Chapter 4 - The Family Chose Between Their Billion-Dollar Empire and Me, and Nathaniel Finally Learned What His Father Had Been HidingThe board meeting lasted six hours.
By the end, Charles had lost his position.
Not because I defeated him.
Because his own directors had finally seen the numbers.
Vance Publishing was solvent without him.
The problem was his personal debt.
He had been using the company's assets as collateral.
Nathaniel discovered the truth in the worst possible way.
His father had pledged Nathaniel's future inheritance against a private loan.
If Charles defaulted, Nathaniel inherited nothing.
The company would still belong to the family trust.
But Nathaniel's personal assets would be gone.
He confronted Charles.
“You promised me everything.”
Charles stared at him.
“I promised you an opportunity.”
“You promised me the company.”
“I promised you what I thought I could give.”
Nathaniel laughed bitterly.
“You destroyed everything.”
Charles's face hardened.
“No.”
He pointed toward me.
“She did.”
Nathaniel turned.
“Don't.”
“You chose her.”
Nathaniel's expression changed.
“You don't get to say that.”
Charles stared.
“She is the reason we're losing everything.”
“No.”
Nathaniel shook his head.
“You are.”
The room went silent.
It was the first time Nathaniel had ever spoken to his father that way.
I watched.
Something inside me loosened.
Not because he was defending me.
Because he was finally choosing himself.
The next week, federal investigators questioned Charles.
Evelyn filed for divorce.
Daniel took temporary control of the company.
And I became Vance Publishing's largest individual rights holder.
Not owner.
Not dictator.
Something more complicated.
A person with the power to decide whether the company's most valuable literary properties stayed.
I chose to stay.
But under conditions.
Independent accounting.
Worker protections.
No retaliation against employees.
A transparent royalty system.
And a foundation for emerging authors.
The board accepted everything.
Then Nathaniel asked to speak with me.
We met in the empty library.
“You saved us.”
“No.”
“You could have walked away.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you?”
“Because you weren't the company.”
He looked at me.
“I know.”
“I never hated the employees.”
“I know.”
“I never hated your sister.”
“I know.”
“I never hated your mother.”
He smiled sadly.
“I know.”
“And you?”
He looked down.
“I don't know what you feel about me.”
“I don't hate you.”
He looked up.
“That sounds like progress.”
“It isn't.”
He laughed quietly.
For a moment, I saw the man I had loved.
Then I remembered the altar.
And the way he had looked at me.
“I need you to understand something,” I said.
“What?”
“The woman standing in front of you isn't the woman you left at the altar.”
“I know.”
“She doesn't need your family.”
“I know.”
“She doesn't need your inheritance.”
“I know.”
“She doesn't need you to choose her.”
He whispered:
“I know.”
I looked at him.
“But she did once.”
His eyes filled.
“I know.”
He stepped back.
“I'll leave you alone.”
“Thank you.”
He walked toward the door.
Then turned.
“For what it's worth, Maya…”
I waited.
“You were always enough.”
I smiled sadly.
“Too late.”
He nodded.
“Yes.”
Three weeks later, Vance Publishing announced a restructuring.
The announcement became international news.
Ren Callaway had stepped forward publicly.
My photograph appeared everywhere.
The woman behind the name finally had a face.
At first, the public reacted with shock.
Then fascination.
Then affection.
People learned that the famous author they had never seen was a woman who worked at a bookstore.
They learned about my brother.
My mother's death.
My modest life.
My wedding disaster.
Some defended me.
Some mocked me.
I ignored both.
I returned to writing.
The first book I released after the scandal was called The Name They Couldn't Buy.
It became my biggest success.
And there was one person who never publicly commented.
Nathaniel.
He stayed away.
Until one night, I received a letter.
No flowers.
No gifts.
Just paper.
Maya,
I'm not asking you to return.
I'm not asking you to forgive me.
I only want you to know that I finally told my father no.
Not because of you.
Because I needed to become someone you could have respected.
I should have done it five years ago.
I'm sorry it took losing you to understand.
I read it twice.
Then put it away.
I thought that was the end.
It wasn't.
Because the next morning, Daniel called.
“There is a problem.”
“What?”
“Charles has disappeared.”
I sat upright.
“What?”
“He took money from the family trust.”
“How much?”
“Twenty million.”
I closed my eyes.
“Where is he?”
“We don't know.”
Daniel's voice hardened.
“But we found something.”
“What?”
“A contract.”
“With whom?”
“Bellmont.”
I looked at the window.
Charles wasn't running.
He was preparing his final move.
May you like
And this time, he wanted more than the company.
He wanted me.
Related Stories
