System S.E.X. (Seduction, Expansion, eXecution)

Chapter 108: Chapter 108: The Price of Silence

Lena Rossi set down a thick dossier, a look of grim satisfaction on her sharp features. ”I know exactly why your ex-husband, Henderson, was so obsessed with those properties. He wasn’t just hiding them from you; he was sitting on a ticking gold mine.”

Cassandra, still processing the sheer magnitude of the financial secrets Henderson had kept, looked up sharply. ”Why? What was his endgame?”

Lena leaned forward, her voice dropping conspiratorially. ”It all comes down to a single entity: a corporate giant named ’Olympus Development Group’ (ODG). Not just a construction company, but a full-scale real estate leviathan.”

She spread out a detailed map of the metropolitan area, focusing on a massive, undervalued zone that stretched from the outer edge of Cambridge toward the industrial docklands—a prime area for expansion.

”Olympus Development has been planning a massive, large-scale revitalization project. Think hundreds of luxury apartments, not just 100 like Celestial Gardens, but massive residential towers ranging from $1 million to $10 million, with a few ultra-exclusive penthouses between $35 million and $100 million. Plus, a huge, high-end commercial center,” Lena explained, her finger tracing the boundary.

”According to my sources, ODG owns 85% of the zone already, based on public records. But they’re stuck. They haven’t been able to advance in the last 15%. This 15% is the key.”

Lena chuckled, a cold, hard sound. ”The official reason for the delay is ’permit review,’ but an unofficial source—a deep dive into the state regulatory body—told me the truth: ODG had a severe conflict with some highly placed local politicians. In retaliation, these politicians are essentially freezing their permits, pressing ODG to hemorrhage money until they concede or fail.”

Cassandra looked bewildered. ”But what does Henderson have to do with government feuds?”

Lena smiled wryly. ”Are you always so distracted, dear? Henderson was part of that critical 15%. He wanted to drive up the prices using the development as an excuse. Originally, he didn’t own ten properties, only four. It seems someone tipped him off about ODG’s plan before it went public.”

”He bought the other properties strategically, creating a complex, interlocking ownership pattern designed to obstruct a large section of the planned construction. If ODG wanted to proceed, he demanded $500 million for his ten properties. This was one major choke point for the company, but the political feud was the other.”

”Henderson, according to informants, was waiting for the political pressure to resolve itself so he could negotiate a massive payout. However, those informants also noticed something else: Henderson grew anxious recently. His last offer to sell those ten properties, just before his death, was a dramatically reduced $150 million. ODG still didn’t accept, because the permits were frozen, and they weren’t willing to invest more capital into a frozen asset.”

Lena leaned back, summarizing the situation. ”That remaining 15% is owned by people like your ex-husband—early, savvy investors who somehow banded together to protect themselves and avoid being coerced by ODG. On top of that, Henderson had local protection from gangs like the Dukes. I have evidence that ODG tried to assassinate your ex-husband three times to force the sale, but he managed to survive each attempt.”

Cassandra felt a sharp pang of guilt. Despite the infidelity and the secrecy, Henderson hadn’t involved her in the direct danger. She had assumed Ethan’s drastic actions were purely to seize wealth, and she had blamed herself for creating a situation where Ethan had to eliminate a rival. Learning the scale of the danger Henderson was already in—and the wealth he was gambling with—was a heavy burden.

She thought, ”Henderson was already sentenced to death. Ethan just got there first. And I made him take all the responsibility for it.”

Jason, who had been observing the interaction between the two women from his position near the door, stepped forward.

”So, what is the plan, Ms. Rossi? All this information is excellent, but how do we capitalize on it?”

Lena smiled, a predatory grin that revealed her enthusiasm for the challenge. ”I’m glad you asked, dear. I’ve been talking with our boss, Ethan, who, incidentally, is having a great time at MIT.”

Playfully, Lena pulled out her phone and snapped a quick selfie, making sure the real estate map and Jason and Cassandra were in the background.

With a quick tap, she sent the photo to Ethan with an unfiltered message: ”they’re here daddy, I’ll work hard so you can give me your cock as a reward.”

Lena chuckled softly as she put the phone down, then cleared her throat to regain her corporate composure.

”The boss has given me full authority over what we can do. I presented him with two options, and I’ll do the same for you, Ms. Cassandra.”

Lena returned to the map with the seriousness of an expert. ”The only mistake right now would be to sell. Nobody wants the properties. After Olympus Development Group (ODG) pulled back most of their machinery and canceled contracts with small construction companies, all real estate prices in the area plummeted.”

”Your ex-husband, Henderson, purchased the last parcels at a premium, totaling nearly $75 million. But if we sold today, we would only fetch between $30 and $35 million. That is a disastrous loss compared to the real strategic value of those lands.”

”This leads us to our real options.”

”The first is conservative: repair the buildings and generate money. I had a valuation done with a trusted contractor. It would take nearly $150 million just to return them to a habitable state. The buildings are complete dumps; their only value is their strategic location. We could rent and wait, but it’s slow and requires a huge investment.”

”And the second option is more direct, bolder, and much more profitable: we take over the project ourselves.”

Lena tapped the map with her finger. ”There are many people in the area, from small owners to those local contractors, who lost an abysmal amount of money because of ODG. We can use that desperation to buy the rest of the zone that ODG couldn’t secure, dirt cheap.”