Chapter 39 - The Meeting
Before the explosive press release could go live, Elena received an unexpected, highly secure phone call on her private line. The voice on the other end was smooth, cultured, and dripping with unmistakable arrogance.
"Ms. Escalante. I am Victor Vance. I believe we find ourselves in a rather unfortunate conflict of interests," the billionaire stated calmly.
"I wouldn't call extortion, corporate sabotage, and attempted theft a mere conflict of interest, Mr. Vance," Elena replied, her voice steady and icy cold. "I would call it criminal behavior."
Vance chuckled softly, entirely unbothered by her accusation. "You are remarkably feisty, just like your legendary mother. But let us be practical. You are sitting on land that contains billions of dollars in rare minerals. I want that land. I am willing to offer the Escalante Foundation a very generous, extremely lucrative donation in exchange for you quietly dropping your silly green-energy initiative."
"The land is permanently protected, and it is absolutely not for sale," Elena shot back immediately.
"Elena, please. Everyone has a price," Vance sneered. "If you refuse, I will deploy the Vanguard Syndicate again. And next time, they won't just target your charitable bank accounts. They will target your family. They will fabricate scandals that will ensure your mother's pristine legacy is dragged through the toxic mud."
Elena gripped the phone tightly, her knuckles turning white. The blatant threat against her mother ignited a furious inferno within her.
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"You are incredibly mistaken about how the world works, Mr. Vance," Elena said, her voice dropping to a lethal, quiet register. "You rely on fear and shadows. Tomorrow morning, you will find out exactly what happens when you step into the light. Do not ever call this number again."
She slammed the receiver down. The time for negotiations was completely over.
