Chapter 247
Chapter 247:
“You’re staring, old man,” Duncan Whitaker, my Beta, murmured as he held out his crystal glass for a refill of the vintage Cabernet.
“I’m watching over what belongs to me,” I corrected, pouring the wine without spilling a drop. “There’s a difference p>
Duncan smirked, leaning against the stainless steel counter. “Well, you can rest easy. The board vote concluded at 4:00 PM sharp. It was a bloodbath p>
The laughter in the lounge died down as Azalea and Adella glanced over. Adella’s eyes were wide and unguarded. She had no idea what I had set in motion while she was in the shower that morning.
“A bloodbath?” Adella asked, her voice catching slightly. “What happened p>
Azalea took a slow sip of her drink, her eyes gleaming with the same ruthless intelligence she had inherited from me. “Dad didn’t tell you? The Hyde Pack is essentially defunct as of this afternoon p>
Adella rose from her seat, her glass clinking dangerously against the low table. “Defunct? But they’re one of the oldest families in the region p>
I set the tongs down and wiped my hands on a towel, my expression impassive. “They were p>
𝘞𝘦 𝘶p𝖽𝖺𝘵e 𝖾ve𝗿𝘺 𝗐𝗲е𝗄 о𝗻 ѕ.𝖼𝗼m
“Dallas instructed me to freeze Hyde Corp’s credit lines at 9:00 AM,” Duncan explained, with the casual ease of someone discussing the weather. “By noon, we triggered the recall clauses on their outstanding loans through our subsidiary banks. Their liquidity evaporated. The stock plummeted ninety percent before the market even closed p>
Adella looked from Duncan to me, her face pale. “You… you bankrupted them p>
“I wasn’t finished,” I said, my voice low and measured. I walked around the counter and closed the distance between us. “At 4:00 PM, the Elders of the Hyde Pack convened. I presented them with the security footage from The Aurelia—the footage of Braydon putting his hands on you p>
I stopped in front of her. The scent of her unease spiked, souring the sweet aroma of her skin. I hated that I frightened her, but she needed to understand.
“They voted him out,” Azalea finished, popping an olive into her mouth. “Unanimously. To salvage what little reputation they have left. Braydon Hyde has been stripped of his title, his shares, and his inheritance. He’s a pauper, Adella p>
Silence descended on the terrace, heavy and still. The wind whipped at Adella’s hair, blowing loose strands across her face. She looked at me as though she were seeing a stranger—a monster wearing a man’s skin.
“Come,” I said quietly, extending my hand.
She hesitated for a heartbeat, then placed her cold fingers in mine. I led her away from the others to a quiet corner of the terrace where a black iron bench sat nestled among wind-resistant shrubs. The noise of the city felt distant here, muffled by the heavy, possessive thrum of my own pulse.
She drew her hand back and wrapped her arms around herself. “Did you ruin him?” she whispered, staring out into the darkness.
“Yes.” I didn’t blink. I didn’t apologize.
“Because he touched me p>