Chapter 20 - The Walk Away
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Evelyn turned and began walking toward the grand double doors of the dining room.
“Evelyn, wait!” Ethan shouted, his chair crashing to the floor as he scrambled to his feet. “You can't just leave! We're married!”
She didn't stop. She didn't look back. The heavy wooden doors opened, held by a stunned valet, and Evelyn walked out into the cool, crisp air of the Santa Ynez valley.
Back in the dining room, the silence was deafening.
Ethan stood completely alone. Vanessa had already slipped out a side door, abandoning him to the wolves. The investors were packing their briefcases, their checkbooks firmly closed.
Robert Keller stood up, buttoning his jacket. He looked at Ethan with utter disgust.
“You had the smartest person in the room on your team, son,” the old distributor muttered. “And you threw her away because she made you feel small. Well, look at yourself now.”
Arthur Hale sank heavily into his chair, covering his face with his hands. The company was saved, but his legacy was entirely shattered. The throne was empty, and the only person capable of sitting on it had just walked out the door.
Outside, Evelyn handed the valet her ticket. A sleek black town car pulled up to the curb. She slid into the backseat, the leather cool against her skin.
Her phone buzzed in her purse. It was Martin Shaw.
The board is calling an emergency vote tomorrow to remove Ethan. They want you back. The investors won't stay unless you're in charge. What's your play?
Evelyn stared out the window as the car sped away from the sprawling Hale estate, leaving the strings of golden lights far behind in the darkness. She had destroyed the man who tried to erase her. She had proven her brilliance to the world.
She looked down at the glowing screen, the fate of a hundred-million-dollar empire resting entirely in her hands.
May you like
A small, genuine smile finally touched her lips.
She locked the phone, threw it into her purse, and leaned back into the shadows as the car drove off into the unknown night.
