♣ CHAPTER 32 ♣
The next day,Kate sat in her office, eyes fixed on the report in front of her. Her fingers tapped the desk lightly. She had barely slept. The confrontation with Rachelle still played in her head.,The lies, The accusations and The anger.
Her phone buzzed. It was a message from Tina.
> "Don't let her get to you. You're stronger than this."
She has called Tina in the morning, when she was preparing for work, and has explained what happened to her the previous night and how William surprisingly defend her.
Kate smiled a little, then stood up and walked to the window. The city was alive,Busy,Loud and Ruthless.
Just like business.
A voice echoed in her head—"This company must stay in the family. You'll have to fight for it."
And she would.
A knock on the door.
"Come in," she said.
One of the senior board members stepped in. Mr. Alfred. He is Old, tall, and always watching.
"Miss Kate," he said. "The board meeting is in twenty minutes."
"I'll be there," she replied.
He nodded and walked out.
She straightened her jacket, grabbed her files, and headed to the boardroom.
The moment she stepped in, whispers started. Some men looked away. Some stared like she didn't belong there.
Kate walked to the head of the table and sat down.
The room went quiet.
"I called this meeting," she began, "because I'm tired of sitting at the edge. I'm part of this company. My father made me CEO before his death. And I intend to act like one."
Mr. Raymond scoffed. "With all due respect, Miss Kate, this isn't some charity project. Business is war."
Kate met his eyes. "Exactly. That's why I'm stepping in."
"We heard about what happened yesterday," another man said. "A woman stormed into your house and caused a scene. That kind of scandal affects our image."
Kate smiled coldly. "You mean Rachelle? The same woman who tried to destroy my name in Texas? She's desperate. And she's not part of this board."
"She's part of the media now," Alfred said calmly. "And public image matters."
"Then let's talk about image," Kate replied. She tossed a file on the table. "Those are the leaked figures from Carlos's fake deal with the foreign investors. I traced the source."
The room went silent.
She pointed at the last page. "It came from this building. From someone in this room."
Raymond frowned. "You're accusing us now?"
"No," she said. "I'm exposing the rot."
She stood up. "This company isn't just about old men sitting around a table. It's about progress. And I won't let anyone use me or this company for their selfish gains."
Mr. Alfred leaned forward. "What are you planning to do?"
Kate's eyes burned with fire. "Clean the board. Set new terms. And start a new project. One that brings in fresh investors. Clean ones."
"You're just a girl," Raymond muttered.
"And that girl just saved you from a lawsuit," she snapped back. "So either you stand with me, or you walk out."
There was Silence.
Then Mr. Alfred spoke. "She's right."
Everyone turned to him.
He looked at Kate and nodded. "You have my support."
Raymond stood up and walked out. He said No word. Just pride.
Kate sat back down, heart pounding.
She had won this round.
But she knew the war wasn't over.
Outside the room, Tina waited.
"How did it go?" she asked.
Kate smiled, feeling tired but proud. "I took the room."
"And Rachelle?"
Kate's smile vanished. "Let her come. I'm done being a target."
---
Kate stepped out of the boardroom with Tina by her side. Her heels clicked against the marble floor. Her face was calm, but her chest was tight. She had just challenged a room full of powerful men—and won.
Tina glanced at her. "You okay?"
Kate nodded slowly. "I'm fine. Just... tired. But I had to do it."
"You didn't just do it. You owned them," Tina said. "I'm proud of you."
Before Kate could respond, her phone rang. It was an unknown number. She hesitated, then answered.
"Hello?"
A deep voice came through. "Miss Kate Dray. I assume you know who this is."
Kate narrowed her eyes. "No, I don't."
"I'm Gregory Hunt. CEO of HuntCorp."
She froze. That name had power. Gregory was a shark in the business world.
"What do you want?"
"I heard about today's meeting. Impressive. You're making waves."
"I didn't know my boardroom was a theatre," she said dryly.
Gregory chuckled. "I like sharp women. That's why I'm calling. I have a proposal."
"I'm not interested."
"You haven't heard it."
Kate's voice was firm. "I don't deal with people who dig into my private life to gather dirt."
"You're mistaking me for Carlos. I'm not that messy. I do things clean."
"And I do things loyal."
"Loyalty won't protect you in this war," Gregory said. "People are turning against you. Even in your own company."
Kate stayed quiet for a second. "Let them. I'm not scared."
"You should be. You're in a lion's den. Your uncle is not your only problem."
"Is that a threat?"
"It's business, Kate. Only fools don't prepare for the second strike."
She ended the call without another word.
Tina stared at her. "Who was that?"
"Gregory Hunt. He just offered me help with poison in his hand."
Tina's eyes widened. "What are you going to do?"
Kate looked straight ahead. "I'm going to clean this company from the inside out. Starting now."
They entered her office. Kate walked straight to her desk and grabbed a file marked "Internal Audits."
"Tina, I need you to help me dig. Every signature. Every transaction. I want to know who Carlos has been working with."
"I'm on it," Tina said, already pulling her laptop out.
As they worked, the office door suddenly burst open.
It was William.
His eyes went straight to Kate.
"We need to talk."
Kate stood. "I'm in the middle of something."
"I don't care. This can't wait."
Tina looked between them. "I'll give you two a minute."
She stepped out and closed the door behind her.
Kate crossed her arms. "What is it now?"
William stepped closer. "I got a call from Carlos."
Her face hardened. "What did he say?"
"He's trying to cut a deal with me. Said he could offer me a majority stake in JONES Group if I pulled back my support from you."
Kate's stomach turned. "And what did you tell him?"
William's eyes darkened. "I told him to go to hell."
She breathed out. "Good."
"But Kate... there's more."
She raised an eyebrow. "More?"
"He's not working alone anymore. He's partnered with two foreign investors. One of them is under investigation in the UK for fraud. This is bigger than we thought."
Kate sat down slowly. "He's trying to destroy the company."
William nodded. "And he's willing to use anyone—including you—to do it."
Her voice lowered. "He was like a second father to me."
William looked at her for a long time. "That's the thing about betrayal. It always comes from the ones closest to you."
Kate swallowed hard.
"I'm not going to let him win," she said.
"Neither am I," William replied. "But you need to be careful. He's setting traps."
"Let him," she said, her eyes fierce. "I'm not just someone's daughter anymore. I'm the CEO now."
William stared at her, a flicker of something in his eyes. Respect? Maybe something else.
He walked to the door, paused, then turned back.
"For what it's worth... I'm proud of what you did today."
Kate looked up at him. "Thank you."
He left, and the room was quiet again.
Tina came back in. "Everything okay?"
Kate nodded. "No. But I'm ready."
Tina grinned. "That's my girl."