The mayor’s private office was bathed in the golden glow of expensive whiskey and dim chandeliers. Chairman Rond Voss, a silver-haired kingmaker with a taste for young admirers, lounged in his leather throne, his fingers tracing idle circles on the thigh of Elise Carter—a sharp-eyed, middle-ranked party leader with ambitions far beyond her title.
Across from them stood two senior party officials—Vice Chairman Graves and Treasurer Langford—both grizzled veterans of backroom deals. And beside them, looking decidedly out of pce, was Li Vane, a young grassroots activist with fire in her speeches but no real power… yet.
“This Hezri character,” Voss mused, swirling his champagne. “Six luxury units. Twenty years of taxes paid upfront. That’s not just money—that’s a statement.”
Graves grunted. “We need him on board. The election fund’s drier than a desert.”
Langford smirked. “So send someone to convince him.”
All eyes turned to Li.
She stiffened. “Me?”
“You’re young. Presentable.” Voss’s gaze flicked over her cheap bzer and worn heels. “And disposable, if this goes south.”
Elise’s fingers tightened on her gss.
Elise Carter’s penthouse was a testament to the duality of her existence—opulent yet sterile, like a gilded cage. Floor-to-ceiling windows showcased the city’s glittering skyline, while the half-empty champagne bottle on the table whispered of lonely victories. She poured two gsses of cognac, the amber liquid catching the light like liquid gold, and handed one to Li.
“Sit,” she commanded, her voice softer now than it had been in the chairman’s office, but no less sharp.
Li perched on the edge of the sofa, her fingers tightening around the gss. She was still in her work clothes—a modest blouse and scks, her activist’s badge pinned discreetly to her pel. The contrast between her and Elise, who lounged in a silk robe that cost more than Li’s monthly sary, was stark.
“You think you’re here because you’re ‘presentable’?” Elise scoffed, swirling her drink. “No. You’re here because you’re expendable.”
Li’s spine stiffened. “Then why are you helping me?”
Elise’s lips curled into a humorless smile. “Because I was you. Five years ago. Bright-eyed, believing in ‘change.’” She took a slow sip. “Look where it got me.”
She stood abruptly, letting her robe slip slightly off one shoulder, revealing a fading bruise near her colrbone. “See this? Chairman’s ‘appreciation’ for my loyalty st week.”
Li’s stomach turned.
“They’ll use you worse,” Elise continued, her voice lowering. “They’ll dangle promises—a promotion, a seat at the table—then grind you down until you’re just another toy they pass around.”
She leaned forward, her eyes burning with a mix of fury and desperation. “But Hezri? He’s different.”
Elise tapped her tablet, pulling up a meticulously compiled dossier on Hezri’s inner circle—six women, each elevated from obscurity to power under his patronage.
1. Maya Reynolds – The Marketer Turned Mogul
Former Role: Junior Marketing Associate at Bckstone Financial (a mid-level position, despite her Ivy League MBA).
Current Status: First owner of The Celestia. Resigned abruptly after Hezri paid her 250,000 severance penalty to Bckstone.
Rumor: Now manages a shadow investment portfolio under Hezri’s direction.
Key Insight: "She wasn’t a top performer. Hez didn’t pick her for her resume—he picked her for her hunger."
2. Lena Cho – The Silent Strategist
Former Role: Data Analyst at Bckstone (a background in statistical modeling, overlooked for promotions).
Current Status: Second owner of The Celestia. Walked out the same day as Maya after Hezri settled her 20,000 non-compete.
Rumor: Now leads a shell company handling Hezri’s offshore logistics.
Key Insight: "She was invisible at Bckstone. Now? She moves money like a ghost."
3. Alicia Voss – The Saleswoman Who Sold Herself
Former Role: Freence luxury car broker (struggling to break into elite clientele).
Current Status: Third owner of The Celestia. Hezri bought 3.8 million worth of supercars from her in a single deal—then offered her an apartment.
Rumor: Now his unofficial procurement liaison for high-end assets.
Key Insight: "He didn’t just buy cars. He bought her network."
4. Sara Croft – The Divorcee Who Became a Symbol
Former Role: Unknown (prior to her viral court case against her abusive tech-CEO ex-husband).
Current Status: Fourth owner of The Celestia. Hezri funded her legal battle, turning her into a public darling.
Rumor: Now oversees ‘phinthropic ventures’—with suspiciously fluid budgets.
Key Insight: "He didn’t save her out of kindness. He used her story to legitimize himself."
5. Dr. Lakyus – The Surgeon Who Skipped the Ladder
Former Role: Overworked resident at City General Hospital.
Current Status: Fifth owner of The Celestia. Now Chief of Operations—a position that usually takes 20 years to achieve.
Rumor: The hospital board "suddenly" received a 1 million donation before her promotion.
Key Insight: "He didn’t buy her a title. He bought her authority."
6. Renner – The Nurse Who Now Runs the Show
Former Role: ER nurse (well-liked but powerless).
Current Status: Sixth owner of The Celestia. Now General Manager of Nursing—a role never held by someone under 40.
Rumor: The nursing union mysteriously dropped its strike after a "anonymous" fund paid their demands.
Key Insight: "He doesn’t just give them money. He gives them control."
The Newest Recruit: Britney Ivanov
Former Role: Instagram-famous fitness trainer (popur but financially unstable).
Current Status: No Ferrari. No apartment. Just a 60,000 shopping spree and a vague role as his "personal trainer."
Key Insight: "He’s testing her. If he just wanted a mistress, she’d already have a penthouse."
She leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"This isn’t a harem. It’s a syndicate."
Hezri doesn’t collect women—he recruits them.
He doesn’t buy affection—he invests in leverage.
And if we py this right?" Elise’s smile turned vicious. "We won’t need those old men or their party.
Li’s hands trembled—not from fear, but from the terrifying realization:
She was being offered a pce in the game.
The dimly lit wine bar was a far cry from the sterile halls of the w firm. Elise sat between Li and her former junior, Sophie Cheung, a sharp-eyed junior attorney whose tailored bzer couldn’t hide her restless ambition. The ice in their gsses clinked as Elise leaned in, her voice a velvet bde.
“You helped Hezri and Sara Croft bury her ex-husband in court,” Elise said, swirling her pinot noir. “Now I need you to take me to him.”
Sophie stiffened. “Elise, I can’t just—that’s privileged. My firm would disbar me.”
Elise’s ugh was a whisper of smoke. “Oh, Sophie. You think I’d let you walk in empty-handed?”
She slid a mani envelope across the table. Inside: photos of Sophie’s senior partner at a brothel the firm had ‘accidentally’ defended in a zoning wsuit.
Sophie’s face paled.
“Rex,” Elise purred. “I’m not threatening you. I’m offering you a promotion.”
Elise’s nails tapped the envelope.
“Right now, you’re fetching coffee for partners who’ll never let you into their boys’ club. But Hezri?” Her smile turned feline. “He rewards useful women.”
She flicked her tablet screen to life—Maya’s penthouse. Lena’s offshore accounts. Sara’s public redemption.
“He doesn’t just give them money. He gives them power.”
Li, silent until now, finally spoke. “And what do we get?”
Elise’s gaze didn’t waver. “The same thing Sara got. A way out.”
She turned back to Sophie. “You’re pretty. Smart. And most importantly—” She tapped the envelope. “You know where the bodies are buried. That’s what Hezri buys.”
Sophie’s fingers trembled around her gss. “Even if I wanted to, I can’t just introduce you. Hezri doesn’t meet randoms.”
“Which is why you won’t be ‘introducing’,” Elise corrected. She slid a keycard across the table—the VIP access pass to Hezri’s hospital gym.
“Britney trains there daily. You? You’ll be the concerned junior attorney checking on Sara’s ‘pending paperwork.’” Her smile turned icy. “And once you’re in? You trip. Spill your wine. Let him see how… grateful you’d be for his help.”
Sophie’s breath hitched. “You want me to—?”
“I want you to survive,” Elise murmured. “The way I wish someone had taught me.”
