Chapter 8 - The Family Reunion
Two weeks had passed since the night of the gala.
The fallout within Vale Holdings had been swift and absolute. With Sterling and Vance behind bars facing federal embezzlement and conspiracy charges, the remaining board members had fallen completely in line. No one questioned Adrian’s authority anymore; no one whispered behind his back.
And Evelyn Hart was no longer hiding in the shadows.
Sitting in the primary executive conference room on the sixty-fifth floor of the Vale Tower, Evelyn wore a sharp charcoal pantsuit, reviewing a multi-million-dollar commercial real_estate acquisition proposal on her tablet.
The heavy oak doors swung open without warning.
Adrian looked up from his desk, his expression instantly hardening into stone.
Cassandra Vale strode into the room, looking breathtaking in a cream designer coat, her ash-blond hair falling in perfect waves. But her eyes were wild, frantic, and burning with desperate anger.
"Adrian!" Cassandra snapped, ignoring Evelyn entirely as she marched straight up to the edge of the glass desk. "What is this nonsense about my trust fund being frozen? I tried to buy a car this morning, and my platinum card was declined!"
Adrian didn't blink. He leaned back in his leather chair, folding his hands over his stomach. "Your trust fund isn't frozen, Cassandra. It's capped. You receive a monthly living allowance, and not a single penny more, until you learn how to manage your life without treating everyone around you like garbage."
Cassandra gasped, her face flushing crimson. "You're punishing me? Over what? Over some random waitress you picked off the street and dragged into our boardroom?"
"She is not a waitress," Adrian said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, glacial register that made even Cassandra flinch. "She is the chief compliance officer of this company. And she has more integrity in her little finger than you have in your entire body."
Cassandra whipped her head around, fixing Evelyn with a look of pure, venomous hatred. "You! You did this! You wormed your way into my family, into our company—"
"I earned my place here, Cassandra," Evelyn interrupted smoothly, standing up from her chair. She didn't raise her voice. She didn't flinch. She simply looked Cassandra dead in the eye, mirroring the exact calmness that had driven the younger woman insane two weeks ago at Bellamy’s. "Unlike you, I didn't inherit my position. I survived it."
Cassandra stepped forward, her hand lifting as if she intended to strike Evelyn across the face.
Before her hand could move an inch, Adrian was out of his chair. He moved with terrifying speed, catching Cassandra’s wrist in a grip of absolute steel.
Cassandra cried out, her eyes wide with shock. "Adrian! Let go of me!"
"Listen to me very carefully," Adrian whispered, leaning down so his face was inches from hers, his voice terrifyingly cold. "If you ever raise a hand—or even your voice—toward Evelyn again, I will cut you off completely. No allowances, no apartments, no name. Do you understand me?"
Cassandra stared at her brother, seeing the absolute, unyielding darkness in his eyes, and realized for the first time that he was entirely serious. Tears of pure frustration welled in her eyes.
"I hate you," she whispered, pulling her wrist back the moment he released her. She spun around and stormed out of the conference room, slamming the heavy oak doors so hard the glass panels rattled.
Silence settled over the room once more.
Evelyn let out a long breath, sitting back down in her chair. "Well, family holidays at your house are going to be thoroughly delightful."
May you like
Adrian let out a low chuckle, walking around the desk to stand beside her chair. He rested his hand on the back of her seat, leaning down close. "We can spend holidays wherever we want. Far away from Chicago, if you prefer."
"No," Evelyn smiled, looking up at him with unyielding confidence. "I like Chicago. It's a good place to build an empire."
