Chained by our past

Chapter 18

Isla Calloway sat at her dining table, staring at the spreadsheet open on her laptop, but the numbers blurred before her eyes.

Her company was under attack.

Twenty percent of Calloway Tech’s shares had already been bought up.

If the hostile takeover continued, if the board members flipped, she could lose everything.

And the worst part?

She still didn’t know who was behind it.

Lucas sat across from her, swirling a glass of whiskey in his hand, watching her with a calm intensity that made her feel even more restless.

"We need answers," he said, his voice low. "And we need them fast."

She exhaled sharply. "Samantha is already digging into the investors. We should have something soon."

Lucas nodded, setting his glass down. "Good. Because if they’re coming for you, Calloway…" His green eyes darkened. "We’re going to make damn sure they regret it."

The next morning, Isla stepped into Calloway Tech’s high-security conference room, where Samantha was already waiting.

Samantha’s expression was tense, her fingers gripping a printed report.

"You’re going to want to sit down for this," she said.

Isla’s stomach tightened.

Lucas walked in behind her, his presence solid, unwavering. "What did you find?"

Samantha slid the report across the table. "We traced the investors who have been buying up shares. Most of them are shell companies, but we finally found the main backer."

Isla grabbed the report, scanning the document.

Then—her blood ran cold.

No.

No, this wasn’t possible.

Vincent Calloway.

Her uncle.

Lucas cursed under his breath. "That bastard."

Isla’s fingers clenched around the paper. "He’s been out of the country for years. He walked away from the company when my father died."

Samantha crossed her arms. "Looks like he’s back. And he’s coming for your seat, Isla."

Her mind spun.

She hadn’t spoken to Vincent in years. He had never approved of her taking over Calloway Tech, but she had assumed he was content with the payout he had taken when he left.

She had been wrong.

Lucas’s voice was sharp. "What’s his endgame?"

Samantha sighed. "If he gets the majority, he can force a vote to remove Isla as CEO. And once that happens?" She shook her head. "The company is his."

A cold wave of rage rolled through Isla.

This wasn’t just business. This was personal.

That afternoon, Isla sat in her office, her hands clenched into fists.

She needed to talk to Vincent. Now.

Her phone rang.

She grabbed it without checking the caller ID. "Samantha, tell me you found something—"

"Hello, Isla," a smooth, familiar voice cut in.

She froze.

Vincent.

Her grip on the phone tightened. "You have some nerve calling me."

A soft chuckle. "Now, now. Is that any way to greet family?"

"You lost the right to call yourself family when you tried to sell off my father’s company," she snapped.

Vincent sighed. "You never did understand business, Isla. It’s never personal."

Her heart pounded with fury. "It’s personal when you come after what’s mine."

A pause. Then—

"Everything you have, Isla, should have been mine."

There it was.

The truth beneath his calm, calculated words.

This wasn’t about business. It was about revenge.

"You were just a child when your father died," Vincent continued, his tone smooth. "You had no experience. No right to take over the company I helped build. And yet, they chose you."

Isla’s pulse roared in her ears. "I earned my place, Vincent. I built Calloway Tech into what it is today."

"And soon, it will be mine again."

Her fingers curled into a fist. "Over my dead body."

Vincent chuckled. "Now, now. Let’s not be dramatic. You can fight this, Isla, but you won’t win. I have more resources, more experience, and the board will soon see that I’m the better option."

A sharp knock sounded at her office door.

Lucas.

She barely acknowledged him as he walked in, his expression unreadable, his eyes sharp as he listened to the conversation.

Vincent’s voice turned almost mocking. "I’m giving you a chance, Isla. Step down voluntarily, and I might let you keep a piece of what’s left."

Her chest burned with fury. "You want me to surrender my company?"

Lucas leaned against the desk, his jaw clenched.

"Think about it," Vincent said. "You have a son now, don’t you? Do you really want to spend all your time fighting a battle you can’t win?"

A chill crept down her spine.

Vincent knew about Leo.

Isla forced her voice to stay calm. "If you come for my company, Vincent, I will destroy you."

Vincent chuckled. "We’ll see, dear niece."

And then the line went dead.

Isla lowered the phone slowly, her hands trembling with rage.

Lucas’s voice was low and controlled. "He knows about Leo."

She nodded. "He’s trying to rattle me."

Lucas’s jaw tightened. "We need to take this seriously. If he’s willing to go this far, who knows what else he’s capable of?"

Her mind spun with possibilities.

Vincent had been powerful before he disappeared. If he had spent the last few years gathering allies, building his influence…

Then this wasn’t just a business move.

It was war.

Lucas’s hand brushed against hers, grounding her. "We’ll fight this."

Her chest tightened. "I know."

Because if there was one thing Isla Calloway never did—

It was lose.