Machiavellian reopening
A reopening that feels like a miracle, but everyone knows the guy who made it happen probably had a hand in making everything shut down in the first place.
The gym reopened, but the manager was the one who shut it down to get a raise.
The office came back open, but the boss locked everyone out to get a better bonus.
The movie theater started playing again, but the owner was the one who made everyone afraid of going in.