Four days. That's all the time Vivienne had to prepare for the moment that could decide everything—the Rothsford annual board meeting.
The entire empire would be present: shareholders, executives, global partners. It was the one time of year where Arthur Rothsford stood before his kingdom and reminded them who ruled.
But this year, Vivienne planned to be the one holding court.
In the early morning light, the safehouse buzzed with quiet energy. Maps, spreadsheets, legal files, and leaked documents lay scattered across the floor. Mira coordinated with anonymous whistleblowers and rogue insiders, all of whom had something against the Rothsfords. Rhys monitored the Rothsford media teams, waiting for signs that Arthur was preparing a counterattack.
Vivienne? She was carving a path through decades of deceit.
"You realize," Rhys said as he leaned against the kitchen counter, "if you do this—publicly—you won't just be burning bridges. You'll be setting fire to the entire skyline."
She didn't flinch. "Good. The Rothsfords built their empire on ashes. Let's see how they like being on the other side of the flame."
Mira turned from her laptop. "The 12% your mother held—it's legit. Hidden under a holding company that never merged with the main trust. Technically, you're still a voting shareholder."
"And that gives me entry to the board meeting?" Vivienne asked.
Mira nodded. "They can't legally bar you. But once you're in, it'll be hostile territory. Every eye on you. Arthur will try to crush you before you can open your mouth."
Vivienne gave a thin, cold smile. "Then I'll just have to speak louder."
The Day Before the Meeting – A Quiet Visit
Vivienne stood in the cemetery as the wind whispered through the trees. Her coat whipped around her ankles as she stared at the grave of Margot Delacroix.
Her mother.
The stone was simple. Elegant. Margot's name was etched in gold, nearly faded now.
Vivienne knelt, placing a single white rose at its base.
"They called you unstable," she whispered. "Difficult. Emotional. But you weren't any of those things. You were brave."
A pause.
"I remember your voice when you read to me. The way your arms felt when I cried at night. They tried to erase you from my life… but you're the only reason I remember who I am."
She closed her eyes, pressing her fingers gently against the stone.
"Tomorrow, I take the fight to them. I wish you were here. But I know you're watching."
A shadow stirred behind her. Rhys.
"You okay?"
Vivienne stood, brushing the dirt from her knees. "No. But I don't need to be. I just need to win."
Rothsford Holdings Annual Board Meeting – Grand Legacy Hall
The chandeliers dripped crystals. The walls were lined with Rothsford family portraits, all of them staring down like silent sentinels. At the center of the hall stood a circular table carved from mahogany, surrounded by the world's wealthiest and most dangerous players.
Arthur Rothsford stood at the head of the room, perfectly tailored, perfectly composed. "Let's begin," he said, voice calm, commanding.
Then the doors opened.
All eyes turned as Vivienne walked in, clad in a black suit sharper than any blade. Her heels echoed like gunshots on the marble floor. Behind her, Mira and Rhys stood like shadows.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Arthur's jaw tightened. "You're not welcome here."
Vivienne stopped across from him and placed a black leather folder on the table. "As a legal 12% shareholder of Rothsford Holdings, I am."
One of the board members, an elderly woman with silver hair, blinked. "Vivienne? You're… alive?"
"Very," she replied. "And I have some things to share."
Arthur's voice dropped low and dangerous. "Security—"
"They'll stay where they are," Vivienne said, turning to the crowd. "Unless you want to explain to the press why you had a stakeholder forcibly removed."
Arthur's eye twitched. "You have no idea what you're doing."
"Oh, but I do," she said, her voice rising.
She opened the folder.
"Inside, you'll find documents detailing illegal fund diversions, off-the-books experiments like Project Rebirth, and the unauthorized surveillance of board members."
She clicked a remote.
Behind her, a large screen lit up with graphs, transaction logs, and surveillance images. Gasps filled the room.
"This is treason," Arthur spat.
"No," Vivienne said, stepping closer, "this is truth. You took a child—me—and turned her into your ideal heir. Then, when your real daughter got jealous, you let her frame me, steal my place, and watched as your empire collapsed into infighting. You let your greed destroy everything."
Silence.
Then—
A voice from the back. "She's right."
Everyone turned.
It was Elaine Carroway, a longtime investor. "My nephew was one of the interns you discarded after using him for code encryption. We all knew something was off. But now there's proof."
Another board member stood. "I move for a vote of emergency leadership review."
Arthur's face drained of color.
"You can't—!"
But more hands raised.
Vivienne turned to him, voice steady.
"This isn't revenge, Arthur. This is justice. And you taught me how to deliver it."
The board voted. 8–4.
Arthur Rothsford was suspended pending investigation.
Vivienne didn't smile. She simply picked up the folder, nodded once to the stunned room, and walked out without another word.
Later That Night
Vivienne stood on the balcony of the penthouse she'd reclaimed. The city lights sprawled beneath her.
"You did it," Rhys said behind her.
"No," she murmured. "I started it."
Mira joined them, phone in hand. "Press wants a statement."
"Tell them…" She looked out at the horizon.
"Tell them the empire isn't falling. It's evolving."