Chapter 1 - The Final Signature
Adrian scrambled up the stage steps, his face pale, his arrogance completely shattered.
"Samuel, please," Adrian begged, holding his hands up. "Claire tripped. It was a misunderstanding. The pressure of the evening—"
My father didn’t even look at him.
He looked at the head of corporate security.
"Secure the doors," my father ordered quietly.
The heavy oak doors of the ballroom locked with a loud, echoing click.
Adrian swallowed hard. "Samuel, I am the CEO of this company. You can't just—"
"You are the proposed CEO," I corrected, my voice carrying clearly through the microphone my father had left on the podium.
Adrian turned to me, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"The board approved my contract this morning, Claire. It's done."
"The board recommended you," I said, stepping onto the stage beside my father.
I didn't care that my feet were bare or that my elbow was bleeding. I had never felt more powerful.
"But Valeon Technologies is a privately held subsidiary of the Vale Family Trust."
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I looked down at the man who had spent eleven years calling me domestic, soft, and powerless.
"And as the sole managing director of that trust, I am the only person with the authority to sign your final contract."
