CHAPTER 2 — The Woman They Called a Burden
No one dared breathe.
The CEO remained bowed before the woman everyone had just mocked.
The crystal chandeliers seemed to dim beneath the crushing silence.
The mistress's smile disappeared.
The engagement ring slipped from her fingers...
...and landed on the marble floor with a sharp metallic sound.
Clink.
The sound echoed through the ballroom.
The ex-fiancé frowned.
"What... what are you doing?"
The CEO slowly raised his head.
His expression remained calm.
"I am greeting the Chairwoman of the Horizon Global Group."
The room froze.
Someone laughed nervously.
"That's impossible."
Another executive whispered,
"Did he just say... Chairwoman?"
The CEO turned toward the crowd.
"For the last five years, she has been the majority shareholder of this company."
He looked directly at the ex-fiancé.
"The only reason your division survived was because she approved every investment request you submitted."
Color drained from his face.
"No..."
The CEO handed a leather folder to the woman.
"Your board meeting is ready."
She accepted it without saying a word.
Then...
She finally looked at the man who had once promised to love her forever.
"I gave you opportunities."
"I gave you trust."
"I even gave you my heart."
Her eyes never left his.
"You mistook kindness for weakness."
The ex-fiancé shook his head desperately.
"You... you hid all of this?"
She gave a faint smile.
"I wanted someone who loved me."
"Not my title."
Silence.
Then she slowly removed a simple silver bracelet from her wrist.
Inside was the encrypted executive access chip every director of Horizon Global recognized instantly.
Gasps spread across the ballroom.
Every executive stood.
One after another.
Until the entire room was standing before her.
Except two people.
Her ex-fiancé...
...and the mistress.
Both too stunned to move.
Everything they thought they owned...
Had just vanished.