Chapter Sixty Five

Chapter Sixty Five
Hazel stepped out of Arion’s office with a heavy heart.
The file he had just handed her was still warm in her hand, as if it had absorbed the tension of their conversation. Down the long, silent corridor of The McCallen Hotels headquarters, she could feel the quiet stares of a few staff pretending to be busy behind their screens. Everyone knew a storm was brewing at the top of the power tower, but no one was brave enough to name it out loud.

In her own office, Hazel sat down and opened the file. The names printed inside weren’t just any names—they were senior directors, longtime partners of Richard, and a few conservative investors who had long been considered neutral. But in a post-Richard world, no one stayed neutral for long.

Hazel took a deep breath. She knew this mission wasn’t just about persuasion or negotiation. It was about choosing whom to trust in a battlefield riddled with traps and betrayal.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Arion stood staring at the computer screen displaying the latest quarterly financial report.
Harriet had already started changing internal policies—slowly but surely. Several projects initiated by his late mother were either being cut or redirected. Even senior staff members who had once been loyal to his mother were slowly reassigned to distant branches.

“She wants to erase her traces,” Arion murmured.

A soft knock broke his thoughts.

“Come in.”

An older man stepped in—dark suit, silver hair slicked neatly, and an unchanging expression that hadn’t shifted since Richard’s era.

“Mr. Whitcombe,” Arion greeted.

“You called for me, young sir.”

“Sit down. I need your view on someone: Harriet.”

Mr. Whitcombe, Richard McCallen’s former senior legal advisor, took a seat silently. “I suspected this day would come,” he said in a flat tone. “Richard trusted her—until the end. But he also recorded that distrust in another form.”

“What do you mean?”

Whitcombe reached into his coat and pulled out a small envelope.

“Before Richard passed, he asked me to keep this. And to give it to you only if Harriet started taking control.”

Arion opened the envelope carefully. Inside was a handwritten letter and a small flash drive.

The letter was brief.

Arion,
If Harriet becomes the shadow behind your throne, you must know—she’s not alone. I made mistakes, but I was not blind. Use the information in this drive wisely. Not all truths are meant to be revealed in daylight.
–Your father

Arion looked up at Whitcombe. “Do you know what’s in it?”

“Not in detail. But I know one thing—Richard hired a private investigator two years ago. His name was Victor Halden.”

Arion leaned back in his chair. That name wasn’t unfamiliar. Victor Halden was once known as the man who exposed secrets of the elite. If his father had trusted Victor, then Harriet wasn’t just a young wife with ambition—she was part of something larger.

“Contact Halden. Have him come tonight.”

Elsewhere in the city, Hazel met with the first board member on her list—Eleanor Reed.
The sixty-year-old woman was known as a longtime business partner of the McCallen family, but also a realist who valued stability above all else.

They met in the private dining room of a French restaurant.

“I know why you wanted to meet outside the office,” Eleanor said while spooning her cream soup. “You wanted to speak without Harriet’s ears listening.”

Hazel gave her a sharp look. “I won’t sugarcoat it. Harriet has her own agenda, and she’s not just executing Richard’s will.”

Eleanor raised an eyebrow. “You think I don’t already know that?”

Hazel fell silent.

“Unfortunately, I’m too old to get involved in power plays. But if you want my opinion, Arion needs to be smarter than just angry.”

Hazel leaned back in her chair. “We won’t win the board through emotion. But we do need your vote.”

Eleanor set her spoon down. “Make me believe Arion isn’t just an impulsive young man. Bring him to my home this weekend. Let him speak. Then we’ll see if I’m willing to place my bet on him.”

Hazel gave a faint smile. A small step—but a meaningful one.

That night, Victor Halden arrived at Arion’s residence.
The slim man with graying hair entered the study with light, cautious steps. His eyes were sharp, filled with analysis.

“You look like your father—but with more anger,” he said as he took a seat.

Arion didn’t return the smirk. “Tell me everything you know about Harriet.”

Victor opened his leather bag and placed several files and photos on the desk.

“Harriet wasn’t just Richard’s wife. She’s part of a larger network—a group that infiltrates wealthy families across Europe to secure certain interests. Business, politics, information. They call themselves The Pavon Circle.”

Arion frowned. “And Richard knew?”

“He found out too late. He married Harriet as a strategy, but the woman was far more cunning. When he realized the truth, it was already too late. But he began compiling evidence—and hired me to trace her path.”

Victor handed a photo to Arion. In it, Harriet stood beside an Italian man—Carlo Manzetti, a controversial real estate mogul rumored to have ties to Europe’s underworld.

“And now she’s targeting McCallen Hotels?” Arion asked, his voice sharp.

“Not just that,” Victor replied. “She wants you out of the game. And she won’t stop at destroying your reputation.”

Arion stared at the photo. “Then we strike first.”

Victor gave a crooked smile. “Now you sound like Richard’s son.”

Dawn approached. London was wrapped in cold fog. Arion stood on the top floor balcony, gazing at the dim city lights.
He replayed his father’s voice in his mind—about honor, betrayal, the way the world worked, and the price of defending what’s right.

Footsteps behind him made him turn.

Hazel appeared, wearing a dark coat. “Eleanor Reed agreed to meet. But you’ll have to show up as the heir who can be trusted. Not just an angry young man.”

“I’ll speak,” Arion said quietly. “But this time, I’m not just holding on. I’m taking back everything that was stolen from me.”

Hazel searched his eyes. “And if Harriet brings you down first?”

“Then I’ll fall with my head held high,” Arion answered. “But I won’t fall alone.”

Hazel looked at him for a long time. Then she nodded.

In the distance, Big Ben chimed. Midnight had passed.

And the power game had only just begun.