Chapter 2
Hailey pulled out her private phone, the one that had been powered off for years, and dialed a number she hadn't touched in three years.
The call connected. On the other end, a man's voice came through, shaky and full of reverence.
He said, "Ms. Sterling, you finally answered my call?"
Hailey stood under the streetlight, rain dripping from her hair. Her eyes were cold as steel; there was no trace of the meek housewife she once was.
She said, "Notify headquarters. Pull all angel funding from Grant Holdings.
"And tomorrow morning, I want my comeback to make the headline at the Harbor City Business Summit.
"So, the Grants are dreaming of reaching new heights?"
Hailey let out a cold laugh. A globally limited black Rolls-Royce glided to a stop in front of her, as a bodyguard in black bowed in deference.
She said, "What I gave, I can take back whenever I want."
The rain in Harbor City poured down all night.
Inside the Grant estate, Lynn was leisurely trimming the flower branches, in high spirits. She said, "Charles, that jinx is finally gone. Did Yura sleep well last night? That's the kind of daughter-in-law the Grant family deserves."
Charles sat on the couch, absentmindedly running his fingers over the divorce papers.
Hailey had left so decisively.
It was so decisive, it almost felt like he had lost something important.
"Where else could she possibly go?" Charles said icily. "No money, no connections—she probably spent last night hiding out in some dingy basement, trying to keep out of the rain."
Right then, Ryan Lane, Charles's assistant, rushed in, drenched in cold sweat, and said in a shaking voice, "Mr. Grant, something's gone terribly wrong!"
"Stop panicking. What's the matter?" Charles' brows knitted tightly.
Ryan's face was ashen. "Phoenix Capital... they've pulled out. Just thirty minutes ago, they sent a legal notice, saying our business philosophies don't match.
"All angel funding is gone, and... and they're demanding we repay every bridge loan within three days."
Charles shot to his feet, coffee spilling all over the floor.
He asked, "Phoenix Capital? The biggest venture capital firm in the world?"
Grant Holdings' explosive growth these past three years had all been bankrolled by Phoenix Capital. He had no clue who the legendary Boss S behind it really was.
"How is this possible? Everything was fine yesterday." Charles was stunned.
"Get the car ready. We're going to Harbor Tower. It's the Harbor City Business Summit today, and I heard Boss S will be there in person. I need to clear things up directly."
*****
At Harbor Tower, luxury cars crowded the entrance, and the media's camera flashes were so intense they nearly turned day into night.
Charles hurried out of the car with Ryan, only to run into Yura, his first love, who was also dressed to impress.
"Charles, why do you look so pale?" Yura asked as she slipped her arm through his, her voice sweet and soothing. "It's just an investor, isn't it? With your talent, investors should be lining up for you."
Charles nodded absentmindedly, his eyes searching the crowd.
Just then, a Rolls-Royce Phantom with the plate number HC-00001 glided to a stop at the end of the red carpet.
The entire crowd fell silent.
The mayor of Harbor City, the president of the chamber of commerce, and even the heads of the city's most powerful families all held their breath and rushed toward the car door.
"That's Boss S, the founder of Phoenix Capital."
Charles took a deep breath, straightened his tie, and got ready to step forward and present his business card.
The car door swung open, and a black stiletto heel touched down first, showing off a delicate, fair ankle that was stunning enough to steal one's breath.
Next, a woman stepped out in a custom-tailored black suit dress, her long hair softly curled, her gaze cold as ice and sharp as a blade.
In that moment, the smile Charles had carefully rehearsed froze on his face.
He blurted out, "H-Hailey?"
Yura shrieked, "What are you doing here? How did someone like you, a waitress, even manage to sneak in?"
Hailey stood firm, not even bothering to look their way.
She took the black sunglasses from her bodyguard and slipped them on with effortless cool, exuding pure boss energy, like she had transformed into someone else entirely.
"Hailey, are you insane?" Charles grabbed her wrist, hissing under his breath.
"I know you're upset about the divorce, but this is the business summit. Whose invitation did you swipe to get in here? Get out before security throws you out, and stop disgracing the Grant family!"
Hailey stopped in her tracks.
She turned her head slowly, peering at Charles from behind her sunglasses, her lips curling into a razor-sharp, contemptuous smirk.
Hailey said, "Mr. Grant."
She shook off his hand with a poised, elegant motion, like she was flicking away something beneath her.
"First, we're divorced. Your reputation? That's your problem, not mine.
"Second," she stepped forward, her voice icy and clear, "what you should really be worried about is your crumbling stock price, not me."
"You—!" Charles was about to snap, but then he noticed the big shots were already gathering around them.
The president of the chamber of commerce, George Warren, who used to treat Charles with respect, now pushed past him and bowed deeply to Hailey, with deep reverence.
He said, "Ms. Sterling, you're finally back to lead the way. The investment landscape in Harbor City has been shaped by your decisions these past few years."
Charles felt like he had been hit by lightning, rooted to the spot.
Ms. Sterling?
Wait, which Ms. Sterling?
"You flatter me, Mr. Warren," Hailey replied coolly, her gaze sweeping over Charles' face, which was frozen in shock. "I'm back to clean up some bad assets."
She deliberately stressed the words bad assets.
"Ms. Sterling, Mr. Grant says you're his ex-wife, and he claims you—" George added. Ryan looked like he might collapse from fear.
Hailey gave a light, dismissive laugh, casually adjusting her cuff with the media watching, completely unfazed.
She replied, "Ex-wife? Mr. Grant's got it all wrong. My only tie to the Grant family is strictly creditor-debtor, nothing personal.
"As for Grant Holdings—"
Hailey turned to Charles, her gaze stripped of any lingering affection; now, it held only the cold, merciless edge of a true power player.
She added, "From this moment on, Phoenix Capital is officially launching a hostile takeover of Grant Holdings.
"Charles, every bite I fed you these past three years? I want it all spit back out, one morsel at a time."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.