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Chapter 5 This Is Only the Beginning

Author: Perfect Timing
The entire hall fell into dead silence.

Adrian froze mid-motion, his wine glass suspended in the air, the smile on his face stiffening. Harvey jerked his head up, eyes wide in shock, and Jenna stood there with her mouth slightly open, her unfinished words caught in her throat.

Then the camera flashes came again. This time, every lens was trained on me.

I turned, met every gaze in the room, and walked up onto the stage. Taking the microphone from my father, I said, "Thank you, Dad, for your t
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  • Her Turn to Lead   Chapter 10 Standing Where I Belong

    Celeste sent me screenshots of the trending topics. 'Ms. Cladwell, have you seen them? Everyone's tearing into Adrian and Harvey. Someone dug up that Jenna got into the company through connections. Others are saying Harvey stole your proposal just to curry favor with her. The comments are all on your side—calling you a strong woman, calling Adrian useless, and calling Harvey a scumbag.'I did not look. I simply continued reviewing my documents.The lawsuit dragged on for two months.In the end, the court ruled that Adrian, Harvey, and Jenna had violated their non-compete agreements. They were ordered to pay Cladwell Co. 48 million dollars in damages. All three were blacklisted in the industry, barred from working in related fields for five years.On the day the verdict was announced, Celeste sent me a video. It showed Adrian leaving the courthouse. His suit was wrinkled, his hair was disheveled, and reporters surrounded him from every side."Adrian! What's your response to the ver

  • Her Turn to Lead   Chapter 9 The Counterstrike Begins

    On the third day after the engagement was called off, Celeste rushed into my office. "Ms. Cladwell, Adrian and Harvey took Jenna and jumped ship to a competitor."I turned a page in the document I was reading without looking up. "Noted."Celeste grew agitated. "They took key members of the tech team with them, along with three years' worth of strategic data! The competitor has already made a statement. They're going to take our clients, our projects, and our market share. Adrian even went to the media, saying Cladwell Co. can't survive without him, that you only got your position through nepotism, and that the company will collapse under your leadership."She handed me her phone. On the screen was an interview, and Adrian's face dominated the headline.'Former Vice President of Cladwell Co., Adrian Cladwell: My sister lacks the ability to manage the company. Cladwell Co. will face serious problems within six months.'Below it was a photo of him standing outside the competitor's of

  • Her Turn to Lead   Chapter 8 The Engagement Ends

    Three days after the board's accountability meeting, the results were announced.Jenna was fired on the spot and permanently blacklisted. Adrian was stripped of his VP title, demoted to an ordinary manager, and placed on probation. As for Harvey, he was removed from the core of the strategy department and reassigned to peripheral business. In other words, he had been sidelined.On the day the news broke, Celeste sent me a long string of screenshots.Jenna had posted a lengthy voice message in the project group chat, crying so hard she could barely speak. "I really didn't mean for this to happen… I've already tried so hard… can you all say something for me…"No one replied.Not a single one of the people who used to flatter her showed up.Celeste told me that on the day Jenna was fired, she had waited outside the company for Adrian for two hours. He never came out to see her, so she went to find Harvey. He did meet her, but no one knew what they talked about. The only thing an

  • Her Turn to Lead   Chapter 7 The Board's Verdict

    Two more months passed, and the problems with the Cirrus Project could no longer be contained.When Celeste rushed into my office, I was reviewing the Phase Two proposal for the Wetland Project."Ms. Cladwell, the board has issued an emergency notice. They're calling for an accountability meeting. The Cirrus Project has blown up."I set down my pen and took the report from her.Costs had exceeded the budget by 40%, the timeline was delayed by three months, three core suppliers had issued simultaneous payment demands, two major clients had escalated complaints to the group headquarters, and the accumulated losses had already surpassed 60 million.Jenna's name appeared seventeen times in the report. Every single instance was tied to a decision-making error."Where's Adrian?""In the meeting room. He looks awful. Harvey is there too. He hasn't said a word. Jenna… I heard she's crying in the restroom."I stood, picking up the report. "Let's go."…The meeting room was packed. Boa

  • Her Turn to Lead   Chapter 6 Let Them Climb, Let Them Fall

    A week had passed since my appointment as CEO.Adrian had not come to see me. Harvey had not shown up either. But Celeste sent me screenshots every single day.Adrian had posted long messages in the department group, saying I had "ridden our father's coattails" and had "no real ability." Harvey had been reaching out to key team members in private, telling them "the company was about to change hands" and that they should "plan ahead." Jenna went even further, spreading rumors everywhere that I was "suppressing newcomers" and "couldn't tolerate anyone better than me."Celeste was furious. "Ms. Cladwell, they've got no shame. They stole your project, and now they're saying you're suppressing them!"I didn't respond. I just kept reading the file in front of me."Do you want me to get someone to compile screenshots and expose them?""No need." I turned the page. "Let them talk."Celeste grew more anxious. "But they're stirring up the employees. A lot of people are getting dragged a

  • Her Turn to Lead   Chapter 5 This Is Only the Beginning

    The entire hall fell into dead silence.Adrian froze mid-motion, his wine glass suspended in the air, the smile on his face stiffening. Harvey jerked his head up, eyes wide in shock, and Jenna stood there with her mouth slightly open, her unfinished words caught in her throat. Then the camera flashes came again. This time, every lens was trained on me.I turned, met every gaze in the room, and walked up onto the stage. Taking the microphone from my father, I said, "Thank you, Dad, for your trust. I'll prove myself with the results of the next project."Thunderous applause erupted.Adrian's face turned pale as paper. He was the first to rush onto the stage. "Dad, have you lost your mind?"He stood in front of Frederick, his voice trembling. "On what grounds does she get to be CEO? How much did the Wetland Project even make? The Cirrus Project is a billion-scale project I secured. Jenna is leading it, and I'm personally overseeing it. That's the company's future!"Harvey followed

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