Chapter 6 - The Ultimatum in the Purple Dress
Diana saw Elliot wheel toward the back hallway, followed closely by Vanessa.
Instinct screaming in her chest, Diana grabbed Lily’s hand. “Come on, sweetie. Stay right behind me.”
They slipped out of the pantry and down the service corridor just in time to witness the confrontation near the entrance of Elliot’s private study.
Elliot had already rolled inside the doorway, but Vanessa intercepted him before he could close the heavy oak door, planting her hand against the wood to keep it open.
“What was that speech about, Vanessa?” Elliot demanded, his voice low, sharp, and laced with sudden, razor-sharp suspicion. “You didn't mention a charitable trust. You announced a asset consolidation structure. My lawyers didn't clear that.”
Vanessa’s sweet, angelic facade evaporated in an instant. The mask slipped, revealing the cold, calculating opportunist underneath.
“Your lawyers don't need to clear it, El,” Vanessa said, her voice dropping all pretense of warmth. “You signed the amendment at four o’clock this afternoon. It’s a legally binding corporate restructuring document. The primary commercial holdings are now co-managed under my family’s Delaware holding entity.”
Elliot stared at her, the blood draining from his face. For a terrifying second, the betrayal hit him harder than the Aspen ice ever had. It wasn't an accident this time; it was a premeditated, calculated hit executed by someone he had invited into his bed and his heart.
“You tricked me,” Elliot whispered, horror etched into every line of his face. “You lied about what was in the folder.”
“I didn't lie; you just didn't read the fine print,” Vanessa sneered, her eyes flashing with cold ambition. “You got sloppy, Elliot. Sitting in that chair made you soft. You wanted a pretty woman to tell you everything was going to be alright, and you forgot that business is war.”
She turned on her heel, intending to walk back to her guests, but stopped short.
Standing right behind her in the corridor were Diana and three-year-old Lily.
Vanessa’s face twisted into an ugly, venomous scowl. The presence of the maid and her child—witnesses to her mask slipping completely—triggered an immediate, vicious panic.
May you like
She lunged forward, towering over three-year-old Lily, her purple satin dress rustling sharply as she bent down and hissed the words that would seal her doom:
“Keep your little mouth shut before you get your mother fired.”
