Chapter 3

Winston Hedge Fund headquarters, 48th floor, central Cleshire.

Outside, the Luxoria skyline stretched out, but my eyes were glued to the numbers.

Real-time trading data flashed across my iPad screen, green numbers cascading like a waterfall.

Over the past week, I'd dumped every asset I co-owned with the Carlyle family, shorted their three listed companies, and walked away with 100 million dollars in cash.

"Claire, the board meeting starts in ten minutes," Drake called from the doorway.

I looked up and flashed him a confident smile.

Today, I was rocking a black suit dress, tailored to slice through the air. My hair was slicked back into a low ponytail, and my lips blazed with "Queen Red" lipstick.

No sign of the Carlyle family's heirloom silver bracelet on my wrist. Just a Patek Philippe Celestial. I paid for it with my own cash.

"I'm ready," I said.

The boardroom was packed with the top dogs of the Winston pack. There were twelve seats, all Alphas, all men, average age fifty-five.

As I pushed the door open, the room went dead silent.

"Gentlemen," I said, striding to the head of the table, the spot Drake had reserved for me. "Thanks for being on time."

I hit the remote, and the screen behind me lit up.

I said, showing the chart, "Over the past five years, the Winston-Carlyle joint portfolio has averaged an annual return of 8.7%. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 came in at 12.1%, and the Nasdaq hit 15.3%."

A few of the directors shot each other uneasy looks.

I continued, flipping to the next slide. "And it gets worse. We've been chained to the Carlyle family's outdated real estate and energy projects, so we missed the whole tech wave. No AI, no crypto, didn't even touch biotech."

"Ms. Winston," the oldest director began. He was practically family, having watched me grow up. "The alliance brings territorial security and political influence. You can't judge it by returns alone..."

"I can," I interrupted him. My tone was steady, but there was no mistaking the finality in my words.

I said, pulling up the fresh numbers, "Last week, I called off the Moon-bound Contract on my own. Yesterday, our lawyers wrapped up the first round of asset splits. Wanna guess what happened next?"

The numbers on the screen flickered to life.

Winston clan's tech fund jumped 23% in the last five trading days.

That wolfpack biotech startup we secretly backed? Just scored clearance for a supernatural med, and the stock price doubled overnight.

Meanwhile, the Carlyle family's dusty old investments? After I dumped them, they were tanking.

"Security?" I flashed them a predator's grin. "Gentlemen, these days, the only real security is being faster, smarter, and more ruthless than your rivals."

I walked to the window, turning my back on them as I looked out over Luxoria.

I said, "When my father founded this empire, there were twelve wolf packs in Luxoria. Now, only six are left. Why? Because weak wolves get devoured."

I turned around, locking eyes with each person at the table.

"From this moment forward, the Winston pack answers to no one. No more political marriages, no more bending over 'for the family.' We're done with all that," I announced.

I pressed the final button.

The screen flashed with a scanned document. It was the fresh approval from the Elders, marked with a gold wax seal bearing a wolf's head.

I declared, "I'm Claire Winston, Alpha heir to the Winston pack. And I choose to run alone."

The room went dead silent for a long moment.

Drake started clapping first. Slow, powerful, like a pack leader recognizing a new alpha.

One by one, the rest of the directors stood up.

It wasn't about manners. It was just instinct, the wolf pack's urge to bow to real strength.

After the meeting, I was stopped in the hallway.

"Ms. Winston," Kyle called out.

He was half-hidden in the shadows, looking pale, with dark circles under his eyes. Clearly, he hadn't slept in days. His suit was rumpled, his tie crooked. I had never seen him like this before.

"Kyle," I said, nodding in a businesslike way. "Is there something you need?"

He opened his mouth, his voice rough. "Claire, can we... talk in private? These terms are brutal. You're going to ruin my family..."

I cut him off. "Correction. You did that yourself. When you humiliated me in front of the pack, when you slept with Anna in Suite 0726, when you took my love for granted."

I took a step forward, the click of my heels echoing down the empty hallway.

I said, "Want to know what's really ironic, Kyle? I could've been your biggest asset. I could've put the Carlyle family ahead of every competitor in just ten years."