Chapter 9 - The New Empire
Six months passed.
The Reed Group was gone,
its assets absorbed into Harrell International.
Spencer Reed had disappeared from the public eye.
The last anyone heard,
he was working a mid-level sales job in a city where no one knew his name.
Paisley Dawson had moved back to her hometown,
living in obscurity.
I was sitting in my new office on the 50th floor of the Harrell Tower.
The midnight silk dress was framed on the wall behind me.
A reminder of the night I took back my name.
My father walked in,
carrying a leather-bound folder.
"The shelter is finished,
Phoebe,"
he said,
his eyes shining with pride.
"We’re opening the doors tomorrow."
"Thank you,
Dad,"
I said,
standing up to hug him.
"For everything."
"I didn't do anything,"
he said,
shaking his head.
"You were the one who kept that SIM card for three years."
"You were the one who made the call."
"I just provided the ride."
I looked out the window at the skyline.
The lights were glowing,
just like they had the night of the gala.
But this time,
I wasn't looking at them from the outside.
I was part of the light.
I picked up my pen and signed the final papers for the shelter.
Phoebe Harrell.
It felt right.
It felt permanent.
I had learned that you can't force someone to love you.
May you like
But you can force them to respect you.
And you can certainly ensure they never forget you.
