Full Story : He Lied To His Fiancée About Owning The Lodge, Right Before The True CEO Fired Him!
Chapter 1 - The Uncle’s Gambit
My uncle Thomas moved through the crowd with the heavy, arrogant grace of a man who believed he owned the ground he walked on. He was wearing a bespoke tuxedo, a silk pocket square perfectly folded, and a smile that didn't reach his cold, predatory eyes. As he approached the center of the lobby, the wealthy guests parted for him, sensing the shift in the room's power dynamic.
“Elena, darling,” Thomas said, his voice booming with false warmth. He reached out to kiss my cheek, but I took a deliberate step back. His smile tightened. “What a surprise. We weren't expecting you until the spring quarter reviews. And look at you, making a scene before you’ve even checked in.”
“I’m not making a scene, Thomas,” I replied, my voice steady despite the adrenaline pounding in my ears. I pointed at the dark red stain blooming across my cream cashmere sweater. “I am merely experiencing the VIP hospitality that Julian has apparently instituted.”
The woman in the green dress—Julian’s supposed fiancée—looked like she was going to be sick. She grabbed Julian’s arm, her perfectly manicured nails digging into his expensive suit jacket. “Julian, tell me she’s lying. You told me you owned a stake in this company. You told me Arthur Sterling left you the Alpine Lodge!”
Julian opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He looked like a fish suffocating on dry land.
“Julian doesn't own a single brick of this lodge,” I said, looking directly at the woman. “He is a salaried employee. Or, rather, he was.” I turned my gaze back to Julian, letting the weight of my words sink in. “You’re fired, Julian. Pack your office. You have exactly one hour to vacate the premises before I have security throw you out into the snow.”
“Elena, you can’t do that,” Thomas interrupted, stepping between me and Julian. His voice had dropped its warm facade, replacing it with a quiet, menacing hiss. “Julian is a key executive. The board just approved his year-end bonus. You do not have the unilateral authority to dismiss him without a majority vote from the stakeholders.”
“I own fifty-one percent of this company, Thomas,” I reminded him, my voice carrying across the silent lobby. “I am the board.”
“Things have changed since your grandfather died,” Thomas sneered softly, leaning in so only I could hear. “You’ve been sitting in New York playing CEO, while I’ve been out here doing the real work. You’ll find your fifty-one percent isn't as bulletproof as you think.”
He snapped his fingers at the head concierge, Marcus, who was still trembling by the desk. “Marcus, get my niece a new room key. A standard suite. The penthouse is currently occupied.”
My eyes narrowed. The penthouse was Arthur Sterling’s private residence, legally reserved for the CEO. “Occupied by whom?” I demanded.
May you like
Thomas smiled, adjusting his cufflinks. “By the new majority investors. We have a lot to talk about tomorrow, Elena. I suggest you get some sleep.”
