Chapter 61
Chapter 61: The Gathering Storm in Manhattan
By the spring of 2042, Anna had returned from her global tour, her firm now recognized as one of the top five independent architectural consultants in North America. She had purchased a beautiful, historic brownstone in Brooklyn, converting the lower floors into a state-of-the-art design laboratory.
I took a train up to New York to visit her. As we walked through the bustling, light-filled studio space, I noticed a large, covered model in the center of the main presentation room.
"What's this, sweetie?" I asked, pointing to the canvas drape.
Anna smiled, her eyes flashing with that familiar, fierce determination I had seen in her since she was nineteen. "That, Mom, is my bid for the new Manhattan Arts and Environmental Pavilion on the Hudson River. It’s a hundred-million-dollar municipal project. If we win this, our firm will be permanently cemented in the history of the city skyline."
"Who is your main competition?" I asked, looking at the structural sketches on the walls.
Anna’s smile faded slightly, replaced by a cool, professional mask. "A conglomerate called Vanguard Development. And guess who their chief legal counsel is?"
I arched an eyebrow. "Tell me."
May you like
"Elena Thorne," Anna revealed. "Marcus Thorne’s daughter. She left her father’s firm five years ago to go corporate. She’s sharp, she’s ruthless, and she knows every single legal strategy Marcus used to protect us. It’s going to be a total boardroom war."
I laughed softly, leaning against the presentation table. "Well, then it’s a good thing you were raised by a woman who knows exactly how to fight a war."
