Chapter 6
954words
The gleaming redwood table mirrored the grim faces surrounding it. Three generations of Victors gathered for what amounted to a bloodless execution.
Grandfather—chairman of the family trust—presided at the head of the table. His silver hair immaculately combed, his weathered face carrying the quiet authority that commanded respect without a single word.
Father sat at his right hand, draped in an expensive custom suit, affecting relaxation with an undercurrent of impatience.
Mother positioned herself directly across from him, elegant in a tailored black suit, her expression serene—a vengeful Nemesis about to rise. Uncle Thomas and the other equity-holding directors took their places like stone sentinels, waiting for the proceedings to begin.
"Since everyone has arrived," the lawyer cleared his throat, attempting to pierce the heavy silence, "Emma, as the one who called this emergency meeting, please state your agenda."
Mother's gaze swept the room deliberately before settling on Father's arrogant face.
"I have only one item to discuss today," her voice rang clear and cold through the silent room. "CEO Victor's moral conduct, and whether he remains fit to serve as the family heir."
Father snorted derisively, leaning back with his hands spread wide, mockery written across his features.
"Emma, stop creating drama. If we have domestic issues, handle them at home. Don't embarrass yourself here."
Mother ignored his barb and pulled a thick stack of documents from her folder, placing them with deliberate care in the center of the table.
"Records of Mr. Victor's stays at various five-star hotels over the past three years," she began, her tone clinical as if presenting quarterly results. "Screenshots of explicit text messages with multiple women. And these—photographs from private investigators. Despite the awkward angles, the male subject is unmistakable."
Victor's expression finally cracked, shifting from contempt to barely contained rage.
"This is a private matter!" he growled, using volume to mask his discomfort. "What man doesn't have a few diversions? How does this affect my ability to run the company?"
"If it were just outside women, I might have continued to tolerate it," Mother replied calmly before her voice turned razor-sharp. "But this time, Victor, you've crossed a line. You've defiled our own home."
Her voice carried the slightest tremor—the only sign of the fury beneath her composure.
"Ava," Mother turned to me, "tell your grandfather and the directors exactly what you witnessed at the estate. Hold nothing back."
Every eye in the room locked onto me—curious, scrutinizing, sympathetic. My heart hammered against my ribs, my palms slick with cold sweat.
I drew a deep breath and forced myself to meet Grandfather's penetrating gaze.
"That night, Alex was away on business," I began, my voice desert-dry. "I went downstairs for water, and as I passed the guest room, I heard... sounds no one should ever hear in their family home."
I paused. The room held its collective breath.
"I saw Father coming out of Nina's room. They had been... intimate together."
I had to force the final words through clenched teeth.
The room exploded—gasps, whispers, and shocked exclamations colliding in the air like shrapnel.
Grandfather's face turned ashen. His knuckles whitened around his walking stick, his lips trembling but producing no sound.
Uncle Thomas and the directors wore identical expressions of shock and revulsion. This wasn't just infidelity—this was incest, a scandal that could destroy the family name.
"Nonsense!" Victor shot to his feet, jabbing a finger at me. "Ava, have you lost your mind? Do you understand what you're saying? You'd fabricate such filth to help your mother's vendetta?"
His eyes blazed with the desperate fury of a cornered animal.
"Lies?" Mother sneered, picking up a remote to activate the conference room screen.
A surveillance video appeared. No sound, no explicit content—just cold timestamps and two damning scenes.
First: the guest room hallway. At 11:03 PM, Father furtively slipping into Nina's room.
Second: 2:45 AM, Father emerging disheveled from the same room, his face flushed with unmistakable satisfaction.
The evidence, stark as black on white.
Victor's protests died in his throat. He collapsed into his chair, face drained of color.
Suddenly Nina, who had been silent until now, dropped to her knees with a thud. She crawled to Grandfather's feet, sobbing dramatically.
"Grandfather! It's all a misunderstanding!" she pleaded, tears streaming down her face. "I'm pregnant—my emotions are so unstable! Uncle Victor just saw I was upset and came to comfort me! Nothing happened!"
As she spoke, she clutched her belly protectively.
Pregnant?
The revelation sent another shock wave through the room. Grandfather's gaze fell to Nina's slightly rounded belly, and his resolute expression wavered. After all, this could be his first great-grandchild.
Watching this performance, Mother's smile grew increasingly frigid.
She rose calmly and approached Nina, looking down at the kneeling woman with glacial composure.
"Nina, I'm giving you two choices." Mother's voice wasn't loud but carried undeniable authority.
"First, you come with me to the hospital right now for a non-invasive prenatal DNA test. We'll scientifically determine whether the child you carry belongs to my son or my husband."
Nina's sobs cut off abruptly. Her body went rigid.
"Second," Mother continued without pause, "I expose everything—your father, the disgraced financial director who killed himself in prison; your mysteriously deceased ex-husband; how you deliberately targeted my son; every detail of your revenge plot—all of it made public."
Mother leaned forward and whispered, for Nina's ears only: "Your choice."
The color drained from Nina's face. She looked up at Mother in naked terror.
She knew she had no choice at all.
Mother straightened and addressed the stunned lawyer: "This meeting is temporarily adjourned. We await a DNA test result."
