Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Mr. Mercado’s POV

The next day, I arrived early at the company to set my plan in motion—to remove the CEO, Anastasia, and take over.

"Mr. Mercado, you seem very happy today," one of the guards said to me.

I simply smiled sweetly, as if I had just won the lottery. My phone suddenly rang, and when I saw who was calling, my smile grew even wider. I immediately answered the call.

"Hello!" I greeted cheerfully.

"Hello, Mr. Mercado. Everything is ready. We’re just waiting for you," said the person on the line, making me even happier.

"Okay, I'm coming," I said before ending the call. I turned to the security guards to give them an important instruction.

"Guards!" I called out to the two of them.

"Yes, sir?"

"Yes, sir?"

They answered simultaneously.

"Do not let Tanya Snow inside, understand?" I ordered them firmly.

"Yes, sir!"

"Yes, sir!"

They replied at the same time again, making me grin widely.

"Very good! If you carry out my order well, I’ll give you a bonus later. So, make sure you do what I asked," I added, and they nodded eagerly.

"Thank you in advance, sir!" they said gratefully, which pleased me even more.

As I entered the elevator, I couldn’t stop smiling—the smile of someone who already tasted victory. Even inside the elevator, my happiness was clear. Finally, the company I had long dreamed of would soon be mine.

Moments later, I arrived at the conference room where the board members were already waiting for the meeting. I entered with a wide smile plastered across my face.

"Good morning, everyone!" I greeted the room brightly.

"Good morning, Mr. Mercado. But why did you call for a meeting?" Mrs. Chow asked.

"You seem eager, Mrs. Chow. I called this meeting because I want to propose that we replace our CEO. I also want us to vote on who should take over the position," I said confidently. My statement caused a wave of murmuring among the board members, and I raised an eyebrow, observing their reactions.

"But why should we replace the CEO? She’s doing a good job managing the company. What’s your reason, Mr. Mercado?" Mr. Reyes questioned.

"Isn’t it enough that she doesn’t even attend our meetings? We don’t even really know who she is, and—" I didn’t get to finish my sentence because Tanya Snow suddenly barged into the room. I clenched my fists secretly at her unexpected arrival.

'Damn it! How did this woman get in? I gave clear orders to the guards not to let her in!' I cursed internally.

While my mind and heart boiled with anger, I wanted to throw Tanya out immediately. I couldn’t let her ruin my plan—after all, she was the CEO's right hand.

'This wretched woman! How does she even know about today’s meeting? She must have a strong instinct. No! I need to get rid of her before she exposes everything I’ve done!' I ranted in my head.

Tanya was talking about something, but I didn’t catch a word—too busy thinking of ways to remove her from the scene.

'Is she threatening me right now?' I thought bitterly.

'Wait... something's wrong. That smile of hers... it means something. Sh*t! I think I need to get out of here!' Panic started creeping into my mind as I glanced nervously at the door.

Then I heard her mention a name—a name I thought I had erased long ago—Anastasia Clinton, the only daughter of my former friend.

'How is she alive? I had her killed through my men! Sh*t, I need to get out of here,' I said to myself, panic gripping me.

I was about to stand when the door opened—and there she was. The CEO herself. The owner of this building. And she wasn’t just anybody—she was a close friend of my so-called goddaughter, Katrina.

A confident smile spread across my face. Surely, with my ties to Katrina, she wouldn’t easily remove me from my position. I smiled at the woman, but she didn’t even return it. Instead, she looked at me with eyes so cold that a shiver ran down my spine and cold sweat broke out all over me.

'What kind of look is that?' I thought nervously. 'It's making me uneasy. No way... does she already know about the money I’ve been stealing from the company? I need to find an alibi—a way to dodge the trap I made for myself.'

As she spoke to the board members, everyone—including me—was left stunned. If Tanya was good, Anastasia Clinton was a master. Her words were sharp, her explanations crisp. Even I couldn’t help but admire her intelligence and skill in business.

I saw the admiration in the eyes of my fellow board members.

Gone was the clueless Anastasia I used to know—the naïve girl who could easily be fooled even in front of her own face. The woman standing before us now was strong, fierce, and confident.

'I’m screwed,' I realized grimly. 'I have to leave before they find out what I’ve done.'

I prepared to stand again when suddenly—

"Ahem, Mr. Mercado," she called my name.

My face drained of all color.