I was saying..." he said.
This time, however, no one interrupted him.
Not even a single person.
It seemed that Aurora's words had silenced even the most skeptical executives.
Aurora had earned her position as Executive Vice President of Sinclair Group long before she even set foot in the conference room.
The meeting continued for another hour, and by the time it was over, every executive had come to one conclusion.
Aurora Sinclair was returning to Sinclair Group, and she was doing so not as a figurehead, but as a force to be reckoned with.
Meanwhile, in another part of the city...
Blackwood International Headquarters.
Damian Blackwood sat in his office, reading over reports when his gaze fell on one particular document.
He found himself distracted, which was highly unusual for him.
Usually, he could focus on one task for hours at a time, but something about this particular report was keeping him from focusing.
His thoughts drifted to Aurora, the empty chair across from him, the signed divorce papers, and the strange look in her eyes as she left.
His reverie was broken by the sound of a knock on the door.
"Enter," he said.
His assistant hurried into the room.
"Mr. Blackwood, have you seen the news yet?"
"No, what is it?"
The assistant handed him a tablet.
"Sinclair Group has made an important announcement," she said.
Damian took the device from his assistant's hands and looked at the screen.
His expression changed completely as he took in the image on the screen.
Aurora stood next to Victor Sinclair, smiling confidently.
The headline nearly made him drop the tablet.
SINCLAIR HEIRESS AURORA SINCLAIR RETURNS AS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Damian narrowed his eyes at the screen.
He read the article, then reread it, then read it a third time.
Each time, he found new details that surprised him.
The influence of the Sinclair family, Aurora's many corporate achievements, A.S. Holdings, international investments, luxury fashion houses, and global business partnerships.
It was all there, and the more he read, the more surprised he became.
His assistant looked uneasy.
"Sir?"
Damian looked up at his assistant slowly.
"Why didn't I know any of this?"
The assistant swallowed hard.
"No one knew."
That was the truth.
Aurora had kept her achievements a secret, even from him.
Even from Blackwood International.
A strange feeling of regret burned in Damian's chest.
For three years, he had believed that Aurora needed him.
That she needed his money and his influence.
That she needed the power of the Blackwood name.
But it seemed that she had never needed him at all.
She had never needed his money, his power, or his name.
The realization was almost painful.
His phone rang, and he answered it without looking at the caller ID.
"Father," he said.
The voice on the other end of the line was furious.
"Tell me the news is lying."
Damian said nothing, and his father's voice grew even angrier.
"You divorced Aurora?"
"Yes."
"Are you insane?"
Damian frowned.
His father rarely raised his voice, and when he did, it was usually when he was particularly angry.
"Father, what are you talking about?"
"Do you have any idea what you've done?"
The call ended abruptly, and Damian lowered the phone slowly.
For the first time since signing the divorce papers, he felt a wave of unease wash over him.
Not because Aurora was rich and powerful, but because he was beginning to realize how little he knew about the woman he had married.
And for some reason...
That terrified him.
That evening, Aurora stood on the balcony of the Sinclair Estate, gazing out at the city.
The lights twinkled like diamonds in the distance, and a cool evening breeze brushed against her skin.
Her phone vibrated in her hand, and she looked at the message on the screen.
Unknown Number: Congratulations on your return, Miss Sinclair. But be careful, some people are very interested in the secrets you've been hiding
Her smile faded as she stared at the message.
Another notification appeared on her screen.
Unknown Number: The game has finally begun
Aurora's reflection in the dark glass of the balcony doors showed a woman whose expression had changed.
Someone was watching her.
Someone was watching her from the shadows.
And they knew too much.
- Writer
