Robert emerged from the bedroom, dressed in yesterday's suit pants and a wrinkled shirt. "I should go," he said, checking his watch. "I have a meeting at noon."
Elena nodded, barely glancing at him. Men like Robert were interchangeable parts in her carefully orchestrated life—present when she needed physical release, absent when she required focus. He knew the rules and accepted them, seeing his position in Elena's bed as a coveted achievement rather than the utilitarian arrangement it truly was.
After he left, Elena showered and dressed in casual luxury—designer jeans and a cashmere sweater, her dark hair falling in perfect waves around her shoulders. She poured a second espresso and moved to her home office, opening her laptop to the internal messaging system Meridian Technologies used for secure communications.
Raymond—status update on Sharp Innovation client list? She typed.
The response came almost immediately: Compiled and analyzed. Three major contracts up for renewal in next 30 days. Detailed acquisition strategy prepared for each. Awaiting your approval.
Send to my secure server. I'll review today. Elena replied.
This was the second phase of her plan—while Victoria was distracted by the personal scandal, Elena would move to undermine Sharp Innovations' client base. The merger with Next Technologies had likely stretched Victoria's attention and resources thin; she would not see the client-poaching coming until it was too late.
Elena opened another secure messaging window: Research team—status on the Next algorithm reproduction?
Progress steady. Initial testing shows 78% accuracy compared to Next model. Estimated completion of viable alternative: 4-6 weeks.
Elena frowned slightly. Not fast enough. She needed leverage over Next before they fully integrated with Sharp Innovations.
Accelerate timeline. Unlimited resources authorized. I want a working prototype in three weeks.
Her phone rang again—Clara, her executive assistant at Meridian.
"Ms. Vasquez, I apologize for disturbing your weekend, but there's something you should know."
Elena tensed. Clara wouldn't call without good reason. "Go on."
"Victoria Sharp just requested a meeting with your father in Madrid. For Monday morning."
Elena's fingers tightened around her phone. "Did she say why?"
"Only that it was a matter of mutual interest to both companies. Mr. Vasquez has agreed to see her."
Of course he had. Guillermo Vasquez had always had a soft spot for Victoria, seeing in her the hunger and determination that had driven his own success. Even after Victoria had rejected his job offer nine years ago, he had kept tabs on her career with something approaching paternal pride.
"Book me on the next flight to Madrid," Elena said, her mind already racing ahead. "And inform my father I'll be joining their meeting."
"Yes, Ms. Vasquez. There's a direct flight leaving at 7 PM tonight."
"Perfect."
Elena ended the call and returned to the window, her reflection superimposed over the city skyline. Victoria was moving faster than anticipated, already seeking an alliance with Guillermo against whatever storm she believed was coming.
A clever move, but ultimately futile. Victoria didn't understand that Elena's vendetta wasn't just business—it was personal in a way that transcended corporate strategy. This was not about market share or innovation leadership; it was about a betrayal nine years in the making, a friendship abandoned, a loyalty discarded.
Elena returned to her bedroom and began packing for Madrid, selecting outfits with the precision of a general planning battle formations. Her father would be disappointed in her tactics—the tabloid leak especially would strike him as beneath the Vasquez name—but Elena had long ago stopped seeking his approval in matters of strategy.
She was her father's daughter, yes, but she was also something more. Something of her own creation, forged in the crucible of privilege and expectation. If Victoria had taught her anything with that devastating rejection nine years ago, it was that true power came from independence, from building something that belonged solely to you.
Elena had taken that lesson and applied it ruthlessly, carving out her own domain within the Vasquez Empire. Now she would use that power to dismantle the woman who had inspired it.
Her phone chimed with a news alert: Sharp Innovations CEO Victoria Sharp would be giving a private media statement regarding the matter. There was no direct response to any of the allegations in the tabloid.
Elena's brow furrowed in mild annoyance. Victoria was refusing to address the allegations immediately—a strategic move that denied the story the oxygen of a direct confrontation. Still, Victoria was clearly playing defense—exactly where Elena wanted her.
Another text from Parker: Sharp canceled all weekend appointments. Meeting with legal team now.
The image made Elena smile—Victoria, always so controlled, so precise in her planning, now scrambling to contain a situation she hadn't anticipated. The woman who prided herself on seeing ten steps ahead suddenly finding herself reacting instead of acting.
It was just the beginning. By the time Elena's plane landed in Madrid, phase two of her plan would be in motion. The scandal was merely a distraction—the real damage would come from the systematic dismantling of Sharp Innovations' client relationships and the acceleration of Meridian's competing technology.
Elena finished packing and called for her driver. As she waited, she opened the secure file Parker had sent her—the complete dossier on James Mitchell. His record was flawless, his work ethic perfect, first with McKinsey's and now with Sharp Innovations. She wondered what she could do to take him away from Victoria if she somehow managed to weather this initial storm.
Because Elena knew Victoria Sharp—knew her determination, her resilience, her stubborn refusal to surrender even when defeat seemed inevitable. This first strike would hurt her, would destabilize her carefully constructed world, but it wouldn't destroy her.
That would require something more. Something that struck at the heart of who Victoria believed herself to be—perhaps by taking away the people she trusted most.
Elena closed the file and gathered her luggage. As she rode the private elevator down from her penthouse, she allowed herself one final moment of satisfaction. After six years of watching Victoria build her empire from nothing, Elena was finally taking action. Finally making Victoria understand the cost of walking away from what they could have built together.
By the time she reached the lobby, Elena's expression had returned to its usual mask of cool composure. Her driver took her bags as she slid into the backseat of the waiting Bentley, already mentally preparing for the confrontation in Madrid.
"To the airport," she instructed. "And call my father. Tell him I'm looking forward to our meeting with Victoria Sharp."
As the car pulled away from the curb, Elena gazed out at the city streets, imagining Victoria in her own office across town, frantically trying to contain the damage Elena had so carefully orchestrated. The thought brought a smile to her lips—not the cold, calculated expression she wore in boardrooms, but something darker, more genuine.
This was just the first strike. And Victoria had no idea what was coming next.