Chapter 3 - The Boardroom Blitz
I walked into the penthouse. I was no longer the dripping, shivering woman Julian had thrown onto the street eight hours ago.
I wore a sharply tailored, stark-white Tom Ford suit that screamed power. My hair was blown out perfectly, and my makeup was flawless. I didn't look like a heartbroken housewife; I looked like the apex predator of the corporate food chain.
"Elena?" Julian stammered, his bravado momentarily failing him. He looked at me, then at the guards. "What is this? How did you get back in here? Guards, I told you to keep her off the property!"
"They don't work for you, Julian," I said, my voice smooth and icy. I stepped into the center of the living room, running my hand along the edge of the marble bar. "They never worked for you. They work for Vanguard Holdings. The parent company of this resort, the other twelve resorts, the management company, and the land we are standing on."
Julian let out a forced, nervous laugh. "You've lost your mind. Vanguard Holdings is a shadow trust. The lawyers told me the true owners are anonymous billionaires in Europe. I hold the operating lease!"
"You held a conditional operating lease," Marcus corrected, opening the leather binder. He pulled out a stack of documents with glaring red seals. "A lease that was granted to you by the primary shareholder of Vanguard Holdings."
Julian stared at the papers. "And who the hell is that?"
I smiled. It was a terrifying smile. "Hi, Julian. Let me reintroduce myself. I’m Elena Vanguard. Sole heiress to the Vanguard empire. I own the trust. I own the lease. I own the bricks in this wall, the glass in these windows, and the bed you just defiled."
Julian’s face drained of color. He looked from me to Marcus, searching for the punchline to a very sick joke. "No... no, that's impossible. Your family was comfortable, sure, but you... you were just an interior designer when I met you."
"I was a billionaire heiress trying to live a normal life," I corrected him, taking a step closer. "I hid my family's wealth because I wanted to know that the man I married loved me for me, not for my money. When you started building this business, my father and I secretly funded every single loan you took out. We bought the land through shell companies to let you feel like a self-made man. We gave you the illusion of a kingdom, Julian."
I stopped a few feet away from him, my eyes locked onto his terrified face. "And last night, you tried to throw the queen out of her own castle."
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"Elena, wait, let's talk about this—" Julian’s voice cracked. The reality was crashing down on him.
"There's nothing to talk about," I snapped. I snapped my fingers, and a lawyer from my father's firm stepped into the room, handing me a tablet. "As of 6:00 AM, the board has voted to terminate your employment due to gross misconduct and breach of morality clauses. Your corporate bank accounts have been frozen. Your company car has been repossessed from the valet downstairs. You are legally broke."
