Chapter237 Permanently Blacklisted
The Vice President's face flushed a deep, ugly red. Miranda's words had hit their mark, and his hand trembled as he jabbed a finger at her.
"You — shut your mouth! You have no right to speak here!"
Miranda didn't budge.
"Fine. Then show me the proof that I don't belong here."
She stepped forward and met his gaze head-on. Those pretty eyes of hers held no fear, only clarity and steel.
"My team won the Innovation Competition. My startup grew five times in size and turned ten times the profit in under a year — and we're about to go public. The technology behind my flagship project outperforms ninety percent of its competitors on the market."
With every word she spoke, his expression darkened another shade.
"Point out anything wrong with my record. Tell me exactly where I fall short. Don't just write off everything I've built because of some irrelevant personal detail."
Before the Vice President could fire back, a slow, deliberate clap cut through the air.
Clap. Clap.
Ava, the government official Miranda had been chatting with earlier, stood watching her with a warm, approving smile.
"Well said."
As a woman herself, Ava knew exactly how much harder a woman had to work to earn her place, especially in a business world dominated by men. And what she admired most about Miranda was exactly this: that quiet, unshakeable confidence backed by results.
The Vice President spotted Ava and visibly flinched. He swallowed his anger and straightened up.
"Governor," he said, his voice suddenly respectful.
The word hit the room like a thunderclap.
No one had expected it. This warm, composed woman was the newly appointed Governor?
Ava waved her hand dismissively. "I'm just here on behalf of the government to attend the chamber meeting and lead a new business initiative. Nothing more."
Then she turned to Miranda.
Miranda felt a flicker of surprise, but her expression stayed exactly as it had been during their earlier conversation, friendly and composed. She wasn't fawning now that she knew who Ava was, and she wasn't rattled by the confrontation either.
Ava liked that about her even more. She gave Miranda an encouraging smile, then looked back at the Vice President, her tone easy but edged with ice.
"I'd also love to hear what, exactly, disqualifies Miranda from attending this event."
She paused.
"The new energy initiative I'm leading is very much hoping to partner with her company."
The implication was clear: she was backing Miranda.
Across the room, Mrs. Martinez looked ready to combust.
Miranda had been seconds away from a very public humiliation. And now a Governor had swooped in to ruin everything.
Mrs. Martinez forced a rigid smile and greeted Ava before turning back with a pointed look.
"Governor, there's something you should know. Miranda is a divorced woman. She's still tangled up with her ex-husband. The Vice President had concerns about her character and didn't want it reflecting badly on the chamber."
Miranda's spine straightened.
Ava's support meant something to her, and she wouldn't forget it. But she had never needed anyone to fight her battles.
She gave Ava a small nod, then turned to Mrs. Martinez with a measured calm.
"So what you're saying is that divorced women aren't welcome here?"
Mrs. Martinez didn't miss a beat. "Who knows why the marriage failed? Probably something she did."
The words landed, and the room shifted.
Several pairs of eyes turned toward Mrs. Martinez with strange, unreadable expressions.
Even the Vice President's face went rigid.
Because Mrs. Martinez's little jab hadn't just taken a shot at Miranda. It had dragged her own student, Harrison, into the dirt right along with her.
And beyond that, more than a few people in this very room had been divorced.
With one careless sentence, she had managed to offend half the crowd.
The corner of Miranda's mouth curled.
"Speaking of personal lives," she said, her gaze moving over Mrs. Martinez's carefully maintained face, "I really can't compete with your children in that department."
"They seem to have a real talent for chasing after people who are already taken."
Mrs. Martinez had picked this very public arena to humiliate her, clearly expecting Miranda to fold. If she wanted to play dirty, Miranda was happy to oblige.
The color drained from Mrs. Martinez's face.
"You're lying!" she shrieked, her composure completely gone.
Miranda just laughed.
"Would you like me to pull out the evidence? I can show everyone exactly how your daughter threw herself at a taken man, and how your son tried to talk me into ending my marriage."
Mrs. Martinez opened her mouth. Nothing came out. She stood there shaking, finger pointed at Miranda's face, completely speechless.
It was at that moment that a group of tall, broad-shouldered bodyguards in black uniforms came cutting through the crowd, splitting into two neat columns.
A man stepped out from between them. He looked to be around thirty-five, with a composed, commanding presence. His sharp gaze swept across the room.
"Which one of you is Miranda?"
Miranda's brow furrowed briefly, then relaxed. "That's me," she said evenly.
Mrs. Martinez recognized him immediately. The Chamber President himself. He almost never showed his face at these events.
Her heart lifted. He must have heard that Miranda had slipped in through the back door. He was here to throw her out personally.
That little spark of satisfaction lasted less than a second.
Because what happened next made Mrs. Martinez's eyes go wide.
The Chamber President walked straight up to Miranda and gave her a flawless, formal bow.
"Welcome. I apologize for the poor reception."
Miranda's expression didn't change, but her thoughts did.
Only Clifton could have arranged this. That man had a way of quietly setting everything in order without a word.
The Chamber President straightened up and said nothing more. He didn't have to.
His gesture had told everyone in the room exactly what they needed to know.
Miranda was an honored guest.
Mrs. Martinez snapped out of her daze and blurted out, "Why are you bowing to her? Weren't you here to kick her out?"
The Chamber President turned slowly to look at her. Something cold passed through his eyes.
"Madam," he said, his voice flat and distant, "you have publicly harassed and slandered one of our guests. Effective immediately, Martinez is permanently blacklisted by this chamber."
He tilted his chin at the bodyguards behind him.
"Please escort her out."