Chapter 122 The Anniversary
Day 49. Twenty-four hours until the anniversary.
The bakery had transformed into a fortress. Twelve security guards. FBI stationed outside. Reporters camped across the street. Helicopters overhead and two hundred and sixty million people watching.
“We’ll vote tomorrow, at noon,” Aiden announced to the camera. “Five board members. One decision. End the network’s claim to Frost Industries and custody of our children. Or lose everything.”
He listed the voters:
“Aiden Frost. Two votes. Myself and proxy for thecharitable foundation.”
“Lily Frost. One vote. Hospital shares.”
“Geoffrey Hale. One vote.”
“Sarah Brennan. One vote.”
“Five votes against the network. Five votes to end this.”
The livestream exploded with support.
YOU’VE GOT THIS
WE’RE WITH YOU
TOMORROW CHANGES EVERYTHING
But that night, sleep was impossible.
Ariella found Aiden on the roof at 2 AM. Same spot where she and Lily had talked months ago.
“Can’t sleep?” she asked.
“Keep thinking about everything that could go wrong.” He pulled her close. “Geoffrey could be killed before the vote. Sarah could be compromised. Lily…” His voice cracked. “She’s eighteen years old and carrying a vote that could save or destroy our family.”
“She’s ready.”
“No one’s ready for this.”
They stood in silence. The city humming below. Above them, stars are still invisible through light pollution.
Still there, though.
“I love you,” Ariella said. Not as comfort or strategy. Just…truth. “Whatever happens tomorrow. I love you. The messy, complicated, exhausting version we’ve built from rubble.”
“I love you too.” He kissed her. “And I’m terrified I’ll lose you.”
“You won’t.”
“You can’t promise that.”
“Watch me.”
Day 50. The anniversary.
It’s officially five years since the contract forced them together, five years of fighting, surviving, and building something real from something transactional.
The board meeting was scheduled for noon.
At 6 AM, Claire made bread. Her hands steady despite everything.
At 7 AM, Elena woke up asking why everyone looked scared.
“We’re not scared,” Ariella lied. “We’re excited.”
“You look scared.”
Kids saw everything.
At 9 AM, they gathered, all five voters plus Marcus, Jessica, and Claire.
“Whatever happens,” Sarah said, “we gave them hell.”
“We’re not past tense yet,” Lily corrected. “We’re still giving them hell.”
At 10 AM, Geoffrey’s phone rang.
Unknown number. He answered it on speaker.
“Mr. Hale.” The voice was distorted yet familiar. “Don’t vote today else your mother dies. We have her, she’s safe for now.”
Geoffrey went white. “My mother is eighty-seven years old and in assisted living…”
“Not anymore. We moved her this morning. Vote against us and she stops breathing. Simple equation.”
The line went dead.
“ let’s verify,” Marcus said immediately. Calling the facility. Confirming.
Geoffrey’s mother was gone. Taken sometime during the night.
“We’ll have to postpone,” Sarah said. “We can’t vote under duress…”
“ let’s vote,” Geoffrey said. His voice hollow and broken. “We will vote because if we don’t, they’ll kill her anyway. They’ll kill everyone. This was always going to cost everything.” He looked at Aiden. “Your mother died for this, your father, Sophia, Ethan, Seventy-three others we know about. My mother…” His voice cracked. “My mother would want me to finish it.”
“Geoffrey…”
“I’m voting against them today and that’s final.” He stood. “And if they kill her, that’s one more murder documented. One more crime to prosecute. One more reason they deserve to burn.”
At 11:55 AM they assembled in the bakery’s back room that had been Converted to a boardroom, with cameras rolling and two hundred and seventy million people watching.
The five voters sat at the table.
Aiden, Lily, Geoffrey, Sarah, and Marcus who’d been technically removed from his FBI position but serving as procedural overseer. No vote. Just ensuring legality.
“It’s noon,” Marcus said. “The anniversary clause is now active. Asset transfer and custody provisions are in effect unless…” He looked around the table. “…unless this board votes to void the contract clause entirely.”
“I move to void,” Sarah said.
“Seconded,” Lily said immediately.
“All in favor?”
Aiden raised his hand. “For both my votes. Yes.”
Lily raised hers. “Yes.”
Geoffrey hesitated. His hand shaking.
Somewhere, his mother was captive. Possibly dying.
He raised his hand.
“Yes.”
Sarah raised hers. “Yes.”
Five votes. Five hands.
Unanimous.
“The motion passes,” Marcus said quietly. “The contract clause is void. Frost Industries remains under Frost family control. Custody provisions are nullified.”
There was silence, then…chaos erupted.
The livestream exploded. The bakery erupted in celebration. Lily was crying. Sarah was laughing. Aiden pulled Ariella into a kiss that tasted like relief and terror and five years of fighting.
They’d won.
Actually won.
But Geoffrey sat motionless.
“We need to find my mother,” he said. “Now. Before they…”
His phone rang, it was the Same distorted voice.
“Impressive. You actually did it.” There was a pause. “Your mother is at Brooklyn Mercy Hospital Room 412 and unharmed. We’re not monsters, Mr. Hale. We’re businesspeople. You won. We accept defeat.”
“You expect me to believe…”
“Check the hospital, She’s there. Confused but alive.” The voice softened slightly. “You were right to vote against us. We’ve become something your daughter would’ve hated. Something we hate. It’s time to end.”
The line went dead.
Marcus confirmed it. Geoffrey’s mother was at Brooklyn Mercy and Safe.
The network had…impossible…“Is it over?” Lily asked. “Is it actually over?”
“The vote is over,” Marcus said carefully. “But Victoria’s appeal. The remaining network members. The…”
“Is it over?” Lily repeated.
Ariella looked at Aiden, Geoffrey, Sarah, the camera streaming to two hundred and seventy-five million people.
“Yes,” she said. “It’s over.”
And for the first time in five years, in fifty days of livestreaming…the cameras turned off.
The feed went dark.
The Frosts disappeared from public view.
And the world waited to see what will happen next.
Three days later, a breaking news alert:
VICTORIA FROST FOUND DEAD IN PRISON CELL. APPARENT SUICIDE.
The note she left was simple:
They won. I lost. Some games end.
But Geoffrey Hale, reading the news in his apartment, thought about the woman he’d loved once.
About the network she’d help built.
About how “suicide” was always the network’s preferred exit strategy.
And wondered if Victoria had really chosen to die.
Or if the network had simply decided she was a loose end.
Either way, she was gone.
And the Frosts were free.