The next few days felt like a whirlwind to Maddox. He moved through his routine like a man on autopilot, his mind constantly occupied by the volatile mix of emotions Cambria had stirred in him and the ominous weight of his brother's proposition. The empire was slipping through his fingers, and no matter how many calls he made or how many deals he brokered, the cracks were becoming too wide to ignore.
Maddox had been running on empty for too long, and his resolve was beginning to falter. He had tried so hard to keep everything intact, to hold on to the reigns of his life and his empire, but it was becoming clear that his grip was slipping. His obsession with control had cost him too much. And now, with Cambria's departure still fresh in his mind, he wasn't sure how much more he could endure.
He couldn't sleep. When he did, his dreams were haunted by images of Cambria her face, her eyes filled with both anger and sadness. He could still hear her voice, accusing him of destroying everything, of never truly seeing her. It ate at him, gnawing at his conscience until he couldn't escape it.
But he couldn't afford to break down. Not now.
"Mr. Raye," Lily's voice interrupted his thoughts as she entered his office, her expression tight. "There's someone here to see you. I told them you weren't available, but they insisted it was urgent."
Maddox straightened in his chair, irritation bubbling under the surface. "Who is it?"
Lily hesitated for a moment, then spoke in a quieter voice. "It's... Cambria's sister, Elara Vale."
Maddox's heart skipped a beat. Elara? He hadn't expected this. His first instinct was to refuse the meeting. He wasn't sure what Elara could want from him, but the last thing he needed was another complication. But something about her sudden appearance made him pause.
"Send her in," he said, the words reluctantly leaving his lips.
A moment later, the door opened, and in stepped Elara Vale. She was everything Cambria wasn't sharp, unapologetically bold, and unapologetically confident. The tension in her posture suggested she was no stranger to confrontation. She walked into the room like she owned the place, her dark eyes scanning the space with a level of cool detachment.
"Mr. Raye," she said, her voice laced with both authority and a quiet sense of warning. "We need to talk."
Maddox raised an eyebrow but gestured to the chair opposite his desk. "Please, have a seat."
Elara didn't sit. Instead, she crossed her arms and leaned against the desk, her gaze fixed on him, calculating. "You've made a mess of things. You know that, don't you?"
Maddox's jaw tightened, but he didn't respond right away. He had expected this: someone to come and deliver the truth to him in a way he couldn't ignore.
"I didn't come here to rehash the past," Elara continued, her eyes never leaving his. "Cambria may have walked away, but I know her better than anyone. She's not the type to disappear without a reason. She never would have left if she didn't think you were beyond saving."
Maddox felt a pang of guilt at the mention of Cambria's name. The ache in his chest intensified. "I didn't mean to hurt her," he said, his voice more strained than he had intended.
"No, you didn't," Elara replied, her voice a little softer, though her gaze never wavered. "But you did. And she hasn't forgotten that. Neither have I. You think you can just fix everything with a few apologies and a change of heart, but that's not how it works. Cambria isn't some pawn you can move around when it suits you."
Maddox swallowed hard. "I know that. Believe me, I know. But I've spent the last three years regretting what I did to her. I never wanted to hurt her. She was the only thing that mattered to me."
Elara's eyes softened for a brief moment, but she quickly masked it with her usual hardness. "You had your chance, Maddox. Now you'll have to live with the consequences."
He opened his mouth to speak, but Elara raised a hand, stopping him. "I'm not here to lecture you. I'm here because you need my help."
Maddox blinked, confused. "Your help?"
"Yes," she said, her voice steady now. "I know the people you've been dealing with. I know how this game is played. And I know how to win it."
She straightened up, her gaze locking with his. "You've been losing, Maddox. Your empire's crumbling, and you have no idea how to stop it. The investors are pulling out, the media's already circling, and soon, your name won't be worth anything. But I can help you. I can give you the leverage you need to take back control."
Maddox's mind raced, processing everything she was saying. It felt like another trap, another manipulation. But there was no denying that Elara was a force in her own right. She had built herself up from nothing, and she knew how to make powerful enemies bend to her will.
"I'm listening," Maddox said, his voice low, the weight of everything pressing on him.
Elara uncrossed her arms and took a step forward, her expression now one of resolve. "You've been fighting the wrong battles, Maddox. You've been focused on protecting your reputation and your legacy, but that's not what will save you. You need to strike at the heart of your enemies, and you need to do it before they have a chance to destroy you."
Maddox nodded slowly. "You think you can help me take down Victor?"
Elara's lips curled into a small smile. "Victor's just the beginning. We can use him, Maddox. He's a pawn in a much larger game. But you've been blind to it all this time."
"What game are you talking about?" Maddox asked, his mind reeling.
Elara leaned in, her voice lowering as she spoke. "There are people behind Victor people with more power than you could ever imagine. They've been pulling the strings for years. And you've been too caught up in your own world to notice."
Maddox's heart skipped a beat as the gravity of her words sank in. People behind Victor? It was all starting to make sense, but not in the way he had hoped.
"I'm offering you a way out," Elara continued. "I'll help you take down those who are truly responsible for the mess you're in. But you need to make a choice, Maddox. You can continue to play their game, pretending you're still in control, or you can fight back. But you'll need me. And you'll need to trust me."
Maddox's pulse quickened. He had never trusted anyone fully. Not even Cambria. But Elara was right. If he didn't act now, he would lose everything.
His eyes met hers, and for the first time in a long while, Maddox felt the weight of the decisions before him. The path was unclear, and the risks were greater than he could imagine, but one thing was certain: he had no other choice.
"I'll do it," he said, his voice firm. "Let's take them down."
Elara's eyes glittered with something cold and dangerous. "Good. Now, let's see how far you're willing to go to get what's yours."
As Maddox looked at her, he knew that his journey back to the top would not be easy. It would be dangerous, treacherous, and filled with more betrayal than he could ever have anticipated.
But he was ready. He had to be.
The battle for everything he had lost was only just beginning.