Chapter 13 - The Blackmail
The atmosphere inside the Whitmore Tower penthouse was incredibly tense as the board of directors frantically demanded immediate answers.
Claire stood perfectly still by the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching the chaotic media circus gathering on the streets far below.
Daniel Mercer furiously paced the long mahogany table, aggressively shouting into his phone at their elite legal team.
The board members were sweating profusely, terrified that Julian Vance would completely decimate their massive retirement portfolios.
One cowardly executive even suggested that Claire step down temporarily to appease the angry shareholders and stabilize the plunging stock.
Claire slowly turned around, her eyes flashing with a cold, terrifying fury that instantly silenced the entire panicked room.
She firmly declared that she would never abandon her father’s legacy, nor would she ever surrender to a ruthless corporate vulture.
That evening, Claire was scheduled to attend a highly publicized charity gala at the prestigious Chicago History Museum.
Daniel advised her to cancel, fearing the aggressive paparazzi would completely overwhelm her with vicious questions about the scandal.
Claire flatly refused to hide in the shadows, knowing that showing even a single ounce of fear would mean absolute defeat.
She arrived at the gala wearing a stunning, blood-red velvet gown, walking directly into the blinding storm of camera flashes.
She kept her head held incredibly high, projecting an aura of absolute, unbreakable power that stunned the desperate reporters.
Inside the grand ballroom, the crowd parted like the Red Sea as Claire elegantly made her way toward the VIP section.
Julian Vance was already standing there, swirling a glass of champagne with a deeply arrogant, highly punchable smirk on his face.
He approached Claire smoothly, mockingly offering his false condolences for the sudden, tragic collapse of her family's flawless reputation.
Julian leaned in incredibly close, aggressively whispering that she should sell the company to him tonight before she lost absolutely everything.
Claire did not flinch, nor did she break eye contact with the ruthless billionaire attempting to intimidate her.
She calmly informed Julian that a true queen does not negotiate with thieves, and she certainly does not bow to blackmail.
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She gracefully turned her back on him, leaving Julian seething with absolute rage in the middle of the crowded ballroom.
Claire knew the documents were completely fake, but she needed irrefutable proof to destroy Julian before the market opened on Monday.
