Chapter 8:The Vance Empire Fights Back
663 Words
The silence in the Vance Corp boardroom was deafening.
Twelve board members. Twelve millionaires. All staring at Damien like he’d just announced the company was bankrupt.
Eliana stood beside him, spine straight, red dress still wrinkled from the coat closet. Her hand was in his. He hadn’t let go since they left the chapel.
“Mr. Vance,” Mr. Harrison, the oldest board member, finally spoke. His voice trembled. “You cannot seriously expect us to accept this… this substitution.”
Damien’s grip tightened around Eliana’s fingers. “I don’t expect. I demand.”
“This violates the contract,” another board member said. “A Brown daughter was agreed upon. Not the second daughter. Not the imposter.”
Eliana’s jaw clenched. Imposter. The word cut deeper than it should have.
Damien stepped forward. “The contract says a Brown daughter. It never specified which one.” He glanced at Eliana. “And Mrs. Vance is a Brown daughter.”
Mr. Harrison slammed his fist on the table. “This is a scandal! The Vance name—”
“The Vance name is mine,” Damien cut in. Cold. Final. “And I decide who carries it.”
The room went still.
Eliana looked around. She saw disapproval. She saw judgment. She sawRachelle’s influence written all over their faces.
Then she saw something else.
Fear.
They were afraid of Damien. Afraid of what he might do if they pushed back.
“Gentlemen,” Eliana said, voice calm but steady. Every head turned to her. “I didn’t ask for this marriage. I didn’t ask to be here.”
Damien’s eyes flickered to her. Surprise.
“But I am here now.” She lifted her chin. “And I am not leaving.”
Mr. Harrison scoffed. “You think you can just walk in and—”
“I think,” Eliana interrupted, “that you all underestimated the wrong Brown.”
The boardroom doors burst open.
Rachelle stood there, face pale but eyes burning. She wasn’t wearing white anymore. She was in black.
“Damien,” she said, voice shaking. “This is madness. You can’t just throw away Years of planning because of—because of her.”
Damien didn’t even look at her. “I can. I did.”
Rachelle gaze snapped to Eliana. Hatred. Raw and ugly. “You think you’ve won? You think wearing red makes you a Vance?”
Eliana met her stare. “I think it makes me untouchable.Rachelle laughed. Bitter. Hollow. “We’ll see about that.”
She turned and walked out, heels clicking against marble like gunshots.
Damien watched her go. Then he turned to the board.
“Meeting adjourned.”
The board members scattered. Whispers followed them out.
When the doors closed, it was just Damien and Eliana.
Silence.
Then Damien exhaled. The tension left his shoulders. “You didn’t have to say anything.”
Eliana squeezed his hand. “I know. But I wanted them to hear it from me.”
He looked at her. Really looked at her. “You’re not afraid of them.”
“No.” She smiled. Small. Dangerous. “I’m afraid of you.”
Damien’s mouth twitched. “You shouldn’t be.”
“I should be.” She stepped closer. “Because you just declared war on your entire empire for me.”
Damien’s expression softened. Barely. “The empire was already at war with you, Eliana. I just picked a side.”
He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The gesture was almost gentle.
“Let them talk,” he murmured. “Let them plot. Let them try.”
He leaned in, forehead almost touching hers. “Because from today, anyone who comes for you comes for me.”
Eliana’s heart skipped.
Outside the boardroom, the Vance Empire was sharpening its knives.
Inside, Mrs. Vance was standing her ground.
And Damien Vance was ready to burn it all down to protect her.
- Writer
