The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse, illuminating a different world.
On the television, a news anchor announced the breaking story: *”In a shocking turn of events, industry titan Arthur Sterling has announced his immediate retirement from Sterling Global due to unforeseen health reasons.”*
William turned off the TV. He sat on the sofa where Victoria was feeding Leo. The tension that had defined their lives for months had evaporated, leaving behind a profound sense of peace.
“He’s gone,” William said, still processing the victory. “He’s actually gone.”
“And Leo turns one in two weeks,” Victoria said, smiling down at their son. “We missed his first months fighting a war, William. I don’t want to spend his birthday in a boardroom.”
William looked at the calendar on his phone. He looked at the endless list of meetings and victory laps he was expected to take. He deleted them all.
“Let’s go away,” William suggested, his eyes lighting up. “Just us. Somewhere with no cell service. Somewhere quiet.”
“The Swiss Alps?” Victoria suggested, remembering a brochure Marcus Thorne had sent them. “Snow, fireplaces, and silence.”
“Perfect,” William agreed, kissing her. “We leave tomorrow.”
They began to pack, dreaming of snow-capped peaks and happy memories, unaware that the mountain they were running toward held a danger far greater than Arthur Sterling ever did.