Chapter 4 - The Takeover Announcement
Before Ethan could ask why she was there, the loud ringing of a crystal glass being tapped echoed from the main stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the master of ceremonies announced over the microphone, "please welcome the new majority stakeholder of Mercer-Holdings, who will be delivering tonight's keynote address."
Ethan frowned, tearing his eyes away from Claire. He had been negotiating a massive merger for the last three months, waiting for an anonymous private equity firm to inject capital into his struggling tech division.
To Ethan’s utter shock, the dark-haired man handed the two babies gently to a waiting nanny who stepped out of the shadows. He adjusted his dark navy tuxedo jacket and walked directly up onto the stage.
"Good evening," the man spoke into the microphone, his voice deep and commanding. "My name is Julian Vance, CEO of Vance Capital. We are honored to finalize our acquisition of Mercer-Holdings tonight."
Ethan’s blood ran cold. The private equity firm that now owned fifty-one percent of his company was run by the man who was standing next to his ex-wife.
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"Furthermore," Julian continued smoothly, scanning the crowd until his eyes landed on Ethan, "I am pleased to announce our newly appointed Chief Operations Officer, who will be managing the entire Mercer-Holdings portfolio going forward... Ms. Claire Sterling."
The ballroom erupted into polite applause. Ethan stood frozen, unable to process the magnitude of his defeat. He looked back at Claire, who was gently bouncing their daughter in her arms. She wasn't just a scorned ex-wife seeking revenge—she was his new boss.
