The weight of Elara's words hung heavily in the air, pressing down on Cambria's chest. "Erased." The word replayed in her mind like a ticking clock counting down to the end of everything she had fought for. It was the final blow in a series of betrayals, but this? This was the most personal.
Her hands trembled as she looked between Elara and Julian. The two people who had just confessed to being part of the plan to strip her of everything the two people who were supposed to be the foundation on which she built her future had reduced her to nothing more than a pawn in a game she never wanted to play.
"How long do we have?" Cambria asked, her voice rough but determined, the last vestiges of her shock fading into resolve. She wasn't about to let her empire be taken without a fight. Not like this.
Elara's gaze locked with hers, her own eyes filled with fear but also a glimmer of defiance. "Not long. Julian's already on their side. Your uncle's about to release the statement at any minute. If we don't act fast, everything will be lost."
"You think I don't know that?" Cambria snapped, stepping forward. Her pulse raced, and the adrenaline coursing through her veins sharpened her senses. "What do we do? How do we stop them?"
Elara hesitated. "We need leverage, something they can't ignore, something they can't control. You can't face them head-on, not without risking everything. We need to find their weaknesses and exploit them. We need to move first, or they'll own us."
"Fine," Cambria said, her voice hardened by the realization that this was no longer just about a company. This was about survival. She was facing enemies from every angle, and there was no longer any time to hesitate.
Turning to Julian, she felt her stomach twist with anger. He was standing off to the side, watching her, his expression unreadable. He had played his part in this, but Cambria refused to let him off the hook so easily.
"What exactly did you think would happen, Julian?" she asked, her voice venomous. "Did you really think I'd just hand it over to you and my uncle? That I would sit back and watch as everything I built was stolen away from me?"
Julian didn't flinch, his face still calm, almost pitying. "It was never about what you wanted, Cambria. It's always been about what's best for everyone. You've been blinded by your father's legacy, but it's outdated. It's time for something new. You didn't have what it took to lead it into the future."
Her blood boiled, but she swallowed the anger, focusing instead on the task ahead. She could not afford to let him get to her. Not now.
She turned to Elara. "We need to move. Right now."
Elara nodded, taking out her phone and typing rapidly. "I'll get the board's schedule. If we can intercept them before they make the announcement, we might still have a chance. But we need to act quickly."
Cambria's mind raced as she tried to process everything. Her uncle's sudden shift, his betrayal, the public merger with Elena, it was all coming together in a sickening whirlwind. The company she had fought for, the empire she had built from the ground up, was on the verge of being completely swept away by people she had trusted. But trust had been a luxury she could no longer afford.
Her father's legacy was no longer hers to protect. She was on her own.
"Cambria," Julian's voice interrupted her thoughts. His tone was almost regretful now, a sharp contrast to the coldness of moments before. "I don't want to do this to you. I never did. But we both know there's no other way."
She glanced at him, the disgust rising in her chest. "You don't get to play the martyr now. You've already made your choice. You made it clear where your loyalty lies."
"I didn't have a choice," Julian said quietly. "Not with your uncle pulling the strings. Not with Elena so far ahead of us. She's already in control. But you can still walk away. Let go of the fight. It doesn't have to end this way."
Her heart pounded as she turned away from him, refusing to let his words sink in. He was right about one thing: everything had changed. But there was no walking away. Not now. Not ever.
"I'm not walking away," she said, her voice filled with steel. "You can keep your apologies, Julian. But I'm not backing down. Not when I've come this far."
Elara's eyes met hers, a silent understanding passing between them. "I'll get the information we need, Cambria. We have one shot at this. We can't afford to miss it."
But just as Elara turned to make a call, the sudden shrill ring of Cambria's phone echoed through the room. Her heart skipped a beat as she glanced at the screen.
It was a call from the office.
Without hesitation, she answered. "What is it?" Her voice was sharp, but her mind was already racing with the possibilities.
"Cambria, it's happening," the voice on the other end said urgently. "Your uncle's press release just hit. The merger with Elena has been confirmed. It's all over the news."
Cambria's stomach dropped as the weight of the words sank in. It was official.
"They did it," she whispered, her mind reeling. "It's too late."
"No," the voice replied, "You still have a chance. Your uncle's release was premature. He's got another meeting lined up with the board in two hours. If you act now, if you get to them before he does."
"Before he locks it in," Cambria finished, the plan beginning to form. "We can stop this. We can stop them."
Elara turned back toward her, reading the determination on Cambria's face. "It's not over," Cambria said, her voice cold with purpose. "We move now."
But just as Cambria made her way toward the door, the familiar buzz of her phone interrupted her. She glanced at the screen. It was another message this time, from her uncle.
The message was simple, direct, and filled with chilling finality:
"It's too late, Cambria. You've already lost. The board is mine now. And so is everything you ever fought for."
Her breath caught in her throat. How could he have known? Had he already planned his next move?
And then, as if on cue, the door behind her slammed open.
Cambria spun around, her heart pounding in her chest. Who was walking in now?