Chapter 4 - The Shadow of Lady Beatrice
By evening, Desmond Kerr was gone—his office cleared out, his assets frozen, and his professional reputation incinerated in a single afternoon. Meridian Health hurriedly severed all ties with him, issuing a public statement denying any knowledge of his corporate infiltration.
Back in London, however, the war had not yet reached its conclusion.
Lady Beatrice Ashcombe sat in the velvet-draped drawing room of her private Mayfair estate, staring into the flickering flames of the fireplace. A crystal glass of vintage sherry sat untouched on the mahogany side table. The doors swung open without a knock, and her personal secretary hurried inside, breathless and pale.
"Well?" Beatrice demanded, not turning around. "Has Desmond managed to salvage the board vote? Has my foolish son realized his mistake?"
"No, my lady," the secretary stammered, wringing his hands. "Desmond... Desmond has been arrested. Ashcombe Biotech’s legal team seized his accounts. He’s facing federal fraud charges. And... and Miss Hart has been officially appointed COO of the entire enterprise."
Beatrice’s hand tightened around the stem of her sherry glass so hard the crystal cracked, dark red liquid spilling over her knuckles like blood.
"That insolent little nobody," Beatrice whispered, her voice trembling with a terrifying fury. "She thinks she has won because she outmaneuvered a greedy lawyer and manipulated my son's weak spot for his children."
She stood up, walking slowly toward the tall, arched window that looked out over the quiet London street.
"If Nathaniel insists on destroying the family legacy for a common domestic servant," Beatrice said, her eyes flashing with a cold, vindictive light, "then we will play a different game. Call Arthur Vance at the London Child Welfare Directorate. Tell him it’s time to file an emergency petition regarding the custody and safety of the Ashcombe twins."
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The secretary’s eyes widened in horror. "My lady... you want to use the children?"
"They are Ashcombes," Beatrice snapped, turning around with a look of absolute ruthlessness. "They belong to our bloodline, not to a glorified babysitter and a distracted father. If Nathaniel wants a war, I will take away everything that gives him strength."
