Julian’s champagne glass slipped from his fingers and shattered.
Eleanor stepped onto the stage.
She wore a stunning emerald dress that highlighted both her elegance and the subtle curve of her five-month pregnancy. Confidence radiated from her.
The quiet librarian was gone.
In her place stood a queen.
“Good evening,” Eleanor began, her voice steady and powerful. “Steel is the foundation of modern civilization. It demands strength. It demands integrity. At Vance Industries, we only work with partners who share those values.”
Her gaze shifted toward Julian’s table.
Their eyes met.
The color drained from his face.
“Therefore,” Eleanor continued calmly, “Vance Industries will immediately terminate all supply agreements with AeroTech. We have determined that its leadership lacks the ethical stability required by our company.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Julian’s phone began vibrating nonstop.
Without Vance steel, SkyLink was finished.
AeroTech’s stock began collapsing instantly.
Julian rushed toward the stage in fury, but security blocked his path.
“She’s my ex-wife!” he shouted. “This is revenge! She’s unstable!”
Beside him, Isabella quietly slipped her arm away and walked off, unwilling to be part of a scandal.
The war had officially begun.
PART 3: CONSEQUENCES
