Chapter 7 - The Hostile Takeover Gala
December 31st. 9:00 PM. The grand ballroom of the Bellevue Regency Hotel was packed with five hundred of the most powerful elite in the Pacific Northwest. It was the annual Rowan Holdings New Year’s Eve Gala—the exact moment Julian Rowan was set to announce Declan’s forfeiture of the controlling shares due to the lack of a direct heir under the trust's legacy clause.
Julian Rowan stood at the center of the VIP lounge, holding a glass of vintage champagne, surrounded by reporters and board members.
"It is a tragic day for the family," Julian declared to a group of investors, adjusting his tuxedo cuff. "My brother Declan has suffered a severe emotional breakdown following his divorce. Under Section 4B of our father's charter, as he remains without an heir or a spouse as of tonight, executive authority transitions to my office."
"Are you sure about that, Julian?"
A voice like thunder echoed from the grand double doors at the entrance of the ballroom.
The room fell dead silent. Five hundred heads turned simultaneously.
Declan Rowan stepped through the doors. He was dressed in a flawless, custom black tuxedo, his posture immaculate, radiating absolute power. But he wasn't alone.
Walking beside him, wearing a breath-taking floor-length emerald silk gown, was me. And strapped securely to Declan’s chest in a custom velvet wrap was James Noah Caldwell Rowan.
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Camera flashes went off like blinding lightning strikes.
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Julian’s champagne glass slipped from his fingers, shattering on the marble floor. "What... what is this?!" Julian stuttered, the color draining from his face. "Declan, you are divorced! That child is—"
"This child," Declan announced, his voice carrying clearly across the silent ballroom, "is James Noah Caldwell Rowan. Born six days ago. The rightful, legitimate heir to the Rowan Trust."
