Chapter 5 - The Unmasking
Arthur swallowed hard, his chest heaving as the distant sirens of complete financial and legal catastrophe echoed in his mind. The vast empire he had built on fraud, land grabs, and forced bankruptcies—the offshore accounts in Liechtenstein, the shell corporations holding their estate titles, the bribery ledgers—was being wiped out line by line by an automated short-selling assault and federal freeze orders initiated the second Victoria gave her verbal command.
He lunged forward a step, his voice cracking into a desperate, raspy demand as he tried to comprehend the identity of the person standing before him:
"What did you just do?"
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Victoria did not flinch or draw back. She turned her head slowly, her movement smooth and deliberate, allowing the warm, golden light of the crystal chandelier to catch the full profile of her face. The three bright red welts on her left cheek stood out like a medal of honor against her white dress. She met his terrified, bloodshot eyes with an unbothered, lethal confidence, a cold smile spreading across her face:
"You want to know who I am? You're about to find out."
