I smiled.

It wasn’t a broad, theatrical smile. It was small, precise. The same expression I wear when I sign off on acquiring a company that underestimated its competition.

Victoria kept talking. Something about “people like me” and “ambition beyond her years.” I was barely listening. The wind stirred her perfectly styled hair, but her confidence was beginning to crack. Richard wasn’t laughing anymore.

He was too busy trying to remember exactly which clauses he’d signed when he refinanced his wife’s yacht, her house in Coral Gables, and her loss-making chain of boutiques.

Liam, on the other hand, finally looked at me.

Not with love.
With discomfort.

That confirmed my decision was right.

I picked up my phone and pressed the button.

In the distance, the sound of a siren sliced ​​through the afternoon like a knife through glass.

First faint.

Then unmistakable.

Everyone turned their heads toward the water.

A police boat approached purposefully, cutting through the waves. Behind it, another, more discreet but elegant vessel—pearl gray, corporate flag waving from the stern—lined up alongside the yacht.

Silence fell like an anchor.

Richard stepped forward. “What the hell is this?”

The police boat secured its position. Two officers watched with neutral expressions. They weren’t there for a violent arrest. They were there to maintain order.

Then he climbed aboard.

Impeccable navy suit. Italian leather briefcase. Upright posture.

The Bank’s General Counsel.

He took the megaphone.

And looked directly at me.

“Madam President,” he announced in a firm voice that seemed to resonate above the water, “the foreclosure documents are ready for your signature.”

Victoria paled.

“President…?” she murmured.

Richard blinked several times, as if his brain refused to process the information.

Liam slowly lowered his sunglasses.

I took a step toward the center of the deck, ignoring the still-sticky Martini stain on my dress.

“Thank you, Eduardo,” I replied calmly. “Does it include the marine asset and the primary residence?”

“Yes, ma’am. And the cross-guarantees on the boutiques and the family trust fund.”