The press release hit inboxes at 7:00 a.m. sharp.
"GNV Tech Appoints New COO: Former Whistleblower Turned Executive, Elise Monroe."
It was the name that did it.
The name no one expected.
Elise Monroe had once nearly brought down a major competitor with a whistleblower report that exposed internal corruption. She was brilliant, sharp, and had disappeared from the public eye after winning a bitter legal settlement. Most assumed she'd been blackballed. No one imagined she'd re-emerge—and certainly not at GNV.
But Anita had been watching.
Boardrooms buzzed. Phones lit up. Marcus's allies scrambled to interpret the signal.
Some called it madness—bringing in a controversial figure with a reputation for disruption.
Others, the smarter ones, saw it for what it was: a checkmate piece quietly moved into position.
Elise arrived at GNV headquarters later that morning.
No fanfare. Just a sleek black coat and a sharp gaze that missed nothing.
Anita greeted her personally, the two women exchanging no more than a single nod in front of flashing cameras. The message was clear:
This wasn't a compromise. This was a declaration.
One by one, the old power players—those still clinging to Marcus's ghost—began to sweat.
Because Elise Monroe didn't play nice.
And now, she answered only to Anita George.
In a quiet corner of the city, Marcus stared at the announcement on his phone.
He knew Elise. Had tried once to recruit her, years ago. She turned him down without blinking.
Now she stood beside Anita.
He crushed the tumbler in his hand.
The board was shifting.
And he was running out of pieces.