Chapter 8 Shadows From The Past

• The morning began with silence.
• Not the calm kind no, this was the kind that hung heavy, tense, like the eye of a storm. Sandra sat in her office at Lancaster Tower, staring blankly at a series of emails she couldn’t process. The walls seemed to close in on her.
• Then came the knock.
• “Sandra,” Cara peeked in, face pale. “You should see this.”
• Steve was already pacing in the executive war room when Sandra arrived. The television screen above the table played a breaking news report—again, it was her name at the center.
• "Sandra Vega’s Family Secrets—A Criminal Ties Scandal?"
• A grainy mugshot appeared on screen. Her brother, Rafael Vega.
• Sandra’s breath hitched.
• The reporter’s voice droned, “…arrested five years ago in connection with a local gang-related robbery in South Phoenix. While Rafael Vega served time for accessory charges, questions arise about his sister’s proximity to criminal activity and whether her rise inside Lancaster Global was aided by silence and secrets.”
• Photos of her visiting Rafael at the correctional facility filled the screen. She recognized the coat she’d worn, the expression she’d forced to stay strong.
• Steve turned off the monitor. The silence that followed was deafening.
• “It was my brother,” Sandra said quietly. “It was a long time ago. And I didn’t think it was relevant to Lancaster.”
• Steve’s voice was low. “You should’ve told me.”
• Her heart sank. “I know. I just… didn’t want him to define me. He’s been clean since he got out. He’s working construction now, keeping his head down.”
• “You’re not responsible for his choices,” Steve said, then paused. “But the board is going to use this. They’ll twist it.”
• She crossed her arms tightly. “They already are.”
• Within hours, news outlets flooded social media with speculation. Commentators debated her character, her ethics. Supporters called it a witch hunt. Detractors painted her as dangerous.
• Steve’s uncle Harold was quick to act, calling for an emergency board review under “corporate risk exposure.”
• Steve fought it hard. But Sandra knew: this wasn’t just about her anymore. It was about how far the wolves would go to dismantle their alliance—and her future.
• By late afternoon, Sandra sat with Steve in the privacy of his penthouse. The city stretched out behind them, golden in the setting sun, mocking her pain with its beauty.
• “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” she whispered, sitting on the couch. “When I applied to Lancaster, I’d just helped Rafael get into a reintegration program. He was finally clean. I was scared it would haunt me forever.”
• Steve sat beside her, shoulders tense. “It’s not about Rafael. It’s about them using any detail, any shadow, to hurt you. To hurt us.”
• She turned to him, eyes brimming. “Do you believe I should resign?”
• “No.” His voice was firm. “You earned your place. And you’ve handled this better than any executive I’ve worked with.”
• She looked down. “But I’m still a liability.”
• He lifted her chin. “You’re my strength. I need you beside me not behind me, not under scrutiny but beside me.”
• For a long moment, they simply breathed together. Then Sandra spoke.
• “I want to face this head-on. My way.”
• Steve blinked. “What do you mean?”
• “I want to go public. Tell the story. Not a PR version a real one. My childhood. My brother. How I chose a different path. I need people to see that I didn’t climb into this job through seduction or secrecy I fought for it.”
• He was quiet, then nodded slowly. “That could backfire.”
• “Or it could set me free.”
• The next day, Sandra stood on a broadcast set, lights blinding, camera red, face determined.
• She looked into the lens and told the truth.
• About growing up in South Phoenix. About her mother working two jobs. About Rafael’s fall into the wrong crowd while she buried herself in school.
• “I chose systems engineering because it gave me order. Because chaos was already too familiar.”
• She paused, voice thick with emotion.
• “My brother paid for his mistakes. And I carry the weight of both our stories not with shame, but with pride that I never gave up on either of us.”
• She looked directly into the camera.
• “If Lancaster Global values integrity, then it should value truth. And the truth is, I earned my place here not despite where I come from, but because of it.”
• The interview aired that evening and sent shockwaves through the media. Online sentiment shifted dramatically. Hashtags like #SandraSpeaks and #StrengthNotScandal began trending.
• Even rivals who once doubted her now admired her poise.
• At the board meeting the next day, Sandra stood tall. The room was silent after she entered, the same room that once whispered behind her back.
• Harold cleared his throat. “Given the... revelations, we motion to place Sandra Vega on temporary leave pending further review.”
• But before anyone could second the motion, another board member a woman Sandra barely knew spoke up.
• “No. I reject the motion. Miss Vega’s transparency and service under fire shows the kind of leadership we desperately need.”
• Several others murmured in agreement. One by one, hands rose in her defense.
• Steve stood beside her, silent, but his eyes spoke volumes: You did this. You earned this.
• That night, back in Steve’s penthouse, Sandra curled into his arms.
• “You know,” she murmured, “we’re going to keep fighting battles like this.”
• “I know.”
• “And you still want me here?”
• He kissed her temple. “More than ever.”
• Sandra smiled, for the first time in days, with peace.
• But outside their warm cocoon, Ethan Draven watched from afar, sipping a glass of scotch.
• “She survived round two,” he muttered to Harold on the phone.
• “But round three is coming,” Harold replied.
• Ethan’s smile was icy.
• “Let’s dig into Lancaster Global’s upcoming merger talks. I want to hit them where it really hurts under the surface.”