Chapter 1161
Chapter 1161
The night air was heavy with rain, tapping softly against the glass walls of the Tudor Group’s headquarters. Elizabeth stood before the wide window of her office, the city lights reflected in her eyes. Behind her, the room was silent except for the ticking of a clock. She had been waiting.
It came as no surprise when John rushed in, his expression grim. “Boss, we intercepted some files. Esme has moved. She’s working with an outside consortium to undermine Hidden Camp’s overseas accounts. They’re planning to frame you for fraud.”
Elizabeth’s lips curved into a cold smile. “So she makes her move at last.”
Alexander, who had been standing at the far end of the room, clenched his fists. The thought of Esme dragging Elizabeth into another storm sent a dark fire through his chest. “She won’t succeed. I’ll shut down whatever allies she’s bought.”
Elizabeth turned, her gaze steady. “No, Alexander. This is my fight. She isn’t just targeting me—she’s targeting everything I’ve built. If you want to stand beside me, you’ll need to accept that I lead.”
He met her eyes, the weight of her authority pressing against him. A year ago, he might have bristled. But now, he simply nodded. “Then I’ll follow.”
Before Elizabeth could respond, the office door opened again. Joseph Stewart entered, his expression unreadable. “It’s worse than you think. Esme leaked documents to the press. By morning, headlines will scream that Glory M laundered millions through Tudor Group’s shell companies. If we don’t act, both your empire and Alexander’s family will collapse.”
The room chilled. Elizabeth closed her eyes briefly, then exhaled. “So she intends to burn everything, even if it means destroying herself.”
Alexander stepped closer. His voice was firm, steady. “Then we fight back together. I’ll stand before the press. I’ll admit my blindness, my mistakes, but I’ll also declare where I stand now—with you.”
Elizabeth’s heart stuttered. She searched his face, looking for the arrogance that once poisoned their marriage. But there was none—only sincerity, only resolve. For the first time, she allowed herself to imagine a future where he wasn’t her enemy but her shield.
“Very well,” she said softly, her tone carrying both steel and fragility. “At dawn, we strike first. John, prepare the evidence we’ve collected against Esme. Joseph, line up the media outlets we can trust. And Alexander…”
She paused, her gaze locking with his. “If you stand with me, there’s no turning back.”
He reached for her hand, not forcefully, not desperately, but gently—an offering. “I’ve already chosen, Elizabeth. I won’t let you fight this war alone.”
For a moment, the storm outside roared louder, as if echoing their unspoken vow. Elizabeth tightened her grip, her heart both heavy and lighter than it had been in years.
Somewhere across the city, Esme raised a glass of wine in her penthouse, her reflection fractured in the window. “Enjoy your little moment of hope, Elizabeth,” she whispered to herself. “By tomorrow, I’ll watch your empire burn.”