“Oh, Eleanor,” I sighed, shaking my head with mock pity. “You really haven’t checked the financial news this morning, have you?”
I reached into my small, designer clutch and pulled out a sleek, black smartphone. I tapped the screen and turned it toward her.
“You see, while you were spending millions on white roses and senator’s endorsements, your family’s logistics company was facing a massive, hostile takeover from an anonymous offshore hedge fund. You’ve been bleeding capital for months, desperately relying on Caroline’s father to bail you out with government contracts.”
Eleanor’s eyes widened, her chest freezing as she stared at the financial data on my screen.
“As of 8:00 AM this morning,” I continued, my voice dripping with absolute triumph, “Ares Marketing and Holdings officially acquired 51% of Montgomery Enterprises. I am the anonymous hedge fund, Eleanor. I didn’t come here today to beg for a seat at your table. I came here to inform you that I bought the table, the chairs, and the very ground you are standing on.”
The silence that followed was heavy enough to crush bones. The Montgomery empire, Chicago’s old-money untouchables, had just been bought out by the woman they threw away.
Ethan looked like he had been struck by lightning. Caroline dropped her bouquet entirely, backing away from Ethan as if he were radioactive.
But Eleanor wasn’t done. A cornered animal is always the most dangerous.
She looked at the triplets, a sudden, terrifyingly twisted smile spreading across her lips. The panic faded, replaced by a cold, calculating madness.
“Fifty-one percent,” Eleanor whispered, her voice dangerously calm. “Impressive, Sophia. Truly. You built an empire. But you made one critical, fatal mistake by bringing those boys here today.”
She stepped forward, her eyes locked onto Liam, Noah, and Caleb with a sickeningly predatory gaze.
“You just admitted on legal record, in front of hundreds of witnesses, that these children are Ethan’s legal heirs. By the bylaws of the Montgomery Trust, established by my grandfather, any male heir born of the bloodline automatically triggers a custody and guardianship clause if the family corporation faces a hostile takeover. We don’t need to fight you for your company, Sophia…”
Eleanor raised her head, her smile widening into a terrifying grin of pure malice.
“The moment you stepped onto this property, legal custody of those three boys automatically transferred to the Montgomery estate to protect the bloodline. Security! Take the heirs upstairs immediately. Their mother is trespassing.”
The security guards moved instantly, their heavy hands reaching out to grab Liam and Noah.
“Mama!” Noah screamed, reaching for me as a guard gripped his small arm.
My heart stopped. My hand instantly flew to the inside of my gown, where a hidden document was strapped to my thigh. I had prepared for everything, but Eleanor had just pulled a century-old legal trap that I hadn’t foreseen.
“Let go of them!” I shouted, stepping forward, but Ethan suddenly blocked my path, his face a mix of panic and desperation.
“Sophia, don’t fight it, it’s the law!” Ethan yelled, grabbing my shoulders. “They stay with us now!”
Just as the guard lifted Liam off the ground, a loud, thunderous roar echoed from the gates of the estate.
Everyone froze.
Three massive, unmarked white vans tore through the security gates, smashing the iron barriers to pieces. They sped across the lawn, tearing up the perfect grass, and skidded to a halt directly behind my SUVs.
The doors flew open, and a dozen men in high-end, elite private military gear, armed with tactical equipment, stepped out. Leading them was a tall, imposing man in a tailored grey suit—a man whose face made every politician in the crowd gasp in absolute terror.
It was Alexander Vance. The reclusive, untouchable billionaire tech mogul who hated the Montgomerys with a passion, and the most powerful man in the country.
Alexander walked directly past the stunned security guards, his eyes locked onto Eleanor. He stopped right beside me, slipping a protective arm around my waist, before looking down at the guards holding my sons.
“Let go of my stepsons,” Alexander said, his voice a low, terrifying rumble that vibrated through the entire courtyard.
He then looked at Eleanor, pulling a red folder from his jacket. “And Eleanor? Before you mention your pathetic trust clause… you might want to read who bought your grandfather’s trust fund last night.”
Eleanor’s face turned completely grey.
Alexander smiled, a dark, lethal expression. “You didn’t just lose your company today, Montgomerys. You just lost everything. And as for what happens next…”
(Oh my god, Alexander Vance is here?! The tables have completely turned! What is inside that red folder, and how will Sophia and Alexander completely ruin the Montgomery family in Part 3?)
(I am translating and writing the final showdown right now! Please leave a “YES” in the comments below and hit that “LIKE” button so you don’t miss the epic conclusion of Part 3! Trust me, you are NOT ready for what Sophia does next!)
