Part 16
The private Gulfstream cut through the Atlantic clouds like a silver blade.
Below us, the ocean was a turbulent mass of grey and white, mirroring the thoughts inside my head.
I looked down at the documents laid out across the leather table in the cabin.
Alistair Sterling had been a silent partner in several of my father's early ventures in the late nineties.
But according to the deep-archive files Marcus dug up, they had a falling out over a massive lithium deposit in South America.
My father wanted to build schools and sustainable infrastructure for the local workers.
Alistair wanted to exploit the land and use private military corporations to suppress any resistance.
My father won the legal battle, forcing Alistair out of the consortium and humiliating him globally.
Alistair had waited twenty years for his revenge, using Thomas as a trojan horse to destroy the Vale bloodline from within.
"We land in Heathrow in forty minutes," Marcus said, walking into the main cabin from the cockpit.
"Sterling's security detail has already tracked our flight path. They know we're coming."
"Good," I said, not looking up from the financial charts. "I want him to watch me approach."
"Are you sure about this, Victoria? He operates on a level of ruthlessness that makes Thomas look like an amateur."
"Thomas was a coward who hid behind lawyers and fake names," I said, finally looking up at Marcus.
"Alistair Sterling is an apex predator, yes. But apex predators get old. They get complacent."
"He thinks because he's a billionaire ten times over, he is untouchable."
"He forgets that I have absolutely nothing left to lose except my children's future."
"And a mother protecting her cubs is the most lethal thing on this planet."
The plane tilted slightly as it began its descent into the London fog.
I reached into my purse and pulled out the small silver rattle that had been left in my lobby.
I rolled it between my fingers, feeling the cold weight of the metal.
May you like
Alistair thought this was an intimidation tactic.
To me, it was an invitation to a execution.
