Chapter 5 · Tricked Into a Divorce, I Crushed His Empire

Chapter 5

Three days went by.

As expected, Rose cashed out the last three percent she had.

Michael took over those shares.

By that point, I controlled 41.7% of Lane & Sutton Holdings through twelve different entities.

With the divorce settlement looming, Andrew's stake was likely to drop below fifteen percent.

On paper, Lane & Sutton Holdings was still his company.

But in reality, it had been mine for a long time.

That afternoon, I was in my studio, discussing a custom royal jewelry design with a client from abroad.

Then my phone buzzed.

It was a message from Simon. [The debt restructuring talks for Lane & Sutton Holdings collapsed. All three investment firms have walked away. Andrew's got nowhere left to turn.

[Tomorrow, the board's voting to start openly searching for strategic partners.

[Any investor holding more than thirty percent of the shares can step up and take control.]

I set my phone back down on the table.

The client sitting across from me was still going on about the sapphire cutting technique she wanted.

I smiled and nodded, my fist clenched tight under the table.

Then I loosened my grip.

After I got back, I sent Michael a quick message. [Tomorrow, show your cards.]

*****

The process was simpler than I'd expected.

Simon, acting on my behalf, submitted a letter of intent to the board of Lane & Sutton Holdings.

The letter spelled everything out: [The investor now legally holds 41.7% of Lane & Sutton Holdings. According to corporate law and the company's own rules, we are calling for a special shareholders' meeting to nominate new directors and shake up the management team.]

At 4:17 PM, when the board received the letter, my phone rang.

It was an unknown number.

I answered.

"Claire!" It was Andrew.

His voice was hoarse and cracked, as if someone were choking him.

"You're the investor?" he asked.

I leaned back in my chair. "You catch on fast, Mr. Lane."

"No way! You're a designer. How the hell did you get the money to buy forty percent of my company—"

"Andrew," I interrupted him. "You really never understood me, did you?"

He was breathing hard on the other end. "What the hell are you trying to do?"

"Weren't you looking for someone to save Lane & Sutton Holdings?" I said. "Well, here I am. But..." I paused. "My terms aren't like those three firms."

"What are your terms?"

"Let's save it for the shareholders' meeting tomorrow."

I hung up.

I set my phone down on the table.

My hands didn't shake at all.

*****

The special shareholders' meeting was set for 10 AM on Friday.

It was held in a large conference room on the 48th floor of Lane & Sutton Holdings' headquarters, with space for two hundred people.

By the time I arrived, the room was already packed.

Board members, executives, independent directors, the company's lawyers, and journalists from over a dozen media outlets were all there.

Everyone was murmuring, gossiping, craning their necks for news.

No one had a clue who this mysterious investor was, the one who'd suddenly appeared out of nowhere, holding forty-one percent of the shares.

The letter of intent listed the investor as Bright Horizon Capital.

It had only been registered for two years, virtually unknown, with no public record or traceable history.

At 9:58 AM, I walked into the room.

I stepped in wearing a black tailored dress with my hair in a sleek updo and those emerald earrings I'd designed myself. They were the ones that had gone for 2 million dollars at auction.

The whole room went dead silent for a second.

Then, a storm of whispers swept through the crowd.

"Isn't that Claire Sutton? Mr. Lane's ex-wife?"

"What's she doing here?"

"Wait, she owns Bright Horizon Capital?"

I walked straight over to the investor's spot by the podium.

Simon was already waiting for me. As soon as he saw me, he got up and pulled out a chair.

Directly across the long conference table, Andrew Lane sat facing me.

The moment he saw me, he froze in his seat, as if someone had nailed him to the chair.

His face went pale, the color draining away.

"You..." he started.

I took my seat.

Then I met his gaze.

"Mr. Lane, long time no see," I said.

Chapter 5

Three days went by.

As expected, Rose cashed out the last three percent she had.

Michael took over those shares.

By that point, I controlled 41.7% of Lane & Sutton Holdings through twelve different entities.

With the divorce settlement looming, Andrew's stake was likely to drop below fifteen percent.

On paper, Lane & Sutton Holdings was still his company.

But in reality, it had been mine for a long time.

That afternoon, I was in my studio, discussing a custom royal jewelry design with a client from abroad.

Then my phone buzzed.

It was a message from Simon. [The debt restructuring talks for Lane & Sutton Holdings collapsed. All three investment firms have walked away. Andrew's got nowhere left to turn.

[Tomorrow, the board's voting to start openly searching for strategic partners.

[Any investor holding more than thirty percent of the shares can step up and take control.]

I set my phone back down on the table.

The client sitting across from me was still going on about the sapphire cutting technique she wanted.

I smiled and nodded, my fist clenched tight under the table.

Then I loosened my grip.

After I got back, I sent Michael a quick message. [Tomorrow, show your cards.]

*****

The process was simpler than I'd expected.

Simon, acting on my behalf, submitted a letter of intent to the board of Lane & Sutton Holdings.

At 4:17 PM, when the board received the letter, my phone rang.

It was an unknown number.

I answered.

"Claire!" It was Andrew.

His voice was hoarse and cracked, as if someone were choking him.

"You're the investor?" he asked.

I leaned back in my chair. "You catch on fast, Mr. Lane."

"No way! You're a designer. How the hell did you get the money to buy forty percent of my company—"

"Andrew," I interrupted him. "You really never understood me, did you?"

He was breathing hard on the other end. "What the hell are you trying to do?"

"Weren't you looking for someone to save Lane & Sutton Holdings?" I said. "Well, here I am. But..." I paused. "My terms aren't like those three firms."

"What are your terms?"

"Let's save it for the shareholders' meeting tomorrow."

I hung up.

I set my phone down on the table.

My hands didn't shake at all.

*****

The special shareholders' meeting was set for 10 AM on Friday.

It was held in a large conference room on the 48th floor of Lane & Sutton Holdings' headquarters, with space for two hundred people.

By the time I arrived, the room was already packed.

Board members, executives, independent directors, the company's lawyers, and journalists from over a dozen media outlets were all there.

Everyone was murmuring, gossiping, craning their necks for news.

No one had a clue who this mysterious investor was, the one who'd suddenly appeared out of nowhere, holding forty-one percent of the shares.

The letter of intent listed the investor as Bright Horizon Capital.

It had only been registered for two years, virtually unknown, with no public record or traceable history.

At 9:58 AM, I walked into the room.

I stepped in wearing a black tailored dress with my hair in a sleek updo and those emerald earrings I'd designed myself. They were the ones that had gone for 2 million dollars at auction.

The whole room went dead silent for a second.

Then, a storm of whispers swept through the crowd.

"Isn't that Claire Sutton? Mr. Lane's ex-wife?"

"What's she doing here?"

"Wait, she owns Bright Horizon Capital?"

I walked straight over to the investor's spot by the podium.

Simon was already waiting for me. As soon as he saw me, he got up and pulled out a chair.

Directly across the long conference table, Andrew Lane sat facing me.

The moment he saw me, he froze in his seat, as if someone had nailed him to the chair.

His face went pale, the color draining away.

"You..." he started.

I took my seat.

Then I met his gaze.

"Mr. Lane, long time no see," I said.