Chapter 3

The next morning. The top-floor conference room of The Clark Group.

The atmosphere was so thick it felt suffocating.

Julian sat in what used to be his seat as Vice President, his expression dark and dangerous. Chloe, his so-called "special assistant," hovered nervously behind him.

I pushed open the conference room door and walked in — steady, unhurried — with my lawyers and security team at my back.

"Victoria, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Julian shot to his feet, both hands slamming down on the conference table as he glared at me.

"Wasn't last night enough of a scene? You really want to push this that far? Let me be clear — I control the three most critical overseas projects The Clark Group has. if you dare harm me, and the stock price tanks tomorrow. I'll make sure of it."

I pulled out the chair at the head of the table and sat down, looking at him with cool, steady eyes.

"Julian," I said, "do you have some kind of misunderstanding about what you're actually worth?"

I gave my lawyer a look over my shoulder.

He stepped forward immediately, slamming a thick stack of documents onto the table. "Julian Blackwood, during your time at this company, you embezzled one hundred and thirty million dollars in company funds. You made private contact with our competitors and leaked trade secrets. You falsified your academic credentials and doctored your résumé — every piece of evidence is right here."

With each charge, Julian's face went a shade paler.

Chloe was trembling so hard she could barely stand, clutching the hem of Julian's jacket. "Julian, this… this isn't true, right? They're framing you!"

"Shut up!" Julian shook her off with an irritated jerk of his arm, his eyes locked onto mine. "Victoria, you had me investigated? You've been watching me this whole time?"

I let out a cold laugh. "Julian, I gave you my trust, and you threw it in the dirt. Did you really think , i was the kind of fool who'd let love cloud her judgment — who'd hand over the entire Clark Group to someone she hadn't fully vetted?"

"Those overseas projects you were so proud of? The core technology is all in my hands. You thought pulling a few executives to your side would be enough to push me out? How naive."

I rose from my seat and leaned forward, both hands flat on the table, looking down at him with eyes sharp as blades.

"As of this moment, in my capacity as Chairman of the Clark Group, I am officially terminating Julian's position and all associated duties within this company. The legal department will be filing suit against you. I hope you're ready to spend the rest of your life behind bars."

"Security — get these two out of my sight."

Several broad-shouldered security guards moved in at once, seizing Julian and Chloe by the arms.

"Victoria! You can't do this to me! Everything I did, I did it for Chloe! Your father drove her parents to their deaths — you owe her!" Julian thrashed wildly, his eyes bloodshot.

"I owe her?" I walked over to Chloe and looked at that pitiful face of hers. Then I raised my hand.

Crack.

The slap landed hard across Chloe's face, shattering the act she'd been putting on all this time.

Her head snapped to the side. A thin trickle of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth. She pressed a hand to her cheek and stared at me in disbelief.

"That's for biting the hand that fed you — eating my food, living off my generosity, and then stabbing me in the back."

I gripped her chin and forced her to look at me.

"Chloe, you know better than anyone how your parents really died. Your father embezzled public funds. When his crime was exposed, he took his own life out of guilt. Your mother couldn't bear the grief and followed him. My father felt sorry for you, so he buried the truth and paid for your education all these years."

"And this is how you repay him. To get close to Julian, you spun this monstrous lie and used him as your weapon."

I let go of her, then pulled out a wet wipe and cleaned my fingers with undisguised disgust.

"I have no interest in how you two lovebirds found each other. Now get out of my sight."

Julian went still.

He turned to Chloe, his expression hollow with disbelief. "Chloe… is it true? What she said — your parents weren't driven to their deaths?"

Chloe's eyes darted away from his. She shook her head, sobbing. "No, no, that's not true — Julian, don't listen to her, she's lying to you…"

But the guilt flickering in her eyes said everything.

Julian looked like he'd been struck by lightning. All the strength seemed to drain out of him at once, and he crumpled to the floor.