Chapter 3
1184 Words
Chapter 3: New Boss
Walking down the hallway to her father’s office felt like an eternity. Different thoughts flooded her mind.
Those thoughts made her walk faster, desperate to find anything that could nullify Damien’s ownership rights. Anything could work,a clause, a loophole, a breach of contract, just anything that could work in her favour.
The door clicked shut behind her.
For a moment, she simply stood there.
The office looked exactly as she remembered it. The floor-to-ceiling windows, the neatly arranged bookshelves, the faint scent of old books and files, and the sweet fragrance from the scented candles on the shelves.
A sharp ache settled in her chest, but she swallowed hard and forced herself to breathe.
No. She wasn’t here to mourn.
She finally moved towards the desk, and her eyes drifted to the polished mahogany nameplate resting at the edge.
HARRISON WALKER
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
She stared at it, memories threatening to surface,her father sitting behind the desk, promising that one day she would lead the company beside him.
Even though she hadn’t wanted anything to do with the company at first and had been far more interested in art, her father’s persistent persuasion had slowly drawn her into the business world. She had eventually begun taking an interest in the company, though she never completely gave up her love for art.
The thought twisted painfully inside her.
She had done all this because she wanted to make her father happy. Being an only child came with responsibilities, but now it felt like all of her father’s dreams were slipping away just when they had finally been within reach.
Blinking rapidly, she tore her gaze away.
She opened the first drawer and began searching through the files with renewed determination.
A frantic two-hour search yielded nothing useful except a few business proposals and records of dealings with DC Corporation. There was nothing that could challenge Damien’s claim to Walker Group.
Frustration began to creep in.
Finally deciding to go home and search her father’s home office instead, she gathered every document that had Damien’s company name on it and placed them into a folder.
Just as she was about to leave, a knock sounded at the door.
“Come in,” she called.
The door opened, and her father’s former secretary stepped inside carrying a thick brown file.
“Miss Walker, this was delivered from the corporate records department. They said you requested all shareholder documentation.”
Her eyes immediately narrowed.
“Thank you.”
The secretary placed the file on the desk and quietly left.
The moment the door closed, she sat down and opened it.
Inside were shareholder records, acquisition reports, and transfer agreements.
Her pulse quickened as she flipped through the pages.
Then she found it.
The shareholder distribution report.
Her eyes scanned the figures.
Harrison Walker , 45%
Her father’s shares.
The shares she had inherited.
She continued reading.
Damien Cross , 55%
Her stomach dropped.
Beneath it was a detailed breakdown of the acquisitions.
Daniel Reeves , 15% transferred
Victoria Holdings , 12% transferred
Benjamin Carter , 10% transferred
Ethan Pierce , 8% transferred
Harper Investments , 10% transferred
Total acquired: 55%
She stared at the page.
Then read it again.
And again.
There was no mistake.
Damien hadn’t stolen the company.
He had legally purchased enough shares from the other shareholders to become the majority owner.
A bitter laugh escaped her lips.
All this time she had been searching for proof that his claim was invalid.
Instead, she had found proof that it wasn’t.
Her grip tightened around the papers.
Those people had worked with her father for years. Some of them had attended company dinners and celebrated milestones with their family. Yet they had sold their shares without a second thought.
She was about to close the file when something slipped from between the pages and landed on the desk.
Unlike the others, this document looked older. The edges were slightly worn, as though it had been handled many times before being filed away. Curious, she pulled it free and unfolded it carefully.
It was a meeting record.
At first glance, there was nothing remarkable about it. Dates, signatures, board resolutions, and shareholder discussions filled the pages. Her eyes skimmed over the information until a date near the top caught her attention.
The meeting had taken place nearly six months before her father’s death.
A slight frown tugged at her brows as she read through the contents again, this time more carefully. The document focused on the future of Walker Group. There were projections for growth, discussions about expansion into new markets, and references to possible restructuring plans. None of it seemed alarming. Nothing explained how Damien Cross had ended up controlling the company.
Yet something about the document unsettled her.
Several sections referenced discussions involving major shareholders. The language was formal and frustratingly vague, but it was clear that important conversations had taken place behind closed doors. Conversations her father had never mentioned.
Elsie leaned back slightly in her chair, staring at the page.
Her father had always been honest with her about the company. Not in the beginning, when she had stubbornly insisted that she wanted to pursue art instead of business, but later. Once she started taking an interest in Walker Group, he had gradually brought her into meetings, explained financial reports, and taught her how the company operated. He had wanted her to be ready one day.
At least, that was what she had always believed.
Her gaze drifted back to the document. References to negotiations, contingency plans, and future acquisition possibilities appeared throughout the report. Individually they meant very little, but together they painted a picture of decisions being made beyond her knowledge.
A strange unease settled in her stomach.
For days she had convinced herself that Damien had appeared out of nowhere and stolen everything her father had built. It was a simple explanation and one she had clung to desperately because it gave her someone to blame. Anger had been easier to carry than grief.
But the records spread across the desk told a different story.
Every percentage was accounted for. Every acquisition was documented. Every transfer had been signed and approved. The paperwork was thorough and impossible to dispute.
A bitter laugh escaped her.
She had spent hours searching for evidence against Damien, only to find proof that his claim to Walker Group was legitimate.
Her fingers tightened around the document as she looked once more at the list of shareholders who had sold their stakes. These were people who had worked alongside her father for years. Some had attended company events and holiday gatherings. Others had watched her grow up.
Yet one by one, they had sold their shares and handed over control of the company.
She had entered the office determined to prove Damien Cross was a fraud.
She was leaving with the uncomfortable knowledge that he was not.
And somehow that discovery felt far worse.
Because if Damien had not taken the company illegally, then the real story had yet to be uncovered.
- Writer
