Chapter 16 - Building an Empire
With the Vance chapter officially closed, Seraphina threw herself into the Sterling Sovereign Fund. Under her grandfather's guidance, she rapidly expanded their holdings into green tech and sustainable architecture, actively tearing down the environmentally toxic developments Julian had championed.
The media dubbed her the "Iron Heiress." She was feared in the boardroom and revered in public.
One evening, at a charity auction she was hosting, a handsome tech billionaire named Elias Thorne approached her. He had been trying to get her attention for weeks, proposing a joint venture in renewable energy.
"Ms. Sterling," Elias smiled, offering her a glass of champagne. "You're a difficult woman to corner."
"I don't like being cornered, Mr. Thorne," Seraphina replied, accepting the glass but not drinking.
"Fair enough. I heard about the Vance estate conversion. A women’s scholarship foundation. Brilliant PR, but also remarkably generous."
Seraphina looked at the swirling bubbles in her glass. "It wasn't for PR. It was an extermination. I needed to sanitize the property of its previous toxicity."
Elias laughed, a genuine, warm sound. "Brutal. I like it. Perhaps we could discuss the solar initiative over dinner? No hidden agendas. Just two sharks swimming in the same tank."
Seraphina looked at him. He was charming, intelligent, and most importantly, self-made. He didn't rely on inherited arrogance.
May you like
"Have your assistant call mine, Elias. We'll see."
As he walked away, Seraphina felt a faint spark of something she hadn't felt in years. Curiosity. The ice around her heart was beginning to thaw.
