The Project Zephyr vest had been my insurance policy, a testament to my own ingenuity. Developed in secret by my company, it was meant to be a last-resort safety measure for first responders. Its existence was a closely guarded secret, hidden within the labyrinth of my research division, its true capabilities known only to a select few. My gut told me to wear it that day, and my instincts had paid off.
As I approached Jonathan, his eyes widened in disbelief, his brain struggling to comprehend the impossible. He stammered incoherently, the color draining from his face as the realization hit him. His carefully constructed facade was unraveling, and there was no safety net to catch him.
“Victoria…” he began, but the words faltered and died in his throat. There was nothing he could say to fix what he had done.
“Surprised to see me, Jonathan?” I asked, my voice echoing across the tarmac like a judge’s gavel. The FBI agents moved forward, closing in on him as he stumbled backward, caught in his own trap.
“This is over,” I continued, my eyes meeting his with a gaze as sharp as daggers. “You thought you could erase me, steal everything I’ve built, but you underestimated me. You’ve always underestimated me.”
The FBI agents read Jonathan his rights as they handcuffed him, the metallic click resonating in the silence that followed. I watched as they led him away, his protests growing fainter with each step.
In that moment, I wasn’t just the “Tech Queen” of Miami. I was a force to be reckoned with, a woman who had faced the darkness and emerged victorious. My unborn child gave a reassuring kick, as if to remind me of the life and legacy still to be protected and cherished.
As the helicopter blades wound down, I took a deep breath and looked up at the vast sky, now dotted with stars. I had fallen from great heights but had soared above betrayal and deceit. The empire I had built was safe, and my future was still mine to command.
The night was no longer a threat. It was a canvas, and I was ready to paint a new chapter, one brushstroke at a time.