Chapter 281
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Chapter 281:
Kieran staggered backward as though he had been struck. His spine hit the heavy glass wall with a dull thud. He slid down the smooth surface, his legs giving out entirely, until he was slumped on the floor — swallowed whole by a wave of regret and absolute defeat.
Gaston did not spare him another glance. He looked at the two bodyguards stationed by the door.
“Throw him out,” Gaston said coldly. “If he comes within a hundred yards of this building again, break both his legs p>
The two men stepped forward, took Kieran by the arms, and dragged him backward out of the office. The glass door swung shut behind them.
The room was quiet again.
Kieran shoved his weight against the heavy mahogany double doors of the Douglas Group boardroom. They slammed open, the brass handles crashing into the wood-paneled walls.
Inside, the room was freezing. Twelve senior executives sat around a massive polished table. A video conference with the Tokyo branch played on the wall-sized screen.
Kieran ignored them all. He marched straight to the head of the table, chest heaving. His expensive suit was torn at the shoulder — a souvenir from Gaston’s bodyguards an hour earlier.
His father, the patriarch of the Douglas family, sat at the head of the table. He did not flinch at the violent intrusion. He simply raised a hand, signaling the executives to cut the video feed. The screen went black.
Kieran slammed a thick manila folder onto the center of the table.
“Martha signed a sworn affidavit,” Kieran said, his voice raw. “Aspen locked Jocelyn in that attic. Aspen is a sociopath. She orchestrated the entire thing p>
𝗥о𝗆𝖺ոc𝖾 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝗽а𝘀𝘀𝘪𝗼n 𝗼𝗇
The patriarch looked down at the folder. He did not open it. His face was a mask of absolute, terrifying indifference. He reached out and adjusted his gold tie clip.
“The Schneider merger is valued at three billion dollars, Kieran,” his father said, his voice flat and cold. “The truth of what a teenage girl did fifteen years ago is entirely irrelevant to this board p>
Kieran stopped breathing. He stared at his father’s calm eyes as the realization struck him with the force of a physical blow.
His father already knew. The entire family had known. They had helped cover it up to protect the stock price.
Kieran planted both hands flat on the polished wood, his knuckles turning bone white.
“I am not marrying a criminal,” Kieran roared. “I am done p>
His father stood slowly, smoothing the front of his tailored suit, and looked at Kieran with pure disgust.
“Do not let a common woman ruin this empire,” he warned, his tone dropping to a lethal whisper. “You will marry Aspen Schneider, or you will lose everything p>
Kieran let out a harsh, broken laugh. “Jocelyn is the wife of Gaston Collins. She is not a common woman. She is untouchable p>
At the name Collins, the patriarch’s hand froze on his jacket. A flicker of genuine hesitation crossed his cold eyes.
“I am tearing up the prenuptial agreement,” Kieran said, standing straight. “The wedding is canceled p>
“If you walk out that door,” his father snapped, his composure finally fracturing, “I will convene the board in five minutes and initiate the procedure to remove you as CEO p>