Chapter 3
"No, you can't do this to me. I'm the CEO of Foster Group. My father handed this company down to me." Daniel's eyes were bloodshot, as if he were a beast cornered with nowhere to run. He couldn't accept the truth.
One moment, he was the untouchable CEO, calling the shots for tens of thousands of employees. Next, he was nothing but a kicked-out loser. The brutal plunge from the top to rock bottom nearly pushed him over the edge.
Joshua and the other directors looked at him with icy indifference. Business was war, and the winner took all. No one would waste sympathy on a loser.
"Daniel, it's over. Try to keep some dignity," Joshua said, impatience clear in his tone. "The new shareholder will be here any minute. Don't embarrass yourself in front of everyone."
'New shareholder?' Daniel clung to that thought like it was his last lifeline, thinking, 'If I can convince them, if I can show them what I'm really capable of, maybe I still have a shot at turning things around.'
He straightened his rumpled collar, took a deep breath, and forced himself to stay calm. "Fine, I'll wait. I want to see who this big shot is, who's bold enough to pull off something like this."
As soon as he finished speaking, the office door swung open again. A middle-aged man in a black suit and gold-rimmed glasses walked in, carrying a refined, scholarly vibe. Two burly bodyguards followed close behind.
The moment Joshua and the others saw him, their faces instantly shifted to respectful smiles, and they all moved forward in unison to greet him.
"Andrew, you're here."
"Please, have a seat. Make yourself comfortable."
Andrew gave a polite nod, his gaze sweeping across the room before finally settling on Daniel.
His eyes were steady, but carried an unspoken authority that sent a chill down Daniel's spine.
"I assume this is Mr. Foster," Andrew said coolly, pushing up his glasses.
Daniel pushed aside his anxiety and forced a smile. "That's me. And you are?"
"My name is Andrew. I'm the representative of Legacy Capital and the personal assistant to our chairwoman," Andrew replied.
Daniel's heart skipped a beat. He quickly asked, "So, who is your chairwoman..."
Andrew seemed to see right through him and interrupted calmly. "Our chairwoman has a packed schedule. She doesn't need to bother with something so insignificant."
'Insignificant? Buying out a company worth billions is a minor thing to them?' Daniel's heart sank as he thought.
He finally realized he'd run into an immovable wall, one he could never hope to shake. Still, he refused to accept defeat.
"Andrew, I won't deny it. Your company's got real power. But with me at the helm, Foster Group's been climbing steadily for years, and the future's looking brighter than ever.
"Kicking me out like this would be a massive loss for the company." Daniel was trying desperately to use his worth and abilities to fight for one last shot.
Andrew's lips curled into a faint, mocking smile. "Steady growth? Mr. Foster, are you referring to the time you siphoned off company funds to buy your mistress a mansion and a luxury car, tanking the budget for a key project?
"That's your idea of steady growth? Or maybe you mean leaking the company's core trade secrets to a rival, to win your mistress's favor? Is that what you call a bright future?"
With every word Andrew spoke, Daniel's face turned a shade paler.
He'd been so careful, making sure no one else knew about any of this.
'How the hell does Andrew know?' Daniel wondered.
"You're lying. Don't you dare accuse me." Daniel tried to sound tough.
Andrew smiled, pulled out a thick stack of papers from his briefcase, and dropped them onto the table. "Lying?
"Mr. Foster, here's every single bank record of your embezzlement, the phone calls you had with Ms. Irving, and all the emails you sent to your competitor.
"The evidence is ironclad. Still think you can worm your way out of this? Oh, and by the way, we're not just kicking you out. We're also suing you for embezzlement and leaking company secrets. Enjoy the rest of your life behind bars."
Daniel's mind was ringing as if a bomb had gone off. 'It's over. Everything's finished,' he thought.
He slumped into his chair, his face ashen. He had no idea when he'd managed to piss off someone this terrifying.
They'd crushed his company overnight and dug up every dirty secret he ever had. This was power on a whole other level, almost supernatural.
"Why? Why are you doing this to me?" Daniel muttered, dazed and desperate.
Andrew towered over him, not a hint of sympathy in his gaze. "Why? Because you crossed the one person our chairwoman cares about most."
'The one person his chairwoman cares about most?' Daniel's mind spun, faces flashing by in a blur. 'Was it a business rival? Or someone from my personal life?'
He wracked his brain, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't figure out which big shot he'd managed to offend.
Just then, the sharp click of high heels echoed from outside the office.
The sound grew closer, each step landing right on Daniel's heart. Everyone's eyes were drawn to the door, unable to look away.
There, framed in the doorway, stood a woman in a white Chanel couture suit, her figure impossibly graceful. Her makeup was flawless, her lips a fiery red, and she radiated an aura that demanded attention.
Daniel knew her all too well. It was Amelia.
"A-Amelia?" Daniel's eyes went wide, and he could barely believe what he was seeing.
The Amelia standing before him was a far cry from the meek housewife he used to know, always in pajamas, bare-faced, and keeping her head down.
Now, she was like a queen, her aura so dazzling that it made him want to look away. And three days ago, he'd kicked her out without a second thought, like tossing out garbage.
Amelia strode toward him, her high heels clicking rhythmically on the floor, each step slow and deliberate. A frosty smile curled at her lips. "Daniel? Or should I call you my dear ex-husband? Are you enjoying the divorce present I left for you?"