CHAPTER 4

NATALIA'S POV

The hallway fell silent as soon as the words left my mouth.

"You're joking, right?" Wesley chuckled. "Look, you don't have to force it in here."

His eyes darted over to Ciara and Robert who were still standing together and he turned his attention back to me.

"My brother has her wrapped around his fingers," He whispered in my ears. "I can offer you a better job at my company. You have a CV right?"

I sighed, placing a hand across his shoulder.

"After what Robert did to me, I never expected there'd be one reasonable Brooks left in the world," I said. "But you've proven me wrong already. I'm really grateful, but you've got to let me handle this."

Wesley nodded slowly and stepped aside for me. I walked up to Ciara and handed over the envelope in my hand to her.

"From Vincent Carson himself," I announced.

I stood there, watching as Ciara tore the envelope open and brought out the letter. Her eyes skimmed through and I could see a hint of disbelief in her eyes.

"It has his seal," She muttered, handing it over to Robert.

He didn't even bother looking at it for a second. His lips curled into a mocking smile, and his eyes darted over to me.

“What is this, Natalia?” he asked.

"I think you should read through and see for yourself," I responded.

He chuckled and scanned the letter in his hands. His lips moved slightly as he read, his brow furrowing deeper. And then, without warning, he crumpled the letter in his fist.

“That’s a nice try, but I think you’re overestimating yourself,” he said, his voice filled with contempt. “How low are you willing to go just to prove a point? This -" he gestured to the letter, “is clearly fake. You should do a better job next time.”

My stomach tightened, but I held my ground.

“It’s not fake. I can call him to verify.”

Robert snorted, shaking his head. “Don’t bother,” he said dismissively. “I actually know Mr. Carson. He’s a busy man and he wouldn't have the time to respond to a lowlife like you. I’ll just call him myself.”

I watched, unfazed as he pulled out his phone and dialed. His smug expression stayed firmly in place, and I couldn't help but imagine how embarrassed he would be when he eventually found out that it was not a fake.

Robert’s voice was a little too loud, but I could hear his words clearly as he spoke into the phone.

“Mr. Carson? Yeah, I’ve got a situation here. It seems there’s a document claiming that a certain Natalia is being placed as the new CEO of Diamond. You might want to take a look at this—”

Wesley, who had been standing at the side, watching everything unfold, looked at me and sighed. He stepped forward and placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Natalia, I... I can still help you avoid any further embarrassment,” he said, his tone softer now. “You don’t have to do this. It’s not too late.”

I shook my head.

“No. I don’t want your help,” I said firmly, my resolve hardening. This was my fight now. I wasn’t going to back down.

Wesley seemed to understand, and he sighed and stepped up to meet his brother.

"I think you've proven your point already," He snapped. "Calling him here isn't necessary."

"It is if she's an impersonator and a fraud," Robert chuckled. "That would get her a lengthy time behind bars, don't you think?"

Robert's eyes lit up for a moment.

"And you as her accomplice as well," He added.

We waited for a few more minutes. Robert had instructed the security to lock the gates so that I couldn't escape and now, the office suddenly felt smaller, as if the walls were closing in on me.

Ciara, on the other hand, had gone unusually quiet. Her eyes flicked from Robert to me, and I could see the hesitation in her movements. She wasn’t as confident as she had been when I first walked in.

I could practically hear her thoughts. The same way I had been duped by Robert, she had now been duped by him, too. He had been so convincing with his lies, and now it was clear that she wasn’t entirely certain about her place in all of this.

The next few minutes went on in silence. I could hear the sound of my own heartbeat pounding in my ears, but I refused to show any more emotion. No matter what happened, I had already made my decision. I was going to make them regret.

Less than thirty minutes later, the sound of a car pulling into the parking lot broke the silence. Robert, who had been muttering to himself, froze mid-step. He smiled with confidence and stepped forward.

The door to the building opened with a soft creak, and my father, Vincent Carson stepped in. His presence immediately commanded attention. The air was filled with tension as he entered, as if the very room recognized his authority.

He wasn’t dressed in a suit, but his confidence radiated from him in a way that made it clear he didn’t need one to establish his power. His eyes, dark and sharp, scanned the room until they locked on Robert.

"You spoke about an intruder?" He asked. "I don't see any here except you because last I remembered you were in charge of TECHXPERT, and not Diamond."

Robert froze. His eyes went wide with disbelief, and his mouth opened as if he was about to speak, but no words came out. I couldn’t help but watch him, enjoying the look of confusion and realization crossing his face. He was stunned as he had definitely not expected my father to lash out at him.

"I - I - " Robert stammered. "I heard she was making trouble over here and I stopped by to help."

"Now I don't think that's what happened here, Brooks," My father said.

He inched closer to Robert slowly.

"I think you've been playing my daughter for the past six months."

He paused for a while before continuing.

"And now your luck has run out."

Beads of sweat had already started gathering around Robert' forehead. He looked rattled and his usual confidence had suddenly disappeared.

"Your daughter?" Robert mumbled. "It can't be. She's a Rivers."

My father ignored him, turning to face everyone in the room.

“Alright,” he said, his voice now commanding. “Listen up. All of you."

The room fell silent. Everyone’s gaze shifted from my father to each other, and then back to him. The atmosphere in the office had shifted completely. There was no mistaking it now.

“I want you all to welcome the new CEO of Diamond,” He continued, his gaze sweeping over the room. “My daughter, Natalia Rivers Carson.”

And just like that, I was no longer the woman they thought they could push around. I wasn’t the ex-wife of a man who had discarded me for a younger, shinier toy. No, I was someone else now. I was a force to be reckoned with.

I turned my attention to Robert and Ciara and a cold smile played across my lips.

"I'll like to see you in my office, CEO," I whispered in her ears before turning to leave.