Victory

Victory, they say, spoke less about success and more about the lengths we were willing to go along the way. Or whatever character-shaping nonsense philosophers tried to peddle.

Warnings like that never stopped the most greedy and ambitious of us, and I learned to live with the choices I once swore I'd never do. I mean, how could I feel guilty when I sat reclined in my new executive leather office chair, smiling down at the cityscape? It felt like I'd just become the official overseer of Chicago.

Hard work pays off, alright. It wasn't easy blackmailing and sabotaging my competition to get here. Poor bastards. I imagined they were off recovering from their wounded egos with expensive liquor and pretty, young secretaries. I'd do the same in a few hours, but rather than sulking from my loss, I'd be shamelessly celebrating my victory.

A chuckle rumbled from my chest. It sounded sinister, even to my ears. What my enemies failed to recognize was the extent I'd go for revenge. Their dirty tricks looked like friendly competition compared to my filthy tactics.

The way I saw it, their misfortunes were scarcely my fault. They engineered their own demises by having too many weaknesses. I refused to have such vulnerabilities. That included playing by their rules. Only the honorable respected the steps. I wasn't so honorable, and I didn't pretend otherwise.

Lifting my wrist, I checked the time. The golden arms on the luxury Richard Mills watch read a quarter 'til nine. Fifteen minutes until my first board meeting.

Anticipation lit up my blood. I stood from my seat and began to pace, needing to burn off the energy. Was I sweating?

Shit.

I pressed a button on my desk phone to page my assistant.

"Hey, boss. How're you enjoying the view up there? Should I fetch you some sunglasses?" Harper teased.

"It could be a bit higher, but I'm satisfied for now." My desired reaction was reached when she snorted. "Actually, can you turn the thermostat down a notch? I'm burning up in here." I fought the urge to roll my sleeves. One wrinkle could ruin the meticulously controlled, stoic image I carried.

"Why am I not surprised? You're so close to the sun I doubt air conditioning is making a difference." I swear I could hear her shaking her head on the other end of the line. "I adjusted it to sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit. If it's still too warm, let me know, and I'll set it to arctic temperatures."

Now it was my turn to shake my head. Most CEOs preferred boring, docile assistants who blended into the wallpaper, which was why I valued Harper. Her laid-back, casual demeanor fooled many into underestimating her, and I watched them get steamrolled every single time. It made me respect the hell out of her. If there was anyone who earned the right to call me out on my bullshit, it was Harper.

"Thank you, Harper."

"You got it, boss. Oh, and Kal? Don't forget the big meeting in thirteen minutes."

I smiled, all teeth. "I remember."

She huffed a laugh. "Right. You've been fantasizing about this moment for the past decade."

"We both have."

She fell silent on the other end, and I prayed she wasn't backing out at the last minute. Not when the devil was smiling up at us as he waited to welcome us to hell from all the awful things we did to get here.

Harper sniffed, and I heard a shuffling of paper in the background. "Those smug bastards aren't ready for the reckoning that's about to tear their comfortable little worlds apart. I'll be there in five with the documents you asked me to prepare."

My eyes fell shut. Bitter satisfaction bloomed as I once again pictured this empire in ruins-every brick ripped out by my own hands. I saw the faces of these cowards, the liars who buried the truth about the nuclear power plant disaster that slaughtered thousands, Harper and my parents among them. The desire to make them pay had rooted itself so deep, it was all I could feel.

I returned to surveying the landscape as I waited for Harper. The sun above me was so bright I thought it’d burn the city to ash. Funny how Harper and I always seemed to resort to the same metaphor of hellfire and incineration. Our pasts had been so full of it, it was hard to escape the association.

By the time Harper arrived, I was so full of raging fire, I could barely focus on her.

“I’ll tell him,” she said, and it wasn’t until she hung up that I realized she was on the phone. “Bad news,” she began, a dark look on her porcelain face. “Davis got wind of what we are doing and is trying to pull some strings with the media.”

That bastard. He was the one I wanted to see suffer the most. Luckily, I anticipated this to happen and had a contingency plan in place.

I withdrew my cell phone from my pocket. Without needing to ask, Harper took that cue to also make some calls.

“What now, Kal?” the voice on the other end of the line asked. Rose did not sound happy to hear from me. Understandable. I did threaten to expose her secret affairs she had with her young interns if she didn’t cooperate with me. For an executive of her stature, she was quite the loose cannon.

“I heard Davis is trying to buy your silence.”

She grumbled something inaudible—probably about firing her newest intern—and sighed loudly. “Maybe he did. Maybe I should take it, since it’s either an early retirement or you holding this over my head for the rest of my life.”

Fuck. I wasn’t expecting that.

I glanced at the file tucked under Harper’s arm. It was a gamble to do this, but it was all I could think of at the moment. “Come on, Rose. Don't conspire with Davis. Aren't you sickened by him and everyone else involved in the plant’s scandal? If you run this, not only will you attract viewers, but you’ll also be the face of justice for the victims.”

“It’ll also make me a target,” she countered, but it lacked conviction. She was already coming around, at least for now. “You don’t need to worry. I wasn’t about to take his dirty money. Believe it or not, I do have a conscience.”

I didn’t believe it. The only reason she agreed was because I guilt-tripped her into a corner. The chance to look like a hero likely sweetened the deal too. People like Rose and Davis were the reason I had to toss my morals and get my hands dirty. It was play their corruption game or become another casualty.

“Just remember, if you don’t do this, both your and the nuclear cover-up stories will be sent to another news network, and your career will be over.” I hung up and turned to Harper who was finishing typing out a quick message.

"Time to go." She took one look at me and rolled her eyes. “Tone down the fire a bit, or they’ll know something's up.”

I shrugged and reached for my navy suit jacket. “What does it matter now? They can't stop us.” I nodded to the file in her hands. “The proof of their crime and complicities is right there, and in an hour, the world will know.” Whether Rose complies or not.

Harper tilted her head as if to say ‘that’s true’, and pointed to my collar. “Your tie is crooked.”

Wordlessly, I straightened it. I hated the thing. It felt like a costume—a symbol of the person I needed to be to slither into their elitist circle.

Harper stepped aside, gesturing to the elevator. “Ready?”

Eyes ahead, I nodded. “Let’s go.”

She fell into step beside me, her long legs striding swiftly as mine despite her grey pencil skirt.

I pressed the button for the conference room and the doors slid closed. When we reached our floor, Harper’s phone chimed. She glanced down and pressed her lips together. “Davis slipped past security and left the building.”

I didn’t slow my gait. “Let him run. He can’t escape his fate.”

She grinned at me as we stopped just outside the conference room. “I wish I brought popcorn. This showdown will be better than any Hollywood blockbuster.”

I returned her conniving smile. Years I had waited for this. Now, vengeance was finally here. Real, undeniable, and mine.

What was that old proverb about revenge—that it was best served cold? Well, tonight, I was going to serve mine hot. While they choked on their own poison, I’d enjoy the sweet taste of victory.

Because, victory, they say, spoke less about success and more about the lengths we were willing to go along the way.