Chapter 6 - The First Strike
Chaos echoed across the mahogany boardroom as senior executives shouted over one another, demanding injunctions, emergency votes, and security intervention. Celeste Halden stood rigidly at the head of the table, her face mottled with rage and disbelief, her chest heaving as she stared at the silver flash drive resting on the polished wood.
"This is entirely fraudulent!" Celeste shrieked, her voice cracking with hysteria. She glared at me with pure venom. "I raised you! I took you in when your father died! You ungrateful, treacherous little bitch!"
"You took me in so you could embezzle my father's estate and sell me off to a twice-divorced investor to cover your gambling debts in Macau," I replied, my voice chillingly calm as I maintained unwavering eye contact. "Let's not pretend there was ever any maternal affection between us, Celeste. You miscalculated. You thought the quiet accountant wouldn't check the subsidiary ledgers."
Victor Shaw slammed his fist onto the table, rattling the crystal water decanters. His face was purple with fury. "Cross! You think you can walk in here and stage a hostile takeover using a disgruntled kid as a puppet? My legal team will tie this up in federal court for ten years!"
Adrian walked slowly toward Victor, his shadow falling menacingly over the older investor. Adrian was half Victor's age but carried twice the deadliness. He leaned down, speaking in a low, conversational tone that carried easily across the quiet room.
"Try it, Victor," Adrian whispered. "File your injunction. In the meantime, I'll release the forensic audit detailing how your investment firm has been laundering cartel money through Halden shell companies since 2022. By tomorrow afternoon, the SEC won't just freeze your assets—they'll be auctioning off your yacht to pay your legal fees."
Victor swallowed hard, his bravado instantly evaporating. He looked from Adrian to me, realizing for the first time that we hadn't just ambushed them—we had meticulously excavated their graves.
"You're insane... both of you," Victor muttered, grabbing his briefcase, shoving past Adrian, and storming out of the boardroom without looking back.
May you like
Celeste stood frozen, staring at the empty doorway where her wealthiest ally had just abandoned her. She turned her tear-streaked, furious eyes toward me. "You think you've won, Victoria? You don't know what kind of men your father was mixed up with. They won't let you keep this company. They'll kill you first."
"Let them try," I replied, locking eyes with her as security guards stepped forward to escort her out. "I survived the night in the storm. I think I can handle a few ghosts from my father's past."
