Chapter 19: The Acquisition of Carter Tower
At 2 PM, the High Court Judicial Auction Room was filled with real estate moguls and journalists.
The centerpiece of the auction was Carter Tower, a 40-story skyscraper in the heart of the fashion district, valued at one hundred and twenty million dollars.
The auctioneer cleared his throat and raised his gavel. “Starting bid for Carter Tower is fifty million dollars! Do I hear fifty-five?”
“Fifty-five million!” a local property developer called out.
“Sixty million!” another voice added.
Lucas Vance raised his paddle calmly. “One hundred million dollars.”
The entire room went quiet. The price jumped by forty million in a single bid! No one dared to compete against the overwhelming financial power of Sinclair Consortium.
“One hundred million dollars once… twice… SOLD to Sinclair Consortium!” The auctioneer slammed his gavel.
Outside the court, news spread rapidly: Carter Tower officially bought by Sinclair Consortium!
In his jail cell, Ethan saw the news on the small television in the hallway. Tears of bitter regret streamed down his face.
The building he had once dreamed of naming after himself was now under Natalie’s complete control. Everything he had strived for, everything he had built on the backs of lies and betrayal, had returned to the rightful owner who gave it to him in the first place.
Three months later, Ethan was released on bail pending his final trial due to a medical condition.
He was penniless, homeless, and wearing torn clothes. He walked through the rainy city streets until he found himself standing in front of the newly renovated Sinclair Charity Center—formerly Carter Tower.
He saw Natalie stepping out of a golden limousine, flanked by reporters and international dignitaries.
Suggested stories
Thomas “Tom” Miller (48), a master bespoke tailor in historic downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania, spent three grueling months hand-stitching an exquisite silk-wool bridal suit and cathedral ensemble for his stepdaughter, Sabrina (23). Tom raised Sabrina as his own flesh and blood since she was one yea…
Read storyIn the affluent enclave of Greenwich, Connecticut, widower Arthur Vance—CEO of Vance Precision Industries—fights to keep his household together following the tragic death of his wife Clara eighteen months ago. In his grief and demanding executive schedule, Arthur married Elena, an elegant society fi…
Read story“If You’re So Smart, Then Translate It!” — The Mafia Boss Mocked the Waitress, Then Froze in Shock.Lydia Hart is a 24-year-old computational linguistics doctoral candidate at Columbia University, secretly moonlighting as a VIP waitress at The Obsidian—an unmarked elite underground supper club in Man…
Read storyReed Ashford, thirty-eight, is the undisputed sovereign of the Ashford syndicate, controlling the ports, shipping corridors, and luxury nightlife of the Eastern Seaboard. Feared for his icy calm and absolute authority, Reed has never raised his voice in fifteen years of rule. But behind fortified wa…
Read storyTwo years after clawing her way out of an emotionally abusive, financially controlling marriage to mid-level commercial developer Nathan Brooks, thirty-two-year-old Vivienne Vance has rebuilt her dignity from scratch. Operating Vance Studio, a boutique architectural interior design firm in Chicago’s…
Read storyKendrick Ashford (36) is the undisputed Don of the East Coast Ashford Syndicate and CEO of Ashford Global Enterprises. Feared for his cold lethality and iron-fisted rule, Kendrick lives only for his five-year-old daughter, Penny, who has remained completely mute since witnessing the brutal assassina…
Read story