The Woman Who Chose the Crown Five years earlier, if someone had told Lucas Bennett that the woman he loved would one day destroy him, he would have laughed.

The Apex glittered like a diamond spear against the night sky. The penthouse was filled with Chicago's elite, sipping champagne and waiting for the midnight bell that would signal the dawn of the IPO.

Elias slipped through the service elevator, wearing a tailored black suit that made him look like just another wealthy investor. The adrenaline pumped through his veins like battery acid. He bypassed the main gala, slipping into the stairwell and descending two floors to the server hub.

His hands moved quickly. He plugged a decrypted flash drive into the mainframe, uploading a dead-man’s switch designed by Marcus. At exactly midnight, every major news outlet, every Wall Street terminal, and the SEC would receive Clara’s emails, the true blueprints, and the safety hazard reports.

As the upload hit 100%, Elias heard a click behind him.

"I told security I saw a ghost walk past the champagne fountain," a voice said.

Elias turned. Clara stood in the doorway, wearing a stunning, backless crimson gown. She looked like a queen. But her eyes were wide with a mixture of shock and suppressed panic.