Chapter 8 - The Empire Reclaimed
Six months later.
The morning sun broke over Lake Michigan, casting a golden light across the polished concrete floor of the penthouse office on the top floor of the North Michigan Avenue tower.
The heavy portrait of Darius Holt was gone. In its place was a breathtaking, massive abstract canvas of navy blue and gold. The brass plaque on the front door had been replaced. It no longer read Holt Table.
It read Benton Tech.
Noel sat behind the wide, minimalist desk, reading the final printed copy of the Wall Street Journal. On the front page was a photo of Darius entering the Cook County Criminal Courthouse, wearing an orange jumpsuit. The headline read: Former Tech CEO Sentenced to 8 Years for Corporate Fraud; Founder Noel Benton Takes Reins in Landmark Rebrand.
Under Noel’s leadership, Benton Tech had secured a new seventy-million-dollar funding round led by Apex Capital. The company’s value had doubled, and every single employee from the old company had been retained with increased equity shares. Leila Morgan had struck a plea bargain, avoiding jail time in exchange for full cooperation, and had quietly left the tech industry forever.
A soft knock sounded at the office door. Noel looked up to see her assistant holding a steaming white porcelain mug.
“Your morning tea, Ms. Benton,” the assistant said with a warm smile, setting the cup on the desk. “And your 9:00 AM meeting with the international expansion team is ready in the conference room.”
“Thank you, Sarah,” Noel said.
May you like
Noel picked up the porcelain cup. She walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and looked out over the sprawling, vibrant cityscape of Chicago. The sky was bright, clear, and endless.
She took a slow, warm sip of her tea, touched the tiny, almost invisible scar on her bottom lip, and smiled. She was no longer saving someone else's evening. She was leading her own life.
