Chapter 847: Aurelia the Antagonist

"That’s... interesting. According to our research, after the arrest of Vincent Castellano, Dmitri Volkov, and Antonio Rivera—the so-called ’three vultures’—the federal government seized multiple assets. Five companies were auctioned off:

Meridian Logistics Corporation, Apex Manufacturing Solutions, Cloudstone Infrastructure, Genway Research Labs, and Hartfield Investment Group."

The lobby watched in frozen silence.

Sunlight caught her silhouette—cold gold outlining a figure that looked less like a woman ascending and more like something

inevitable

rising to claim what was already hers.

Tall, razor-slim, coat hugging every curve like it had been poured on—narrow waist cinched tight, hips swaying with lethal precision,

breasts high and firm

beneath the blouse that left just enough to the imagination to make underlings sweat.

"I remember reading about that," the head of strategy interjected, voice cautious. "Those once promising companies became nothing after the vultures took them over, until they were worth over a billion dollars combined before the vultures were destroyed. The government sold them for—

what was it?

—two billion to some private buyer?"

"Quantum Tech,"

the assistant said quietly. "Through a holding company. They purchased all five companies for two billion dollars total."

Aurelia’s expression didn’t change, but everyone in the hallway felt the temperature drop another degree—like she’d personally dialed down the thermostat to

corpse-cold

.

"So, Liberation Holdings owns thirty-three percent of Quantum Tech,"

she said slowly.

"

And

Quantum Tech

now owns five strategic companies across shipping, manufacturing, infrastructure, pharmaceutical research, and financial services

through Liberation Holdings.

Companies that would’ve been deliberately undervalued at any auction because they’d been sabotaged."

"Yes, ma’am."

"And what is Quantum Tech and Liberation Holdings doing with these companies?"

The assistant hesitated.

"That’s... actually strange.

According to our sources, nothing. Meridian Logistics is sitting idle. No ships deployed, no new contracts, no operational changes, still under the same management and employees, yet

still paid

for their doing nothing.

"Same with Apex Manufacturing—the facilities are maintained but not producing anything. Cloudstone’s data centers are running but not taking on new clients. Genway’s research labs are staffed but not pursuing FDA trials. Hartfield’s financial services division is operating at minimal capacity."

"They’re doing

nothing

with five companies worth over two billion dollars," Aurelia repeated.

"It appears that way. Almost like they’re... waiting for something. Or they acquired them for reasons that aren’t immediately apparent."

Aurelia turned to face the assistant fully. "How many companies did they want to acquire?"

"I’m sorry?"

"You said five companies.

How many did they originally intend to acquire of all the companies the vultures had destroyed?"

The assistant’s fingers flew across her tablet. "According to the official documents... seven companies were initially flagged for potential acquisition. Five were purchased. The other two went to different buyers."

"So, they could’ve got all seven. Got five. And now they’re doing nothing with any of them." Aurelia’s smile was knife-thin. "That’s not inaction. That’s patience. They’re building something. A

network. An infrastructure.

Something that requires all the pieces to be in place before activation."

She pushed open her office door.

"I want to know everything about

Liberation Holdings, Liberation Funds,

and every company they’ve touched. I want to know who Charlotte Thompson reports to, who funds her operations, who makes the strategic decisions. I want organizational charts, financial flows, communication patterns."

"Ms. Royce, with respect, that level of investigation will require significant resources and—"

"Then allocate them."

Aurelia stepped into her office. "Liberation Holdings has thirty-three percent of a trillions dollar company... an

eight-hundred-billion-dollar

worthy. Liberation Funds is generating impossible returns that suggest either genius or fraud. And Quantum Tech is sitting on five strategic companies worth a billion dollars, doing nothing with them. That’s not a business. That’s a chess position. And I want to know what game they’re playing."

She paused at her desk, fingers resting lightly on the polished surface.

"Schedule a meeting with

Charlotte Thompson.

Kingsley Private Equity would like to discuss potential investment opportunities with Quantum Tech."

"Should I mention specific—"

"Just the meeting. No details. Make it sound routine. Professional courtesy between two firms in the same city." Aurelia’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. "Charlotte Thompson will accept. She’ll be curious about why I’m reaching out. And curiosity makes people careless."

The twitching assistant made notes. "And if she

declines?"

"Then we’ll know she’s hiding something worth hiding." Aurelia turned to look out her window, the city sprawling below like a board game waiting to be played. "And that’s when things get interesting."

The entourage filed out.

The door closed.

Aurelia stood alone in her corner office, hands clasped behind her back, staring at Los Angeles like a general surveying a battlefield.

Liberation Holdings.

Liberation Funds.

Quantum Tech.

Three names that kept appearing together. Three entities that had appeared out of nowhere, accumulated obscene wealth, and were now doing... what? Building? Waiting? Planning something larger?

Her father had warned her about Liberation Funds before he retired. Told her they were moving into territory that should’ve been Kingsley’s. Taking clients that should’ve been theirs. Generating returns that made their own performance look pedestrian.

"Watch them,"

he’d said.

"They’re not like the others. They’re not playing by the rules we know."

Aurelia didn’t like mysteries.

Mysteries were just problems that hadn’t been solved yet.

And Aurelia Royce had never met a problem she couldn’t solve.

She reached for her phone, pulling up a contact she rarely used. A private investigator who specialized in corporate espionage. The kind of person who could find information that didn’t want to be found.

The call connected on the second ring.

"I need everything on Liberation Holdings," she said without preamble. "Every company they’ve touched. Every person in their organization. Every dollar they’ve moved. I don’t care how you get it. I don’t care what it costs. I want to know who’s really running that firm and what they’re building."

****

She ended the call.

Turned back to the window.

Now that we have two of the seven,

she thought,

it’s time we got the third.

And eventually, all of them.

After all, she was the private buyer of the other two companies!

She would meet with Charlotte Thompson. Smile. Be professional. Probe for weaknesses while presenting opportunity.

And if that didn’t work?

Her reflection in the glass showed a woman who’d never accepted no as a final answer.

If that doesn’t work,

Aurelia thought,

I’ll have to use some

force

.

****

A/N:

There we have her! Our first real female

antagonist!

Yes, we have Senithe, but that one is

a god.

Unlike Aurelia who’s clearly a human!