Chapter 4: The Boardroom Trap**
“I am simply having extra linens brought up, Richard,” Victoria replied coldly before hanging up.
She turned to Elena, her eyes filled with protective urgency. “You have to leave through the service elevator right now. Richard is looking for a reason to destroy me, and if he finds out who you are, he won't hesitate to use you against me.”
“Clara, I don't care about money or titles,” Elena pleaded, holding Victoria’s hands tightly. “I just found you. I can’t lose you again.”
“You won’t,” Victoria promised, kissing Elena’s weathered cheek. “Take this.” She pressed an envelope filled with cash and a burner phone into Elena’s hands. “Stay at a quiet motel on the edge of town. Call me on this number only. Once tomorrow's board vote is secured, nobody will ever touch us again.”
The next morning, the boardroom on the 50th floor of Sterling Tower was filled with high-profile shareholders and cutthroat executives. Victoria took her seat at the head of the conference table, exuding unyielding authority.
Richard stood up, a smug grin spreading across his face. “Before we vote to confirm Victoria as the permanent CEO, I believe the board deserves complete transparency regarding her integrity.”
Richard tapped a remote, projecting high-resolution security footage onto the wall. It showed Elena walking into Room 1402 the previous night, followed by footage of Victoria handing her an envelope in the hallway.
“Our current acting CEO is secretly meeting with low-level hotel staff and passing envelopes of untraceable cash,” Richard declared dramatically. “Furthermore, my investigators ran a background check on this maid. Her name is Elena Miller. Thirty years ago, she was investigated for child neglect after her daughter disappeared.”
Gasps rippled across the boardroom. The board members exchanged uneasy, judgmental looks.
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“Victoria,” Richard smirked, leaning over the table. “Are you using company funds to pay off a former felon, or is there something even darker you're hiding from the shareholders?”
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