Chapter 4 - The Sonogram
Arthur laughed. It was a dry, hollow sound. "Legitimate. You're a mistress in a borrowed apartment."
Chloe stood up. Her hands were no longer shaking. She reached into her designer clutch and pulled out a folded piece of glossy paper. She tossed it onto the glass coffee table.
Eleanor looked down. It was a sonogram. In the top right corner, a typed label read: Fetus A / Fetus B.
Twins.
Richard exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. "Chloe, what are you doing?"
"Securing our future, Richard," Chloe said smoothly. "If you won't stand up to them, I will. This family needs heirs. Eleanor has given you nothing in five years."
Eleanor pressed her thumb so hard into her phone case the leather actually tore. She didn't blink.
"You think two bastards buy you a seat at the table?" Arthur sneered. He pocketed his pen. "I will drown you in litigation until you're working at a tollbooth."
"You can't afford a scandal," Chloe countered. "The IPO."
"The IPO will be fine," Richard interjected, trying to regain control. "Eleanor will sign a non-disclosure. I'll transfer her the Hamptons estate. We handle this internally."
Eleanor finally smiled. It didn't reach her eyes.
"You're both very bad at reading timestamps," Eleanor said softly.
She tapped her phone screen. "I didn't just put the photo on the television, Richard. At 11:59 PM, I blind-copied the entire board of directors. The Vanguard Holdings deed. The photo. The Morality Clause invocation."
Arthur’s face drained of color.
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"You just tanked my company," Arthur whispered.
"No," Eleanor corrected. "I just hostile-took it over."
