Chapter 3 · He Brought Her, I Brought the End

Chapter 3

Some of the Collins family were already whispering among themselves.

My father set down his cup and finally spoke, "Whatever Emily decides, that's the Carter family's decision."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried real authority.

There was no turning back now.

Andrew clenched his hands.

Then he finally reached out and picked up the document.

The paper made a soft rustling sound in his hand.

He didn't sign his name right away. Instead, he glanced at me, his gaze conflicted.

He looked reluctant, still weighing his choices.

But at this point, it didn't matter.

I didn't rush him. I sat there waiting, completely calm.

A few seconds later, he tossed the document back onto the table.

"I'm not signing it," he said, his voice cold and sharp, as if he were forcing himself to keep it together.

I nodded. "That's fine," I replied.

I took the document back and closed it. "I can end it on my own. That's all it takes."

My words were quiet, but they cut off his last bit of control. Anger flickered in his eyes.

Sophia stood off to the side, clearly rattled. She tried to jump in, "Actually, tonight—"

I raised my hand, stopping her cold.

It was a small move, but it made her go silent instantly.

"You're not in a position to join this conversation," I said.

She froze. The color drained from her face.

Everyone at the table stared, but nobody came to her rescue.

She finally got it. She was way out of line.

Andrew's patience finally snapped.

He stood up abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor.

"Emily, you'll regret this," he said, his voice low but thick with emotion.

I stared at him, saying nothing about that. Instead, I replied coolly, "Take care."

Those two words were clean and final. His face darkened, and he turned to leave.

Sophia froze for a moment and then rushed after him.

She nearly tripped over her dress in her hurry. Her exit was anything but graceful.

The dining room fell silent again. The tension from before still lingered in the air.

Someone cleared their throat, and someone else picked up their wine glass to hide their feelings.

I handed the document to the lawyer. "Take care of the rest," I said.

He nodded and put the document away quickly.

My father shot me a look, and I caught a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

"Let's eat," he said. His tone was casual, like nothing had happened.

I sat back down. The food in front of me was still hot.

I picked up my fork and took a bite. It tasted like any other day.

But the air was different now.

All the fake politeness and scheming around the Collins family disappeared in a flash.

Everyone was sizing up the new situation.

I kept my head down, eating calmly.

But inside, I knew exactly what was going on.

The line had been crossed.

From here on out, there was no going back.

*****

After the family dinner, I didn't stick around.

Olivia had already taken the folder away and set everything up for the next steps.

As the elevator doors closed and everything went quiet, I finally let the tension in my shoulders melt away.

I felt no exhaustion, but the lightness that came from finally cutting the cord.

The next morning, I showed up at the office right on time.

The glass facade of the Carter Group headquarters reflected the morning sun, sharp and icy.

When I walked into the conference room, the CFO, the head of investment, and the chief legal officer were already there.

They had clearly heard the rumors. Everyone looked tense and cautious.

I sat down and placed the file in my hand on the table.

"All projects with the Collins family are suspended," I announced.

My voice wasn't sharp, but each word cut through the room.

The CFO spoke up first, sounding a bit hesitant. "Ms. Carter, we're still waiting to recoup our investment with the Collins family. If we stop now—"

I raised my hand, stopping him from continuing.

"I've already checked the cash flow," I replied.

I opened the file, found the right pages, and slid them across the table.

"Their three main projects are all running on our money," I added.

I tapped a line on one of the pages.

Then I declared, "If we stop the funding, they'll be out of business in less than two weeks."

Chapter 3

Some of the Collins family were already whispering among themselves.

My father set down his cup and finally spoke, "Whatever Emily decides, that's the Carter family's decision."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried real authority.

There was no turning back now.

Andrew clenched his hands.

Then he finally reached out and picked up the document.

The paper made a soft rustling sound in his hand.

He didn't sign his name right away. Instead, he glanced at me, his gaze conflicted.

He looked reluctant, still weighing his choices.

But at this point, it didn't matter.

I didn't rush him. I sat there waiting, completely calm.

A few seconds later, he tossed the document back onto the table.

"I'm not signing it," he said, his voice cold and sharp, as if he were forcing himself to keep it together.

I nodded. "That's fine," I replied.

I took the document back and closed it. "I can end it on my own. That's all it takes."

My words were quiet, but they cut off his last bit of control. Anger flickered in his eyes.

Sophia stood off to the side, clearly rattled. She tried to jump in, "Actually, tonight—"

I raised my hand, stopping her cold.

It was a small move, but it made her go silent instantly.

"You're not in a position to join this conversation," I said.

She froze. The color drained from her face.

Everyone at the table stared, but nobody came to her rescue.

She finally got it. She was way out of line.

Andrew's patience finally snapped.

He stood up abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor.

"Emily, you'll regret this," he said, his voice low but thick with emotion.

I stared at him, saying nothing about that. Instead, I replied coolly, "Take care."

Those two words were clean and final. His face darkened, and he turned to leave.

Sophia froze for a moment and then rushed after him.

She nearly tripped over her dress in her hurry. Her exit was anything but graceful.

The dining room fell silent again. The tension from before still lingered in the air.

Someone cleared their throat, and someone else picked up their wine glass to hide their feelings.

I handed the document to the lawyer. "Take care of the rest," I said.

He nodded and put the document away quickly.

My father shot me a look, and I caught a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

"Let's eat," he said. His tone was casual, like nothing had happened.

I sat back down. The food in front of me was still hot.

I picked up my fork and took a bite. It tasted like any other day.

But the air was different now.

All the fake politeness and scheming around the Collins family disappeared in a flash.

Everyone was sizing up the new situation.

I kept my head down, eating calmly.

But inside, I knew exactly what was going on.

The line had been crossed.

From here on out, there was no going back.

*****

After the family dinner, I didn't stick around.

Olivia had already taken the folder away and set everything up for the next steps.

As the elevator doors closed and everything went quiet, I finally let the tension in my shoulders melt away.

I felt no exhaustion, but the lightness that came from finally cutting the cord.

The next morning, I showed up at the office right on time.

The glass facade of the Carter Group headquarters reflected the morning sun, sharp and icy.

When I walked into the conference room, the CFO, the head of investment, and the chief legal officer were already there.

They had clearly heard the rumors. Everyone looked tense and cautious.

I sat down and placed the file in my hand on the table.

"All projects with the Collins family are suspended," I announced.

My voice wasn't sharp, but each word cut through the room.

The CFO spoke up first, sounding a bit hesitant. "Ms. Carter, we're still waiting to recoup our investment with the Collins family. If we stop now—"

I raised my hand, stopping him from continuing.

"I've already checked the cash flow," I replied.

I opened the file, found the right pages, and slid them across the table.

"Their three main projects are all running on our money," I added.

I tapped a line on one of the pages.

Then I declared, "If we stop the funding, they'll be out of business in less than two weeks."