Chapter 6
Silence fell over the room as the full scope of the conspiracy laid bare between the two women.
Chloe dropped into a nearby armchair, her crimson gown pooling around her ankles like spilled blood.
"It was never about the money, was it?" Chloe asked, staring up at Elena with hollow eyes.
"It was about taking everything my family owned before we realized you knew the truth."
Elena pulled a silver flash drive from her cloak pocket, setting it gently on the glass coffee table.
"This drive contains every wire transfer, every bribe, and every recorded phone call since 2018," Elena said.
"Tomorrow morning, the Sterling family empire belongs entirely to me."
"Uncle Edward will never give you control!" Chloe yelled, her anger flaring back up like a dying flame.
"He built this company with his own hands! He trusts no one!"
The double doors opened once more, and Edward stepped into the room, his naval posture unbent.
He walked over to Elena, placing a heavy, protective hand on her velvet-draped shoulder.
"She isn't just my adopted daughter, Chloe," Edward declared, his voice ringing with absolute authority.
"She is my biological niece... the sole legal heir to the entire Sterling dynasty."
Chloe gasped, clutching her crimson bodice as if she had been struck by an invisible bullet.
"My father... my father lied to me?" Chloe whispered in total horror.
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"Your father tried to eradicate my true bloodline to claim my seat," Edward confirmed grimly.
"And you helped him torture the only innocent soul left in this family."
