Chapter 248

Evelyn Sinclair sat regally at the head of the conference table, her manicured fingers slowly turning pages of the damning documents before her. The cold disdain in her emerald eyes could freeze molten lava.

"You arrived just in time." Her voice dripped with venom. "Explain to me how you stole Kingsley Tech's proprietary medical research?"

Genevieve Dawson stiffened visibly, but Margaret Dawson recovered faster. "Stole? That's preposterous! We invested heavily in our own R&D team at the Charleston branch."

Margaret gestured dramatically. "We've secured pre-orders from seventeen major corporations totaling over a billion dollars. Evelyn, this is a golden opportunity we can't afford to miss."

Evelyn's laughter was sharp enough to cut glass. "Pre-sales? With penalty clauses triple the contract value?" She leaned forward, her gaze piercing. "Did you honestly think I wouldn't discover your little scheme?"

The entire boardroom held its breath. All eyes darted between the three women - the Sterling heiress versus the Dawson mother-daughter duo who'd been running the Charleston branch like personal fiefdom.

Margaret's lips curled in triumph. "Your uncle Charles personally approved this venture. While we may not share the Sterling name, his authority here is absolute."

Evelyn didn't even blink. "I've already filed criminal charges with the Charleston PD. Every executive involved in this fraud will be prosecuted - from the boardroom to the mailroom."

She'd coordinated with William Sterling before this confrontation. The Charleston branch required complete restructuring after this scandal.

Genevieve's face drained of color. Margaret's confident smirk faltered. They'd banked on Evelyn backing down if they dragged Charles Sterling into this.

The heavy oak doors burst open. "What the hell is going on here?" Charles Sterling stormed in, his face purple with rage. Clearly Margaret's people had fed him a distorted version of events.

Margaret immediately clung to his arm like a lifeline. "Charles! Thank God you're here! Your niece has gone completely rogue - she's trying to have us all arrested!"

Charles turned his fury on Evelyn. "You have no authority here! This is my division!"

Evelyn met his rage with icy calm. "The Charleston branch stands accused of intellectual property theft from Kingsley Tech. The police are already investigating."

"You called the cops? On family?" Charles sputtered. "This is an internal matter! Patent disputes happen daily in our industry - most never get resolved due to lack of concrete evidence!"

Genevieve chimed in indignantly, "We're making money for the Sterling Corporation! Shouldn't we be working together instead of tearing each other down?"

Evelyn's smile could curdle milk. "You're not worthy of partnership."

Charles exploded. "How dare you speak to me like that!"

"Tell me, Uncle Charles," Evelyn purred, "how quickly you forgave these two for keeping a lover behind your back. Do you enjoy being cuckolded?"

Charles slammed both fists on the conference table with a thunderous crash. The room plunged into shocked silence, every executive gaping at Evelyn's nuclear verbal strike.

Evelyn remained perfectly composed in her seat, observing with cold amusement as Genevieve and Margaret's faces drained of color.

A bitter smirk curled at the corners of her lips.

They really thought they could challenge me?

Margaret reacted first, her carefully constructed facade crumbling instantly.

The venom in her glare was unmistakable.

Her words came out in a poisonous hiss.

"Evelyn Sinclair, you manipulative witch! How dare you speak to Charles that way?"

She leaned forward, her manicured nails digging into the armrests.

"Was your mother too busy dying to teach you basic decency?"

The air in the room turned glacial.

Evelyn's fingers twitched imperceptibly, the only outward sign of the storm brewing beneath her calm exterior.

Genevieve gasped dramatically, clutching her pearls in fake shock.

But Evelyn saw the calculating gleam in the younger woman's eyes.

This little performance had been rehearsed.

The tension stretched taut between them, like a wire about to snap.

Somewhere in the mansion, a clock chimed ominously.

Evelyn finally moved, rising with the grace of a panther stalking its prey.

Her voice, when she spoke, was deceptively soft.

"My mother," she said slowly, "taught me everything I needed to know about dealing with snakes."

Margaret flinched as if struck.

Genevieve's smug expression faltered.

And in that charged moment, Evelyn knew - the game had changed.

The first domino had fallen.

Now they would all see where the pieces landed.