Chapter 3

By morning, I was the most hated woman on the internet.

The live-stream from the party had gone mega-viral. Every gossip site, every tabloid, every social media platform was running the same story:

*"Billionaire's Wife Signs Away Everything Without a Fight."*

The narrative was set. I was weak. Stupid. A doormat.

The clips were brutal.

Ryan's speech. Vivian's insults. Serena's entrance in my dress. My silent walk to the door.

They edited out my final words. The part about the hotel. Nobody believed it anyway.

The comments were merciless.

*"She deserved it. Five years doing nothing."*

*"Imagine being so useless your husband dumps you at a party."*

*"Serena ate her up. No competition."*

*"Eliana is what happens when you have no ambition."*

I read every single one.

Then I got dressed and went to work.

My office was on the fifty-second floor of a building with no name on it. No logo. No website. That was by design.

Meridian Capital Holdings managed twelve billion dollars in assets across real estate, pharmaceuticals, tech, and media. We owned stakes in forty-three companies, controlled two major hotel chains, and had just closed a deal to acquire a struggling social media platform.

And not a single person in Ryan's world knew it was mine.

Margot was waiting with coffee and a tablet full of updates.

"Drake Pharma's board is panicking. Their stock dropped another six percent on Friday. Richard Drake has been calling emergency meetings all weekend."

"Good."

"Also, Ryan's company—Cole Technologies—just posted a press release. He's announcing a 'strategic partnership' with Drake Pharma at a press conference on Wednesday."

I stopped walking.

"A partnership?"

"Apparently, Richard Drake promised Ryan exclusive distribution rights for Drake's new biotech line. In exchange, Ryan is investing fifty million."

I almost laughed.

Ryan was pouring fifty million dollars into a company I was about to take over.

"There's more," Margot said carefully. "Vivian has been making calls. She's telling everyone in the industry that you were a 'gold digger' who got what she deserved. She's actively trying to make sure no one hires you or associates with you."

"Let her."

"And Serena did a magazine interview this morning." Margot pulled it up on the tablet. "She called you, and I quote, 'a cautionary tale for women who think they can coast through life on a man's success.'"

I took the tablet and read the full quote.

*"Eliana had every opportunity. She was married to one of the most brilliant men in tech. And what did she do? Nothing. She sat at home. She had no career, no skills, no identity of her own. I feel sorry for her, honestly. But at some point, you have to take responsibility for your own life."*

I set the tablet down.

"Schedule a meeting with our legal team for this afternoon."

"Already done. Also, your accountant wants to confirm—are we moving forward with the Drake acquisition on Monday?"

"Yes."

"Full hostile takeover?"

"No." I sat down at my desk. "Not yet. I want to wait until after Ryan's press conference on Wednesday."

Margot raised an eyebrow. "You want him to announce the partnership first?"

"I want him to announce it to the entire world. I want him to stake his reputation on it. I want every investor, every board member, every journalist to hear him say that Drake Pharmaceuticals is the future of Cole Technologies."

I paused.

"And then I want to pull the rug out."

Margot nodded slowly, a grin spreading across her face.

"You're terrifying, you know that?"

"I've been told."

My phone rang. An unknown number.

I picked up.

"Eliana?" The voice was male, smooth, practiced. "This is Richard Drake."

I leaned back in my chair.

"Mr. Drake. What a surprise."

"I'll get straight to the point. My daughter tells me you signed the divorce papers without a fuss. I respect that. No drama."

"Thank you."

"But I need to make something clear." His voice hardened. "Serena is with Ryan now. That's how it is. I don't want any vindictive ex-wife nonsense disrupting my family or my business."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"Good. Because I have resources, Eliana. If you try anything—anything at all—I will crush you."

I looked out the window at the skyline.

"Mr. Drake, I appreciate the call. Truly."

I let the silence stretch.

"But you should know—the person you need to worry about isn't your daughter's boyfriend's ex-wife."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you should check who your largest shareholder is. Before Wednesday."

I hung up.

Three seconds later, Margot's phone buzzed.

She looked at the screen and grinned.

"Richard Drake just called his CFO in a panic."

"Good."

"What happens when he finds out it's you?"

I straightened the files on my desk.

"That's the fun part. He won't find out it's me. Not until I want him to."