With the evidence in hand, Adrian wasted no time. He scheduled an emergency board meeting and had all the suspects summoned. The air was thick with tension as they filed into the conference room, their faces masked with uncertainty.
Mr. Williams sat at the head of the table, his expression unreadable. Adrian stood beside him, his cold gaze sweeping over the room.
"I assume you all know why you're here," Adrian began, placing a stack of documents on the table. "It has come to my attention that there are traitors within this company—people who have been feeding confidential information to outsiders."
The room fell silent. A few exchanged nervous glances, but no one dared to speak.
Adrian continued, "I've set up traps over the last few days, and those who took the bait have now been exposed. Security, please bring in the evidence."
Two security officers entered, handing out printed call logs, leaked financial reports, and screenshots of unauthorized access attempts. Gasps filled the room as the guilty parties saw their names printed in bold.
"Jonathan Moore, head of finance—leaked confidential reports."
"Linda Adams, senior executive—sold merger details to an outsider."
"Eric Brown, IT department—attempted a security breach."
Each name Adrian read was met with more shock. Some tried to deny their involvement, but the evidence was undeniable.
Mr. Williams leaned forward. "I trusted all of you," he said, his voice laced with disappointment. "Yet, you betrayed me... for what? A few extra dollars from Margret?"
Jonathan Moore stammered, "Sir, I— I only did it because I was threatened—"
"Save your excuses," Adrian cut him off. "You had a choice, and you chose to betray this company. Effective immediately, you're all fired, and legal action will be taken against those who have caused financial damage."
Security escorted them out as they pleaded for another chance. But Adrian was unmoved.
The news spread quickly. Margret, who had been lying low, was furious when she learned her moles had been caught.
"How the hell did Adrian figure it out so fast?" she snapped at Benson and Derrick.
Derrick smirked. "Maybe because he's smarter than you give him credit for?"
Benson scoffed. "So what now? We're out of options."
Margret clenched her fists. "Not yet. If we can't take the company from Adrian, then we make sure he never enjoys it."
Benson frowned. "What do you mean?"
Margret's lips curled into a sinister smile. "We hit him where it hurts—his family. Let's see how strong he is when the people he loves are in danger."
That evening, Adrian returned home to Grace. She greeted him with a warm embrace, sensing his exhaustion.
"You did it, didn't you?" she whispered.
Adrian nodded, resting his forehead against hers. "Yes. But I don't think Margret is done yet."
Grace pulled back, concern in her eyes. "What do you mean?"
Adrian sighed. "She's cornered now. And when people like her have nothing to lose... they become even more dangerous."
Little did they know, Margret was already setting her next plan into motion—one that would test Adrian in ways he never expected.
Margret knew she had lost the battle within the Williams family, but she wasn't ready to accept defeat just yet. If she couldn't have the empire, she would make sure Adrian and Mr. Williams lost everything.
With Benson and Derrick on edge, Margret moved quickly. She arranged a secret meeting with Williams Corporation's biggest rivals—the Hawk Enterprises, led by the ruthless businessman, Charles Hawk.
Margret sat in a dimly lit private lounge, her fingers elegantly wrapped around a wine glass. Across from her, Charles Hawk leaned back in his chair, studying her with intrigue.
"I must say, Margret," Charles smirked. "I never expected the wife of Williams to come crawling to me."
Margret didn't flinch. "I didn't come to crawl. I came with an offer you can't refuse."
Charles chuckled. "And what exactly do you think you can offer me?"
Margret leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Inside information on Williams Corporation. Their financial vulnerabilities, their internal struggles, even their upcoming projects."
Charles raised a brow. "And why would I trust you?"
Margret sipped her wine before replying, "Because no one knows that company better than I do. And because I hate Adrian and his father more than you do."
Charles grinned. "I like a woman with fire. But tell me, Margret—what do you want in return?"
Her eyes gleamed with ambition. "I want Williams Corporation to crumble. And when it does, I want a controlling share in whatever you take from them."
Charles chuckled darkly. "Now, that's a bold demand. But I do love a woman who plays dirty."
He extended his hand. "Let's bring the Williams family to their knees."
Margret shook his hand, sealing the deal.
Over the next few days, Margret fed Charles confidential information about the company. She leaked details of upcoming mergers, insider trading patterns, and the company's weaknesses in overseas markets.
At the same time, she convinced old board members still loyal to her to consider defecting. She promised them a future under Hawk Enterprises, whispering about how Adrian was too inexperienced to run the empire and how Williams was an old man past his prime.
The cracks in the empire were beginning to show. Stock values wavered, clients started questioning the company's stability, and even longtime investors grew uneasy.
Margret watched it all unfold with satisfaction.
"This is only the beginning, Adrian," she murmured to herself. "Let's see how long you last."
Back at Williams Corporation, Adrian noticed the sudden shift in the market. Unusual withdrawals from investors, sudden hesitations from partners—it all pointed to sabotage.
He called his most trusted executive, Richard Monroe, into his office.
"Find out who's been leaking our information. Someone is feeding our enemies."
Richard nodded. "I'll get on it immediately."
But Adrian had a gut feeling he already knew the culprit.
"Margret," he muttered under his breath.
He clenched his fists. She wasn't just trying to take his inheritance—she wanted to burn everything to the ground.
"If she wants a war," Adrian said coldly, "she'll get one."