The ballroom of the Sterling Estate was a masterclass in aggressive opulence. Three hundred guests—a sea of black-tie attire, tuxedoed staff, and genuine diamonds—stood beneath crystal chandeliers that had been imported piece-by-piece from Versailles.

Genevieve was a cornered animal, and cornered animals have the sharpest teeth.

If she couldn't steal the company from the inside, she would burn it from the outside. Three days later, the morning news cycle exploded. A massive, anonymous leak hit every major media outlet in the state.

The headlines were devastating: THE VANGUARD COVER-UP: DID VICTORIA VANGUARD BRIBE FEDERAL JUDGES TO PROTECT HER EMPIRE?

The leak included doctored audio files, forged bank transfers, and a string of testimonies from "anonymous former employees." It was a masterpiece of character assassination. Within hours, Vanguard Enterprises’ stock plummeted by twenty percent.

Victoria stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of her penthouse, watching the news anchors tear her legacy apart on a dozen flat-screen televisions.

Elias walked into the room, his face grim. "The SEC has opened an emergency inquiry. The board is calling for an emergency vote of no confidence to remove you as Chairwoman. Genevieve engineered this perfectly."

"Let the board panic. They are sheep," Victoria said, not taking her eyes off the skyline. "Where is my son?"