She called an emergency press conference for noon. Her communications director was pale, frantic. “They’re destroying you online. Half the board is calling for your suspension. The stock’s already dropping.”
“Let them call,” Elena said, reviewing the documents spread across her desk. “We have the records. We have the receipts. We have the truth. Let’s show it.”
At the podium, she faced a room packed with journalists, cameras flashing, questions flying fast and sharp.
“Did you spend company money on personal travel?”
“Are you covering up your father’s mistakes?”
“Will you resign immediately?”
Elena waited for the noise to die down, standing tall and composed. Then she laid out the facts — clearly, calmly, with projected documents behind her. Every expense cited in the news had been authorized by the previous administration. Every payment traced to Hale’s signature. Every transaction had a paper trail leading away from her, toward the very men now accusing her.
“I have not taken a dollar that was not mine to earn,” she said into the hush. “These leaks are not about truth. They are about power. About who is allowed to lead — and who is expected to step aside quietly when told to.”
When she finished, she took no questions. She walked out — head high, pace steady, leaving the room to digest what they had just seen.
The tide began to turn. Her supporters shared the evidence. Independent financial analysts confirmed the dates and signatures. But the damage was already done — doubt had been planted. And Julian Mercer was only getting started.
Chapter 7 — The Offer