Chapter 4

On the morning of the fourth day, the heavy iron door finally groaned open.

The harsh, blinding light of the corridor flooded the cell, forcing me to narrow my eyes against the glare.

Drew stood in the doorway, his eyes filled with a complicated mixture of guilt and pity.

"Ms. Sterling, Mr. Blackwood has requested your presence in the penthouse boardroom," he said quietly.

I braced my hand against the damp stone wall and stood up, calmly brushing the dust off my clothes. Though my body was slightly weak from seventy-two hours of fasting, my mind had never been sharper.

I knew the final act of this comedy was about to begin.

I followed Drew into the executive elevator, riding it all the way back to the top floor.

When the heavy double doors of the main boardroom were pushed open, I found the long conference table already packed with the senior elders and high-ranking executives of Blackwood Group.

Olaf sat at the head of the table, looking incredibly pleased with himself. Beside him sat Sarah, acting like she already owned the place.

The moment I stepped inside, the murmurs in the room died down instantly. Every eye in the room locked onto me. I saw pity, I saw mockery, but above all, I saw cold apathy.

Making a straight line for the far end of the table, I pulled back a chair and settled in.

Olaf picked up a thick legal document and slid it aggressively across the polished wood, letting it come to a stop right in front of my hands.

"Sign it," he spoke in a harsh, clipped tone, issuing a command that left absolutely no room for argument.

I lowered my eyes to scan the bold lettering on the cover page: [Equity Transfer and Executive Termination Agreement]

"What is the meaning of this?" I asked a question I already knew the answer to, my voice sounding raspy.

Olaf let out a cold chuckle, leaning forward and resting his interlaced fingers on the table.

"It means that as of this exact moment, your tenure as Chief Executive of Blackwood Group is officially over," he said. "Every single share, project, and core development plan under your name is being legally transferred to Sarah."

He gestured proudly to Sarah preening at his side. "Consider it a gift to celebrate her pregnancy."

Sarah stroked her stomach, looking down the table at me with a triumphant smirk. "Don't go blaming Olaf for being ruthless, Augusta. It's your own fault you couldn't even manage to get pregnant.

"Let's face it, the whole point of a she-wolf is to carry the next generation. Since you're useless at that, why are you still running the company?"

Around the table, the elders began nodding their heads in absolute agreement.

"Indeed, the continuation of the bloodline must always take precedence," one elder proclaimed.

"Ms. Collins is carrying Mr. Blackwood's flesh and blood, so she naturally deserves the absolute best security and compensation the pack can provide," another added.

"Sign the papers, Augusta," a third elder urged. "Mr. Blackwood has already been incredibly generous. He promised that as long as you execute the transfer today, you'll be allowed to stay on at the estate as a domestic worker. You won't starve."

They took turns throwing their words at me, acting as though they were offering some grand act of charity.

I watched those idiots put on their high-and-mighty acts, finding the entire scene pathetic.

For five years, I was the one who had led them through the brutal trenches of Wall Street, bleeding for the deals that secured the luxurious lives they enjoyed today. Now, they were happily joining forces to throw me out like trash.

"And what happens if I refuse to sign?" I asked, leaning back against my chair and crossing my arms as I looked Olaf dead in the eye.

Olaf's expression instantly turned murderous, and he slammed his fist onto the table with a deafening crash.

"You don't have a choice in the matter," he roared. "The entire floor is completely locked down by my guard. If you do not put your signature on that document today, I will ensure you do not walk out of this room alive."

He had cut off every possible exit, fully intending to use brute force to break my resolve.

Seeing me cornered, Sarah laughed even louder, her voice echoing off the glass walls. "What good did all your five years of hard work do you, Augusta?

"In the end, your entire career still lost to my womb. Hurry up and sign the papers so you can get your ass down to the kitchen to prep the meals. Stop embarrassing yourself."

Olaf rose to his feet and stepped right into my space, looking down his nose at me as he thrusted a finger directly into my face.

"Don't push my patience," he hissed. "I am going to count to three. If you haven't signed by then, I will personally break your legs and press your bloody thumbprint onto the page myself."

He was completely intoxicated by his own perceived power, already savoring the image of me weeping at his feet.

I didn't even glance at the contract. Instead, I reached into my pocket, pulled out a pristine wet wipe, and began calmly cleaning the dust from my fingers. My movements remained fluid, elegant, and entirely unbothered.

"Olaf, you seem to have a very short memory," I said and looked up, locking eyes with him with razor-sharp intensity. "Who exactly is listed as the founding owner of Blackwood Group?"

The entire boardroom fell into a sudden, suffocating silence.

The arrogant smirk on Olaf's face froze instantly, and his pupils shrank into tiny, terrified pinpricks.