Chapter 61 The Trap Springs
Elena stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror.
She wore a tailored navy suit, her hair pulled back, she wore little makeup, she looked like a confident CEO, nothing like the terrified woman who'd been hiding in a bunker for weeks.
"You ready?" Pierce's voice came from the doorway.
Elena turned to face him. He wore a dark suit, gun hiding beneath his jacket, eyes already sharp and alert.
"Yeah I am," she said.
Pierce crossed to her, his hands settling on her waist. "You're going to be incredible today."
"What if something goes wrong.."
"It won't." His voice was firm. "Marcus has twenty people positioned and every entrance covered. The moment Xander shows, we'll know."
Elena nodded, trying to calm her racing heart.
"Remember what we practiced," Pierce said. "If I tell you to move, you move. No questions."
"I remember."
He kissed her forehead, then her mouth. "Let's go end this."
Derek was waiting downstairs, dressed despite his injury, gun visible at his hip.
"You're not coming," Pierce said immediately.
"Like hell I am." Derek's voice was firm. "You need every man you have and I can shoot from a stationary position just fine."
Pierce looked like he wanted to argue, then nodded. "Fine, you stay in the vehicle, backup only."
They loaded into the SUV. The drive to the city felt endless and too short at the same time.
Pierce's phone buzzed constantly. Marcus reporting positions, Leo confirming perimeter security, updates flowing in steady streams.
"North entrance has been secured."
"Rooftop team in position."
"The media arriving now."
Elena watched the landscape change from forest to suburbs to city, her stomach tight with anticipation.
When D'Corporation headquarters came into view, Elena's breath caught.
Her father had built this and today, she was taking it back.
They pulled into the underground parking garage. Pierce scanned the area before opening her door.
"Stay close," he said.
Marcus met them at the elevator, earpiece visible, eyes constantly moving. "All positions ready. No sign of Xander yet."
"He'll come," Pierce said.
They rode the elevator to the eighth floor. When the doors opened, Elena saw the conference room through the glass walls, it was packed with board members, media, cameras.
Pierce's hand found hers briefly. "You've got this."
Elena squeezed once, then let go and walked toward the conference room alone.
Every eye turned to her when she entered.
George Williams sat at the head of the table, his expression carefully neutral while margret Sinclair beside him. The rest of the board spread around the table, all watching her.
Elena took her position at the center, facing them all.
"Thank you for coming," she began, her voice steady. "I know there's been speculation about my absence, questions about my capability to lead this company. So let me address those concerns directly."
She launched into her prepared statement, acknowledging the stock going down, outlining her vision for the company, demonstrating detailed knowledge of operations and financials that made Williams's eyebrows rise.
"My father spent thirty years building D'Corporation into what it is today and I watched him pour everything into this company, into creating something that mattered." Elena's voice strengthened. "I'm not going to let a temporary crisis destroy his legacy."
She outlined her restructuring plan, named the interim executives she was appointing, presented financial projections that had the board members leaning forward.
"This company belongs to me and I'm taking full operational control effective immediately." Elena met William's eyes. "Anyone who can't accept that is welcome to put in their resignation."
Silence fell.
Then Margret Sinclair spoke. "What about the lawsuit?"
"That will be dismissed. My lawyers have already filed the appropriate motions." Elena's voice was ice. "The board's claims of manipulation are baseless and the abandonment argument falls apart when I'm standing here demonstrating complete command of company operations."
William cleared his throat. "Ms. Davis, I think I speak for the board when I say, we may have been... hasty in our assessment."
"You think?" Elena didn't smile. "I expect full cooperation going forward, from everyone, are we clear?"
Nods came from around the table.
The media asked questions. Elena answered each one with confidence. Thirty minutes later, when she concluded the press conference, she knew she'd won.
Pierce appeared at her side as the room emptied. "Well done."
"It worked?" Elena asked quietly.
"Perfectly well. Willam looked like he swallowed glass." Pierce's phone buzzed and he glanced at it, his expression changed immediately. "We have movement."
Marcus's voice came through Pierce's earpiece, loud enough for Elena to hear. "There are yhree vehicles approaching from the east. Confirming... Xander's in the second one."
Pierce's hand went to his gun. "Be in positions."
Everything happened fast.
Pierce guided Elena toward the emergency exit, while marcus coordinated through comms. Derek's voice came through. "I have visual on the vehicles. They're parking in the structure."
"All units, close in," Marcus commanded. "We take them alive if possible."
They moved down the stairwell. Pierce kept Elena behind him, gun drawn. Derek's voice continued reporting.
"Six men are exiting vehicles. It's confirmed xander is in one of them. They're heading toward the north entrance."
"Cut them off," Pierce said.
The sound of running footsteps below them, shouting then gunfire echoing through the concrete stairwell.
Pierce pushed Elena against the wall, his body shielding hers. "Stay here."
"Pierce...."
"Stay here!" He moved down the stairs toward the sound.
Elena heard more gunfire, she pressed herself against the wall, her heart pounding, every instinct screaming for her to run.
Then she heard Pierce's voice. "East team, block the garage exit. West team, move in. Don't let him reach the vehicles!"
Chaos erupted below. Elena could hear men shouting, boots on concrete, the screech of tires.
Marcus's voice screaming. "He's running! Heading toward the service entrance!"
"I've got him," Pierce said.
Silence fell, then a single gunshot. Elena's blood went cold.
"Pierce?" she called down the stairwell.
No answer.
"Pierce!"
Then his voice, slightly breathless. "I'm fine. We have him."
Elena sagged against the wall with relief.
Five minutes later, Pierce appeared in the stairwell, gun holstered, a cut above his eyebrow bleeding slightly.
"You're hurt," Elena said immediately.
"It's just a graze, xander put up a fight." Pierce took her hand. "But we got him, he's in custody."
They went down to the parking garage. Elena saw it immediately, Xander on his knees, hands zip-tied behind his back, Marcus and Leo flanking him with guns drawn.
Xander's face was bloodied, his expensive suit torn. When he saw Elena, he laughed bitterly.
"The bait worked," he said. "Congratulations."
"Get him out of here," Pierce said coldly. "Secure location. No one knows where except us."
Marcus and Leo hauled Xander to his feet, dragging him toward a waiting van.
Xander looked back at Pierce. "You think this changes anything? Rodrigo's still out there and he's not going to stop until she's dead."
"Then I guess we'll have to deal with him next," Pierce said.
The van doors slammed shut. Xander was gone.
Elena stood in the parking garage, processing what had just happened.
They'd done it. She'd reclaimed her company and they'd captured Xander.
"It worked." Elena looked up at him. "One threat down. One to go."
"We'll get him too." Pierce kissed her forehead. "But today? Today we won."
Derek limped over, grinning despite his injury. "That was some speech, Doc. William looked like he wanted to crawl under the table."
Elena laughed, the sound shaky with adrenaline and relief. "I can't believe that worked."
"You were brilliant," Pierce said. "Both the conference and the trap."
Marcus approached. "Boss, we should move. Police will be here soon asking questions about the gunfire."
Pierce nodded. "Let's go."
They loaded into the SUV and pulled out of the garage, leaving D'Corporation behind.
Elena looked back at the building, her building now, truly hers and felt something shift inside her.
She'd stood up for herself, fought for what belonged to her and won.
"Where are we taking Xander?" she asked.
"He's going to a secure facility. Marcus will handle interrogation." Pierce's jaw was tight. "We need to know everything he knows about Rodrigo's operation."
"What happens after?"
Pierce's expression darkened. "Then we decide what to do with him."
Elena understood what he meant. Xander had betrayed them, tried to have her killed, sold them out to Rodrigo.
There would be consequences.
They drove back toward the cabin in silence, Elena processing everything that had happened.
One threat eliminated, her company was reclaimed, but Rodrigo was still out there, still dangerous, still hunting them.
The war wasn't over, but at least they'd won a major battle and for now, that was enough.