Chapter 7 - The Hostile Takeover
Elena looked at the ten-million-dollar contract on the table. It was more money than she could ever comprehend. It was freedom. It was security.
But it was also an insult. They were throwing her out like garbage to protect their brand.
"No," Elena said softly.
Julian laughed, a harsh, barking sound. "Excuse me? You think you can hold out for more? Don't be greedy, teacher."
"I don't want your money," Elena said, her voice steadying as a fiery resolve ignited in her chest. She looked directly into Richard’s cold eyes. "I am Chloe Van Der Beek. I am your firstborn child. By New York state law, and according to the family trust that my grandfather established—which I spent the last two days researching on this suite's computer—I am entitled to a fifty percent voting stake in the Van Der Beek corporation."
Richard’s glass stopped halfway to his mouth. Julian’s face went bone-white.
"You little bitch," Julian hissed, stepping toward her. "You think you can just walk in here and steal half my inheritance?"
"It’s not stealing if it’s mine by right," Elena shot back, standing her ground. "I want my name back. And I want my seat on the board."
Richard slowly set his glass down. The mask of a civilized billionaire slipped, revealing a ruthless apex predator beneath.
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"You have no idea who you are dealing with, little girl," Richard whispered, his voice laced with pure menace. "You will sign that paper, or you will walk out of those gates with nothing. If you try to go to the press, my lawyers will destroy you. They will paint you as a lunatic fraud. We own the media."
Elena smiled, a cold, sharp expression she didn't know she possessed. "You don't own the internet, Richard. And you don't own the truth."
