Chapter 4 - The Checkmate
Cole couldn't handle it.
His ego demanded that he confront me.
He marched across the ballroom, leaving Sloan fuming at a cocktail table.
"Lily," Cole said, forcing a fake, condescending smile. "I see you found a new sponsor. How are the kids?"
He hadn't asked about them in a year.
He hadn't sent a single dollar of child support that Maya hadn't had to drag out of his lawyers.
Edward stepped forward, his eyes cold and dangerous, but I put a hand on his chest.
"I can handle this, Edward," I said quietly.
I turned to my ex-husband.
"They are thriving, Cole. No thanks to you."
Cole scoffed. "Look, it's cute that you're playing businesswoman with Edward's money. But I'm here to close a major acquisition tonight."
"I know," I said smoothly. "You're trying to secure a buyout from Apex Capital to save Mercer Systems from Chapter 11."
Cole's smile vanished. "How do you know that?"
"Because Apex Capital doesn't exist anymore," I replied.
I took a sip of my champagne.
"Langley Holdings quietly acquired them yesterday morning."
Cole stopped breathing.
The color drained from his face so fast he looked like he might faint.
"What?" he choked out.
"We bought Apex," I explained, my voice perfectly steady. "Which means Langley Holdings now owns all of your corporate debt."
May you like
I leaned closer, ensuring only he could hear my next words.
"I don't just write speeches anymore, Cole. I write the checks. And I am foreclosing on your entire company."
