Chapter 2

After hanging up, I immediately instructed HR to draft his appointment notice.

At the same time, I contacted a friend, set up an irrevocable trust for my assets, and cut off all of Scarlett's credit cards and financial support.

I've been in the business world for twenty years, Eleanor Vance. I've navigated the choppiest waters; nothing fazes me. Liam wouldn't seriously think he could control me just by using my daughter, would he?

Whispers spread through the company. No one understood why I was bringing in a fresh-faced kid to be the new CEO.

But I knew exactly what I was doing. It was about pushing him into a corner. Otherwise, my daughter would fall into a true abyss, drained dry, bone and blood, by a leech like Liam.

Sure enough, Liam got the message. He arranged to meet me in a private lounge at a high-end club.

When I arrived, Liam was already seated, impeccably dressed in a suit, a fancy gift box on the table in front of him.

I had to admit, Liam had good looks, alright. With those charming, almost too-sincere eyes that could make any girl swoon, he was a real heartbreaker.

He saw me, politely stood up, poured me tea, and pulled out my chair.

"Ms. Vance, I think you might have misunderstood me," he began, his smile perfectly composed, his manner respectful. "I'd like to speak with you as a respectful junior."

"The Sterling Group reported me for demanding exorbitant kickbacks," he explained, holding my gaze. "That's only because I'm strict about quality. I found a box of slightly damaged goods, and they tried to pass it off. I refused." He pulled out a quality inspection report and placed it in front of me.

"And about me taking an intern to a hotel room? She had too much to drink at a client dinner that night. I had no choice but to take her to a hotel." He then showed me their SnapChat messages from the next day. It was just the intern thanking him, no hint of anything inappropriate.

He sighed, looking at me with feigned helplessness. "Ms. Vance, I know I come from a humble background, and I might not be good enough for Scarlett. But Scarlett and I are genuinely in love. She cried all night yesterday, and it broke my heart." He stood up, bowed deeply, his face radiating an air of righteous sincerity. "Ms. Vance, you came from humble beginnings too, didn't you? Just give me a chance, and I promise I won't let you down."

I stared coldly at Liam, cutting straight to the chase. "Liam, what if I don't give you that chance?"

His expression faltered for a second, then a wider, almost cruel smile flashed across his face. "Ms. Vance, why make things so drastic? If you support me, I'll treat you like my own mother. Wouldn't that be better than those arrogant trust-fund kids?"

"Eleanor," he continued, leaning forward, "Scarlett and I have already been intimate. With a little more effort, I'm sure we'll have a grandchild for you very soon. Do you really want Scarlett to be shamed and ridiculed by high society, a woman without proper standing?"

My heart clenched painfully. Scarlett had grown up in a mansion, her bedroom carpeted in wool, drinking imported milk. She attended the top international private schools, surrounded by children of the wealthy elite. My little princess, whom I had nurtured so carefully, I truly didn't want to see her dragged into the mud.

But Liam was wrong. I didn't get to where I am today by letting personal feelings cloud my judgment.

I slowly pulled out the trust agreement and slid it across the table. The moment his eyes landed on the 'beneficiary' clause, his face drained of all color.

He snatched the document, his expression contorted with rage. "Why?! Ryan Vance is an outsider, a distant relative! Is he closer to you than I am, your daughter's partner?"

I just gave him a cold, small smile. "Liam, your grand ambitions have come to nothing."

Liam slowly released the document, a chilling, cruel smile spreading across his face. "Eleanor, since you clearly don't care about Scarlett, then I guess I have no choice. I'll just have to drag her down to the bottom with me."