Chapter 20 Unexpected Alliances
Gregor POV~
I banged my fist on the mahogany desk, the sound echoing in my office.
The aftereffects of the board meeting taunted me. Valenticia’s accusations about Nexus Ventures echo in my mind. Her cool, probing voice projecting those damning transaction logs had shaken the board’s faith in me.
I had underestimated her, thinking the kidnapping attempt would send her running home to her miserable life with Dmitri. No, she’d danced her way into Clawford Corporation, pretending to be an analyst. My jaw clenched with fury. She was no longer merely Rosanna’s pet granddaughter.
She was a threat, and I had been a fool to let her get this far.
I reclined in my chair; I’d fought tooth and nail to get there, proving myself while Rosanna dangled with the CEO in front of my face, only to appoint some outsider to the position. I, a Clawford by blood reduced to the position of second-in-command.
That betrayal had driven me to build allegiances outside the company. The silent partner, a Lovtan tycoon whose name I’d hardly dared think of, had approached me years ago, offering me wealth and power far beyond Clawford’s reach. My way in had been through Nexus Ventures, the firm that I used to funnel millions to secure my control, buy loyalty, and fund discreet projects that ensured I would become untouchable. But Valenticia’s interference was killing me.
The gas leak had been my warning, a strategic way to frighten her, not to kill her.
I had hoped to see her crack. She hadn’t, though. Instead, she’d survived, marching into the boardroom with evidence that hit too close to the truth. I drummed my fingers on the desk, my mind spinning. How did she find Nexus Ventures? Somebody was feeding her information? Elaine, that nosy old bat, was my first suspect. I’d deal with her later. For now, Valenticia was the issue, and she needed to go.
I was awoken from my thoughts by a knock at the door. Natasha strutted in, a half-smirk dripping with confidence. I’d met her type. Ambitious, ruthless, and driven by personal vendettas. She had been following Valenticia's every move since the gala, her jealousy over Dmitri's sad little crush driving a vendetta I could use. “You look stressed, Gregor,” she purred, leaning on my desk. “Trouble with the heiress?”
“She’s a pain,” I said, coldly. “But pests can be crushed. What do you want?”
Natasha’s eyes gleamed. “Same as you. We’ve got Dmitri begging like a dog, and she’s acting like a hero. I can help you clip her wings.”
I looked at her, considering the risk. Natasha was wild, but her savagery was a tool I could use. “What’s your plan?” I asked, leaning forward.
She sat up, her smirk turning into a smile. “I act as a board consultant, I get in with the close finance team. I plant evidence, doctored reports, and phoney transfers that make it appear as though Valenticia’s been skimming funds. A scandal, a clear evidence of embezzlement. The board will eat her alive, and Rosanna can’t save her."
I nodded, reluctant to be impressed, but it was impressive. “It’s clean. Keeps my hands off the mess. What do you need?”
“Access to the servers,” she said. And a bit of cash to oil the right palms.
“Deal,” I said, mentally wiring funds through Nexus Ventures already. Natasha’s ambition matched my own, and that made her dangerous, but for now, she was an asset. “Don’t mess this up,” I added, warning in tone.
“Valenticia’s stronger than she appears.”
Natasha laughed, a sound sharp and bitter. “She’s a spoiled princess playing detective. I’ll bury her.” She started to leave, but a glint in her eyes caught me — it was hunger, not only for revenge but for power. I'll need to keep an eye on her.
Now on my own, I opened my laptop and transferred another million to Nexus Ventures to keep the silent partner quiet. The tycoon’s demands were rising, and their patience was dying. I thought of Stefan Myles and my paranoia spiked. His interest in Valenticia hadn’t been accidental — his bid at the gala for that obscene hundred million had been a power play, a warning shot that he was aiming after the same land deal I needed to complete my legacy. I’d seen how he looked at her, his cold CEO mask falling just enough to reveal… what? Concern? Desire? I had to expose the one who was behind it all, but if he was in league with Nexus, or worse, planning to cozy up to Valenticia, my plans would be in jeopardy.
“Hey, Vance,” I said, my loyalist on the board, his gruff voice picking up on the first ring. “Myles is a problem,” I said, forgoing pleasantries. “I want eyes on him. New Dream’s servers could hold data we could use. Leverage it to draw him in.”
“On it,” Vance said. “He’s security-tight, but I have a friend who can poke around. Anything else?”
“Valenticia,” I said, dropping my voice. “She’s pitching the Nexus angle. Shut her down if she brings more to the board. Hard.”
Vance grunted his response, and I hung up and kept mulling. Stefan’s servers, Valenticia’s evidence, and the pressure from the silent partner. It was all a sign and I couldn’t let it blow up. I wanted control, and Natasha’s plan was my best attempt to neutralize Valenticia without attracting suspicion.
That night I drove to a safehouse on the outskirts of the city, a shell of a warehouse with no one asking questions. Natasha had beat me there, her laptop open, fake emails primed to be planted. She gave me a forerun on her plan with fake emails between Valenticia and a nonexistent accountant, timestamped to correspond with Nexus transfers. The scandal would land like a bomb; The heiress, Valenticia, was caught skimming from her own company. The board would make an example of her, and Rosanna could not help.
“It’s perfect,” I said, my lips twitching into a cold smile.
“How soon?”
“Two days,” Natasha replied. “I’ll input the emails in the system by tomorrow night. “By the next board meeting, she’s out.”
Natasha wanted Valenticia dead, and her motives weren’t just around Dmitri. There was something more. And I would use her, but keep a leash on her.
When I stepped outside the safe house, my phone rang, the number unknown. My pulse ran as I responded. A distorted voice cut in on the line. “You’ve been way too slow, Clawford. The heiress is still an issue, and I’m not that patient. Get results, or I blow you.”
“I’m fine,” I said, my voice even though sweat was forming on my neck. “By the end of the week, she’ll be discredited.”
“Make sure she is,” the voice said. “Or you become the noose for Nexus Ventures.” I hung up, my paranoia growing. The tycoon wasn’t bluffing. They had enough dirt to bury me, and I was running out of time.
When I got in and started the engine, I saw a slip of paper tucked under the windshield wiper. My stomach knotted as I stepped outside, seizing it. Written in black ink was a message; Your moves are watched, Clawford.
I crumpled the note into my hand, looking around the empty lot.
My engine kicked on, but headlights shone behind me, a car tailing too close