Chris POV
The silence inside the Rolls-Royce lingered long after Helen’s confession.
The day I buried him, I buried more than my husband.
I buried the woman he believed in.
It was an unusual statement, not because it was emotional, but because it was irrational.
I rested my chin against my hand, watching the rain slide down the tinted window as Manhattan slowly drew closer.
Helen Stacy had just offered to become an accomplice to crimes she hadn’t even heard about.
Not for power, not for money, and not even for me.
She was doing it for Mother.
That was the part that refused to fit.
Mother didn’t inspire blind loyalty.
She built obligations.
Every relationship she cultivated was measured, deliberate, and mutually beneficial.
She believed debts lasted longer than gratitude.
Yet Helen’s words hadn’t sounded like someone repaying a debt.
They sounded personal.
Which meant I was missing something.
Captain George Stacy’s death had changed her.
That much was obvious.
The question was why.
More importantly, what had Mother done afterward?
My thoughts were interrupted as the small television embedded in the divider between the front and rear seats flickered to life.
The morning news was already playing.
“…breaking developments this morning…” A woman’s composed voice filled the cabin.
“…Arthur Reynolds, senior partner overseeing Sterling Global’s independent audit, remains in critical condition following a multi-vehicle collision on Interstate 87 earlier this morning.”
Footage of twisted steel and flashing emergency lights filled the screen.
“…Authorities believe heavy rain contributed to the accident. No foul play is currently suspected.”
I watched the report in silence.
Right on schedule.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of my lips.
Across from me, Helen shifted slightly.
She had been watching me.
Not the television.
Me.
Something in the cabin changed.
The silence grew heavier as she hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure whether she should even ask.
“…Chris?”
Her voice was careful.
“Are there… any loose ends?”
I turned toward her.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Before I could answer, Diablo’s calm voice drifted through the cabin.
“It has been taken care of. We have arrived, Lord Chris.”
The Rolls-Royce slowed to a smooth stop.
I looked through the rain-speckled window.
Sterling Global Headquarters.
Dozens of reporters waited behind metal barricades, black luxury cars lined the entrance, and board members were already arriving.
I opened the door.
Sterling Global Headquarters stood like a monument of glass and steel against the gray Manhattan sky.
Even in 2007, the building was considered an engineering marvel.
Its reflective curtain walls shimmered beneath the morning clouds, while the massive open atrium beyond the entrance filled the lobby with natural light.
It wasn’t flashy.
It was timeless.
It was the sort of building that announced Sterling Global’s success without saying a single word.
As Diablo opened the rear door, my eyes drifted toward the entrance.
Board members stood there, most wearing carefully practiced expressions.
Some looked concerned.
Some looked nervous.
One group, however, stood out immediately.
They were smiling.
Not the restrained smile of businessmen hiding their confidence.
They looked…
delighted, like children on Christmas morning who had finally found the gift they’d been wishing for beneath the tree.
Interesting.
Either they believed today’s meeting would secure everything they wanted…
Or—
“Maybe they haven’t heard the news yet,” I said.
I watched understanding spread across her face.
Arthur.
She stopped mid-step.
Then, without a word, she reached into her blazer and pulled out her phone.
Checking.
Of course she would.
A man dressed like an exceptionally dedicated Alfred had appeared out of nowhere, and days later, the lead auditor had ended up in a fatal accident.
If our positions were reversed, I would’ve verified everything too.
She raised the phone to her ear.
“…It’s Helen. I need confirmation.” A pause.
“…Yes, specifically Arthur Reynolds.”
Her posture stiffened.
The silence on the other end stretched longer than before.
“…What do you mean there wasn’t enough…” She suddenly stopped speaking, her knuckles turning white around the phone.
“…I understand.”
The call ended, and Helen slowly lowered the phone.
She looked paler than before.
And when her eyes met mine, there it was.
Fear.
Not suspicion.
Not caution.
Fear.
Even Diablo noticed, though his expression remained perfectly composed.
I tilted my head.
“What happened, Helen?”
She swallowed once before answering.
“The accident…” Her voice sounded strangely hollow.
“It was so violent they couldn’t recover Arthur’s body.”
She hesitated before continuing.
“Calling it a body wouldn’t even be accurate anymore.” Another pause passed before she looked away.
“The officer… described it as…”
Her voice dropped to barely a whisper.
“…minced meat.”
“Oh.”
That explained the delay.
For a moment, I considered telling her the truth.
Not the complete truth.
Just enough.
Instead, another thought crossed my mind.
Perhaps this wasn’t entirely bad.
Fear created boundaries.
If Helen feared me, she’d stop digging into my affairs.
She’d think twice before asking unnecessary questions.
More importantly, she would make sure Gwen kept her distance.
That would be safer for everyone.
Yet the thought didn’t sit quite right.
The constant questions.
The teasing.
Helen fussing over whether I’d eaten.
Gwen treating every conversation like an interrogation.
It was…
pleasant.
Warm.
A feeling I couldn’t remember experiencing in either of my lives.
Strange.
It was…
something worth keeping.
I let out a quiet breath.
“Don’t make that face.”
Helen looked at me, still visibly shaken.
“I’ll tell you what happened.”
I glanced toward the towering headquarters before us.
“But after the meeting. For now, let’s go in.”
The elevator climbed in near silence until we reached the thirty-fifth floor, the executive floor.
The long metallic table was still half empty.
Interesting.
I’d seen several of them in the parking garage only moments ago.
They were making me wait.
A childish display.
One by one, the directors entered the room, taking their assigned seats as if nothing had happened.
Finally, the chairman cleared his throat.
“My apologies for the delay, Chris.” His smile was polished.
“We had a few urgent matters to discuss before today’s meeting.”
Another director nodded.
“I’m sure you understand. Your parents left you with considerable authority. Choosing the next Chief Executive Officer isn’t a decision we can rush.”
Silence settled over the room as every eye turned toward me.
The chairman folded his hands.
“So.
Have you reached a decision?
Will you support the board’s recommendation…” He paused before continuing, “…or shall we proceed with presenting the audit?”
He glanced toward the empty chair beside him.
“Speaking of which… where is Arthur? He insisted on attending today’s meeting.”
I tilted my head slightly.
“You didn’t know?”
Several brows furrowed.
“Know what?”
“Arthur Reynolds was involved in a traffic accident this morning.”
A director frowned.
“No.”
“It’s all over the morning news.”
The chairman immediately turned toward his secretary.
“Confirm that.” The woman stepped outside.
Less than a minute later, she returned and leaned down to whisper into his ear.
His expression changed.
“Arthur has been taken to the hospital.”
I gave a small smile.
“Your information may already be out of date.”
The room grew quiet.
“My sources say the accident was severe enough that there wasn’t much of a body left.”
I paused deliberately.
“It’s just…” My eyes moved across the table.
“…minced meat.”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The atmosphere in the boardroom changed.
It wasn’t visible, not to most people, but I noticed it.
Shoulders stiffened.
Eyes narrowed.
Breathing slowed.
Across the table, Helen remained perfectly composed.
Only the slightest tightening around her eyes betrayed what she was feeling.
Good.
She was adapting quickly.
I rested my hands on the table.
“Now then. The company can’t afford to stop because one man is gone.”
I looked around the room.
“So, shall we begin?”
…
Author’s Note
I went back and edited this chapter to improve the formatting and make the writing flow more naturally.
I’m have moved away from the one-line style and make the chapters feel more like an actual novel.
I hope the revised version reads better.
As always, thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next chapter!
date 12|08|2026
Authors note
From this chapter onward, I’ll be trying out more POV-focused writing.
It’s my first time writing this way, so any corrections, suggestions, or recommendations are always welcome.
Also, sorry for the late upload.
I only got free yesterday, and I was a bit rushed because I had promised to upload within 7 days.
From now on, the schedule will be 3 days of uploads followed by 1 day of break.
During the break day,