Heiress Revenge Contract

Tonight was supposed to be hers. It was the night her father, Jacob Laurent, was finally going to announce her as the heir to Laurent Corp. something she has been waiting for since she turned twenty. Selena stood backstage, her emerald gown clinging to her like it was made for war. As she walked onto the stage, she could feel a hundred eyes on her, and she wore their expectation like armor. Her father stepped onto the platform with her half-brother Carlos, smiling and chatting like she wasn’t even there. It left her stunned. She cleared her throat and adjusted her shoulders, refusing to show emotions as they were both given microphones except her. Jacob turned to her with a smile and then to the crowd, raising his glass, as he said exactly what she’d feared for months. “Ladies and gentlemen, tonight is about legacy.” She smiled. The room quieted. “My son, Carlos Laurent, will be taking over as CEO of Laurent Corp. He’s the man that can look after my legacy and take it to a higher level.” A beat of silence. Then polite applause, carefully measured. No one dared look at Selena. She turned, her gaze ice but she didn’t move. Couldn’t. Twenty-eight years of late nights learning balance sheets, of flying to factories on her birthday, of being told you’re next, Selena, you’re ready. All of it just… handed to a boy who’d shown up two years ago from Mexico with a different surname and a practiced sob story. Jacob wasn’t done. “And before I forget, my only daughter, the one after my heart, Selena would be getting married River Mills. A union long awaited.” River Mills. Fifty-eight. Divorced thrice. Known for buying companies and stripping them for parts. Known for his hands lingering too long at galas. The polite applause stopped. Selena’s fingers curled into her palms hard enough to leave marks. She got closer and yanked the microphone out of his hand and screamed into it, “No.” Jacob’s smile didn’t waver, but his eyes went cold as Carlos offered him his microphone. “Excuse me?” He said, giggling awkwardly. “I said no. I’m not marrying that old man with many failed marriages. And Laurent Corp is mine, it has always been.” Murmurs rippled through the room. Cameras from the press section shifted toward her. Jacob stepped closer, voice low enough only she could hear. “Don’t make a scene, Selena. You’ll ruin everything.” “You already did, my dear father.” She turned away before he could answer. If she stayed one second longer she’d throw her champagne in his face. But she didn’t run. Running was what he expected. She needed leverage. She needed power. She needed someone Jacob feared more than he feared losing her. Her eyes scanned the crowd until they landed on him. Dale Farmington. He stood near the edge of the room like he didn’t belong there, in a black suit that fit too well, jaw tight, eyes scanning everything and trusting nothing. The only son of Jacob’s greatest enemy. The man whose father had died in prison fifteen years ago after Jacob accused him of embezzling fifty million from Laurent Corp. Dale had spent the last decade rebuilding the Farmington name from nothing. He’d avoided Jacob’s parties for years. The fact that he was here tonight meant he’d been waiting for this moment too. Selena didn’t hesitate. She crossed the room, heels clicking, and stopped in front of him. “Dance with me.” Dale’s gaze flicked to her face, then to Jacob’s furious expression on the stage. He understood instantly. “You want a scene,” he said quietly. “I want a war.” He took her hand. The orchestra was still playing a waltz no one was dancing to. Dale pulled her into it, one hand on her waist, the other holding hers like it was a contract. “You know what this looks like,” he said. “I don’t care.” “Your father will never forgive you.” “He already didn’t.” Dale studied her. For a second she thought he’d refuse. Then he leaned in, close enough that only she could hear. “What’s your angle, Selena?” She leaned back. “You help me take Laurent Corp back. I help you take Jacob down. Publicly. Legally. So he can’t weasel out of it this time.” “And what do I get out of it?” “You get to watch the man who destroyed your father lose everything.” He was quiet for a long moment. The music swelled. “You think I don’t know? I’ve researched on your father and I know he was too much of a good man to do what Jacob accused him off. All those days I used to see you at my home, I knew what you were searching for but I stayed quiet, it was as if I knew this day would come.” She said and he blinked, the memories of his father flashing back, then sadness turned into realization and then anger. “I always wandered why he never had men come look for me and knew it was because you never told on me.” He replied, his chest tightening from grief. She nodded, locking her fingers with his. “Yes. So in a way you owe.” She replied as he twirled her on the dance floor. Then he leaned over, his breathe causing her to get goosebumps. “I know what we can do to frustrate him even more.” Her eyes widened. Then she shot an ice look at her father who stood watching her from the drinks bar with Carlos and looked back, ger gaze meeting with Dales. She scoffed. “I’ll do anything!” She replied then he smiled, a cruel giggle escaping his lips. He leaned closer again, this time he was more audible. “Marry me!” Selena blinked. Just as she was about to pull back, he pulled her back into his embrace.