When Four Billionaires Pretended to Be Poor Together Chapter 09

When Four Billionaires Pretended to Be Poor Together Chapter 09 Checkmate, Kieran

Kieran had been planting his people inside the Windsor empire in secret, swallowing it piece by piece.

Alistair trusted him so completely that he even handed over the company’s financial reins.

Three months later, Kieran turned Alistair in to the authorities, armed with every shred of evidence-embezzlement, illegal asset transfers, money funneled to his illegitimate son.

Alistair was removed from office on the spot, and Kieran came out the biggest winner.

He took over the Windsor estate and stood at the top floor, looking at me.

“See? All of North Amxrica will be ours.”

I leaned against his chest and smiled.

“I knew you would.”

He had no idea that every piece of evidence used to bring Alistair down had come from me.

Anonymous. Clean. Untraceable.

And the thing he really never saw coming? Izzy and I had already woven the net around the three of them.

That night, I sent each of them the same message.

Same place. Same time. A warehouse outside the city.

They all pulled up at once.

And the second they saw each other, they froze.

Kieran was just about to pull out his phone to call me when every light in the warehouse blazed on.

Izzy and I stood side by side on the second-floor platform above them.

“Don’t bother,” I said. “I’m right here.”

Panic flashed across Kieran’s face.

“Sierra… what is this?”

“It means your game is over.”

Izzy hit the button on the remote.

The giant screen behind us lit up, and the evidence rolled.

One file after another.

Embezzlement.

Insider trading.

Videos that they had forced Izzy into an abortion.

Proof that they had framed Alistair.

“You knew?” Kieran’s face went white.

“I knew from the day you forced me to marry you,” I said lightly. “Taking a bullet for you? That was just step one. I needed your trust.”

Valerie let out a shrill scream and tried to run.

The warehouse doors burst open.

Dozens of police officers stormed in, guns raised, all aimed at the three of them.

“Kieran Hawthorne, Julian Hawthorne, Valerie Cullen-you are under arrest for multiple financial crimes, aggravated assault, and criminal solicitation.”

Julian collapsed right onto the floor.

Valerie was slammed face-down in seconds.

But Kieran-

Kieran just kept staring at me.

His eyes were burning with rage. And something worse.

“You had everything. I treated you well. I made you Mrs. Hawthorne. I gave you a way world. Why would you do this to me?”

into my

I laughed.

Cold.

Sharp.

“Treated me well?”

My voice wasn’t loud.

It didn’t need to be.

“That ‘way into your world’ you’re so proud of? It was nothing but a title. A leash. A handout. Men like you always think you’re the prize. Like women are supposed to sit around waiting to be chosen. Like we’re nothing without you. And yet-after all your schemes, all your little games-you still lost. To two women. What you owe to me, to Izzy, and to that unborn child— you pay up tonight.”

They were dragged away screaming, their voices fading into the dark.

A week later, the verdict came down.

The Hawthorne brothers received life in prison.

Valerie got twenty years.

Alistair was sentenced to ten years for embezzlement, and every asset in his name was seized.

In the name of the Astor family, I acquired everything that was left of the Hawthorne Group.

Izzy and I stood at the top of the Hawthorne tower, looking down at the city below.

“It’s over,” Izzy said.

“Yeah.” I took her hand and held it tight. “From now on, we decide what our lives look like.”