Chapter 1: The Painful Betrayal

Scarlett’s pov

I straightened my blazer, taking a deep breath as I stared at my reflection in the mirror. 

Today was very important to me. 

No—it meant everything. 

Months filled with endless preparation, evenings of excess work, and endless hours in meetings had led to this day. If I won, it could be the biggest contract in Delacroix Enterprises' history. And I would finally and forever be recognized not just as Victor Delacroix's daughter. But as a leader I could be. 

I took a step out of my office, my heels clicking on the hard floors of marble. Employees greeted me with small nods, but something felt...off. There were hushed whispers as I passed by. Alongside very short dashes that disappeared the moment I saw them. A strange heaviness settled in my chest, but I brushed it off. People always gossiped in business. And I had no time for distractions. 

The boardroom was already filled when I arrived. The air smelled of rich leather and fresh coffee, but the tension was thick enough to choke on. Investors sat lined along the long, glass table, their eyes unreadable. My father, Victor Delacroix, sat at the head of the room, his fingers joined together. 

My husband, Damian Whitmore, sat next to him, his face blank. And beside him—Celeste. I nearly stumbled. Celeste Delacroix. My step-sister. This woman, returned to her old employer, and her own daughter, after abandoning them both a decade earlier. 

The woman who never bothered to look back. What was she doing here? I swallowed hard and took my seat. My hands trembled slightly as I opened my leather portfolio. Adrian Voss would be here soon, and once he signed, Delacroix Enterprises would partner with one of the most powerful business empires in the country. 

I had worked for this. I deserved this. 

Then, Victor cleared his throat. “Before today's negotiations, I have a statement to share”. 

A murmur rippled through the room. I frowned, glancing at my father. This wasn’t planned. Victor stood, adjusting his cufflinks. His face was calm, unreadable. 

"Delacroix Enterprises has always been a family business.” he paused, as his eyes scanned the room. 

 “Legacy is important to us. And as we approach a new age, it is now that the new generation of leadership is needed.” My pulse quickened. What was he talking about? This wasn’t in the agenda for today.

"I would like to introduce the next CEO of Delacroix Enterprises—Celeste Delacroix." 

Silence. 

Then, the whispers began. A cold rush of disbelief spread through my veins. I turned to my father, expecting—hoping—that I had misheard him, maybe. But I hadn’t. Celeste rose gracefully, a small, smug smile playing on her lips. 

"Thank you, Father. I’m honored to take on this responsibility." 

No. No. This wasn’t happening. I had worked for this company for years. I had sacrificed, bled for it. And now, he was giving it to her? With a sudden movement I pushed out my chair and stood so forcefully that it made a ear deafening noise against the ground. 

"What is this?" My voice trembled, but I forced myself to stay strong. 

"You can’t be serious. I’ve led every major project for the last three years. I closed the biggest deals. I built—" Victor held up a hand.

"Scarlett, sit down." I didn’t. “That's wrong," I gasped, and my breath came out in quick spurts. 

"You’re choosing Celeste? After everything she’s done? She left us. She abandoned—"

"Enough." My father’s tone was sharp, final. 

"Celeste is my daughter. This company is her birthright. But you were just here to keep things from falling apart until she got back,". 

To hold things together. Like a temporary fix. Like I had never been meant to stay. The room blurred. I turned to Damian, expecting— and praying—for him to defend me. He had always been my partner, my supporter. He loved me. Didn’t he? 

Damian met my eyes, then stood slowly. With a strange sense of detachment, I watched as he reached into his briefcase and pulled out a thick envelope. He placed it in front of me. 

I stared at the brown piece of paper. My name was on the front. 

"Scarlett," Damian said, his voice too calm, too practiced. 

"It’s time to move on." My fingers felt numb as I opened the envelope. Subsequently, I took a sudden breath when I saw the capital letters on the top. Divorce Agreement. I looked up, my heart pounding. 

"You’re divorcing me?" He didn’t flinch. 

"It’s for the best." I could see Celeste’s smile widened. 

"We’re simply correcting a mistake, dear sister." she said, her smile unwavering.  

Mistake. My stomach twisted violently. This wasn’t just about the company. This was planned. My father, my husband, and my step-sister. They had orchestrated this. Together. My entire life—my marriage, my career, my trust—had been nothing more than a carefully crafted illusion. 

The realization hit like a blade to my chest. They had been planning this for a long time. And I had been the fool who never saw it coming. Just then, the boardroom doors swung open. Silence descended over the room, at the sight of Adrian Voss. His presence was magnetic, exuding a quiet power that demanded attention. He walked straight in without a word—his eyes fixed on the tense faces around the table. But when his eyes landed on me—on the divorce papers in front of me, on the betrayal written across my face—he stopped. 

For a moment, everything else faded. Adrian Voss wasn’t just a billionaire investor. He was amoral, calculating, a person who could read a room and exploit its insecurity, by confronting it with that same insecurity, as their tool. Everyone knew him that well. And right now, he was watching me. Watching me break. A flicker of something—calculated interest? 

Amusement maybe? 

Pity?— I assumed all this crossed his sharp expression, but his features remained unreadable. 

But he said nothing. 

He just sat down, reclined in his chair, and waited.