Chapter 25 Inferno
Adeline sat in the driver’s seat of her car for a moment longer than necessary, staring at her reflection in the rearview mirror. The Carter Global Holdings tower stood tall in front of her, its glass walls reflecting the morning light and the call movement of the city around it. She had walked through those doors countless times before, but today felt different. Today she was walking into a fight that had been prepared for her behind closed doors.
She adjusted the collar of her red blazer and leaned a little closer to the mirror. Everything about her appearance had been chosen carefully. Her dress was red, her heels were red, and even her lipstick carried the same deep shade. The color was bold and impossible to ignore, and that was exactly the point. If they wanted to make her the center of attention today, she would give them a show they would never forget.
After one final look at herself, she nodded slightly and opened the car door. The cool air brushed against her face as she stepped out, her heels touching the pavement with confidence. She closed the door behind her and lifted her chin as she looked up at the building that carried her family’s name.
Carter Global Holdings.
The place she had fought her entire life to belong in. The place her father and brothers had spent years trying to convince her she did not.
The moment she walked through the main entrance, the security guards standing near the door straightened immediately. They all bowed politely as they greeted her, their voices respectful but careful.
“Good morning, Miss Carter.”
Adeline acknowledged them with a small nod, her expression calm and controlled. She did not stop to speak with them, nor did she slow her pace. She already knew that her presence alone would be enough to send more gossip through the building.
The news had reached her early that morning that her father and her oldest brother, Nathan, had called a board meeting not a routine meeting or a financial review, but a meeting called in her name.
The topic was simple.
Her dismissal as executive director.
Adeline had not been surprised when she heard it. In fact, she had expected something like this the moment the scandal surrounding her and Julian exploded across every news platform. Her father had never liked the idea of her holding such a high position in the company. To him, she had always been the daughter who should have stayed quiet, married well, and supported the men who actually ran things.
Jonathan Carter was many things. Brilliant, ruthless, and strategic, but he was also an old-school bastard who believed that no woman could ever be better at business than a man, so of course, he wouldn't hesitate to take the one chance he finally had to kick her out.
Nathan was a different kind of problem entirely. He believed the company belonged to him simply because he was the eldest son, and it did not matter that his achievements in the company were weak at best. He had the smile, the charm, and the family name, and in his mind, that was more than enough.
It also did not matter that Adeline had been the one to secure the largest international deal the company had seen in years. Nathan still believed the position at the top belonged to him by birthright.
Adeline walked across the marble floor of the lobby without slowing down. Several employees glanced up as she passed, their conversations stopping immediately when they saw her. Some quickly looked away, pretending to be busy with their phones or tablets. Others simply stared, their curiosity impossible to hide.
She knew exactly what they were thinking. Her name had been everywhere for days. The party, the announcement, and the kiss with Julian Hale. The scandal had spread through the business world faster than anyone expected, but Adeline Carter had never been someone who cared about gossip or the opinion of others.
What she cared about was control, and she was not about to let her father and Nathan discredit years of her work simply because of who she had chosen to kiss.
She walked straight toward the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. The ride upward felt quiet, but her mind was anything but calm. She already knew what she was walking into. The board members would be sitting around the long conference table, listening carefully as her father and Nathan tried to paint her as a liability.
They would say her personal life had embarrassed the company, they would say her behavior had damaged the Carter reputation, and they would say the company needed stability.
What they would not mention was the fact that she was responsible for some of the company’s biggest successes.
When the elevator doors finally opened, the first person she saw was her assistant. Yuna stood just outside the elevator area, holding a tablet tightly against her chest. The moment she saw Adeline step out, she bowed respectfully.
“Miss Carter.”
Adeline stepped out of the elevator and looked at her directly. “What’s the situation?”
Yuna straightened quickly, her voice calm but slightly tense. “The board meeting started five minutes ago.”
Adeline raised an eyebrow. “Of course it did.”
“They’re discussing the impact of the recent scandal on the company,” Yuna continued carefully. “From what I’ve heard so far, they’re deciding whether to dismiss you completely or demote you to a lower executive position.”
Adeline let out a quiet scoff at the idea. “Demote me,” she repeated slowly, almost amused by the thought.
Yuna did not respond, but the expression in her eyes suggested she felt the same disbelief.
Adeline crossed her arms lightly. “Did you prepare the counter like I asked?”
Yuna immediately nodded. “Yes.”
She handed the tablet over.
Adeline took it and began scrolling through the information quickly. The presentation Yuna had prepared appeared clearly on the screen. Financial charts, revenue reports, performance timelines, and side-by-side comparisons between her results and Nathan’s.
Everything she needed, and everything they hoped she had forgotten.
As she reviewed the numbers, a slow smile appeared on her lips. It was not a friendly smile. It was the kind that appeared when someone realized they had just been handed the perfect weapon.
After a moment, she looked up at Yuna again. “How do I look?” she asked.
Yuna blinked slightly. “Miss?”
Adeline gestured toward her outfit. “Do I look fiery? Maybe a little crazy?”
Yuna studied her for a second before answering honestly. “Is that what you’re aiming for?”
Adeline smiled wider. “Yes.”
Yuna nodded once. “Then you definitely nailed it.”
Adeline let out a quiet laugh under her breath, satisfied that she nailed what she was going for. Sometimes the best way to win a fight was to walk in looking exactly like the enemy expected.
She turned her head toward the long hallway that led to the main conference room, and even from where she stood, she could almost feel the tension behind those doors. Her father would be inside. Nathan too, and every board member who had spent years pretending to support her while quietly doubting her would be sitting around that table.
They thought they were about to remove her. Adeline adjusted the sleeve of her blazer and handed the tablet back to Yuna for a moment while fixing the edge of her cuff. Then she took it again, holding it firmly against her side.
“Well,” she said calmly.
Yuna looked at her as Adeline took a step toward the conference room.
“I think it’s time to crash a meeting.”
Her heels echoed down the hallway as she walked forward without hesitation, and the sound alone was enough to draw attention from the assistants and employees working nearby. Several of them looked up as she passed, their eyes widening slightly, and no one tried to stop her.
Because everyone in that building knew exactly what she was capable of.