Chapter 3

After their public humiliation, the gloves came off for Austin and Carlos.

First thing the next morning, I got an internal notice from the group.

"By unanimous decision of family management, Wendy Sterling is stripped of all executive authority. All projects under her name are hereby transferred to Vivian Rhodes."

The project they took was a $30 billion international deal. I'd poured my heart into it for three full years and pulled countless all-nighters to land it.

It was Silverfang Group's lifeline for the next decade.

Now they'd taken it without a second thought and slapped Vivian's name on it, just to make her look good.

Leon even went out of his way to send me a voice message to gloat.

"See, Wendy? This is what you get for being so petty.

"You think the group stops running without you? Vivian's way more likable than you. The investors signed the second they saw her."

A smile tugged at my lips as I listened.

They had no idea what they'd just signed.

I opened my laptop and typed in a hidden code.

As a perfectionist, I never put my fate in anyone else's hands.

Three years earlier, when I drafted that international contract, I'd buried a poison-pill clause deep in its core terms.

If the name of the project lead was ever changed from Wendy Sterling to anyone else, it would automatically trigger the highest-level breach clause.

The international investors would have the right to pull their funding immediately and demand triple damages from the group.

Nine billion dollars in all.

Three o'clock that afternoon.

The investors froze all of Silverfang Group's liquid funds. The banks came calling, and the stock price crashed.

Austin, Carlos, and Leon kicked in my office door like three rabid dogs.

Vivian trailed behind them, tears streaming down her face and streaking her makeup.

"Wendy! You poisonous witch! You set a trap in the contract!"

Eyes bloodshot, Austin charged at me, his hand raised to strike.

I stayed in my chair, my thumb on a panic button.

"Go ahead. Touch me.

"The security system is already linked to an independent oversight bureau. One slap, and an assault charge against the head of the family will send the stock down another ten points."

Austin's hand froze in midair. He was shaking all over.

Carlos ground his teeth.

"What do you want? You'd destroy everything this family has built just to get back at Vivian?"

"Let me correct you."

I stood up and threw the settlement statement I'd already printed in their faces.

"You stole what I worked for, and you're blaming me?"

Leon was sweating buckets.

"Wendy, we're begging you. The investors will only accept your authorization key. It's not too late to change it back!"

Vivian collapsed at my feet and grabbed at my pants leg.

"Wendy, I'll give it all back. I don't want anything anymore. Please save Carlos and the others!"

I kicked her hand away.

"You want me to step in and fix the breach? Fine."

I pointed to the last line on the list.

"Austin's 30 percent stake as head of the family and every piece of real estate in Carlos's name. Sign it all over to me, free and clear.

"Pay one cent less, and tomorrow the group goes bankrupt and every executive goes to prison."

"In your dreams! That's our lifeblood!" Austin roared.

I glanced at the countdown on my phone. One day left.

"No rush. You've got 24 hours to think it over.

"But in the meantime, the late fee goes up $3 million an hour. Equal exchange. It's only fair."