Chapter 2 - Secrets in the Executive Suite
The mahogany walls of the top-floor executive suite felt heavy, suffocating. Victoria paced back and forth, slamming her heels against the Persian rug, while Julian sat behind his massive obsidian desk, expressionless.
"She humiliated me! In front of the entire board! In front of the mayors and the foreign investors!" Victoria screamed, tears of pure rage streaming down her face. "Fire her! Sue her! Put her in a maximum-security prison!"
Julian didn't blink. He opened a sleek leather folder on his desk, pulling out a single sheet of paper. He didn't look at his sister; he looked at the document.
"Do you know why you were allowed to throw that wine, Victoria?" Julian asked calmly.
Victoria stopped pacing, frowning. "What are you talking about?"
"I planned it."
The room went dead silent. Victoria stared at her brother as if he had lost his mind. "You... what?"
"For months, your reckless spending, your public scandals, and your blatant disrespect for our partners have lowered Vance Global's stock value by nearly twelve percent," Julian said, his voice dropping into an icy register. "The board demanded a change in leadership. They wanted you stripped of your Vice President title."
"You're my brother!" Victoria shrieked. "You wouldn't let themā"
"I bought time," Julian interrupted, finally looking up. His eyes were cold, devoid of familial warmth. "I told the board that you were under immense pressure, and that you needed a wake-up call. An antagonist. Someone to shatter your fragile ego so we could rebuild you into an asset the company can actually use."
"And you hired her to do it?!" Victoria pointed toward the door. "That psychotic maid?!"
"She isn't a maid, Victoria," Julian said, standing up. He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out over the glittering city skyline. "That woman is Elena Vance."
Victoria froze. The name hung in the air like a curse word. Vance.
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"Impossible," Victoria whispered, her face turning pale. "The illegitimate daughter... the accident... she died ten years ago in Europe!"
"People like Elena don't die," Julian whispered, a faint, nostalgic smirk touching his lips. "They just wait for the right moment to come home and take back what belongs to them."
