Chapter 5 - Stripping the Crown
Richard shot to his feet, knocking his chair back against the floor. "Elena, stop! Are you insane? If you own Sovereign Trust, you’re bankrupting your own husband! You’re destroying our family!"
Elena finally turned her gaze toward him, her eyes as cold as arctic ice. "You stopped being my husband the moment you stood in that ballroom, watching your mother torture our child, and told me to apologize. You chose your mother’s cruelty over your daughter’s dignity. You gave up your seat at my table."
She turned back to the boardroom directors, who were frozen in absolute shock.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the board," Elena announced clearly. "As the ninety-four percent majority owner of Sterling Global Holdings, I hereby dissolve the current executive committee. Beatrice Sterling is officially removed as Chairman and CEO. Effective immediately."
"You can't do this!" Beatrice screamed, her face contorting with wild fury. "This company carries my family name! I will sue you into oblivion! I will drag your name through every tabloid in the country!"
"With what money?" Elena tilted her head, unimpressed. "Your personal accounts were leveraged as collateral against the credit lines Sovereign froze this morning. Your country club memberships have already been revoked for non-payment. By this afternoon, the foreclosures on your private properties will begin."
Beatrice’s hand flew to her throat, her chest heaving as if she were suffocating. The elite socialite who had treated the entire city like her playground was realizing the terrifying reality: she had absolutely no cards left to play.
"Elena... please," Richard pleaded, his voice breaking into a pathetic whine as he dropped to his knees beside her chair. "Think of Lily. She needs a mother and a father. We can fix this! I’ll make Mother apologize publicly. I’ll make her get on her knees!"
"Lily doesn't need a coward for a father," Elena replied smoothly, pulling her hem away from his reaching hands. "Marcus, have security escort these former executives out of the building. And notify the press corps waiting in the lobby. I will address them myself."
Four burly security officers stepped forward, flanking Beatrice and Richard. Beatrice resisted, swatting at their hands, her manicured facade entirely cracking into frantic shrieks.
"Don't touch me! You common filth, don't you dare touch me!" she shrieked as she was firmly guided toward the exit.
Elena watched them go without a single flicker of remorse. She pulled out her phone, dialing the head of her personal security detail at the upstate estate.
"Is Lily settled in?" Elena asked, her voice instantly softening into maternal warmth.
"Yes, ma'am. She’s in the garden with the nanny, feeding the swans," the operative answered.
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"Good," Elena sighed, closing her eyes for a brief second of relief.
"Ma'am," the operative suddenly added, his tone sharpening with alarm. "We have a problem. An unmarked van just breached the perimeter gates of the estate. Someone is heading directly for the manor."
