Chapter 9
1188words
Unexpectedly, fate gave me a more direct, more chaotic entry point.
That day, there were less than twelve hours left until the shareholder vote that would determine the final fate of the "Dome Project." The night sky of Radiance City was dyed an uneasy purple by the neon lights. I was sitting in the office of "Future Life Technologies," verifying the last batch of abnormal fund transfers to "Omega Genesis," when the internal phone suddenly rang shrilly.
It was my father's chief secretary, her voice having lost its usual composure, carrying a rare panic: "Ms. E… White? No… Ms. Vance! Please come to the Silver Glow Medical Center immediately! Mr. Cassius, he… he suddenly collapsed!"
My heart contracted sharply, but my voice was unexpectedly calm: "What's the situation?"
"Clouded consciousness, severe headache… cause unknown. The doctors are trying to save him. Ms. Leila is already there, she's very distraught."
Everything was happening faster than I had anticipated.
I closed my computer and picked up the encrypted data chip and the briefcase containing the critical files that I had prepared long ago. My fingertips felt a bit cold, but my steps were steady. Ten years in hibernation, all waiting for this moment of chaos.
The private ward area on the top floor of Silver Glow Medical Center was heavily guarded. Leila Croft stood at the end of the corridor, her expensive flowing satin suit now looking somewhat disheveled, with a few strands of her meticulously styled hair falling loose.
When she saw me, a flash of surprise crossed her eyes, quickly replaced by intense hostility.
"Elara? What are you doing here?" She tried to block the door to the ward, "Your father needs rest. You're not welcome here."
"Ms. Croft," I stopped in my tracks, meeting her scrutiny with a calm gaze, "As a senior analyst in the Strategic Investment Department of Vance Group, and Cassius Vance's legal heir, I believe I have both the right and responsibility to understand the situation at this moment."
"Heir?" She almost sneered, but the panic in her eyes betrayed her, "What nonsense are you talking about? Caleb and Isabella are the ones who…"
"The ones who what?" I interrupted her, stepping forward and lowering my voice, "The potential beneficiaries of the secret 'Prometheus Genesis' project? Or are you hoping they'll be your leverage to control the situation after father falls ill?"
Leila's face instantly turned pale, as if drained of blood. "You… what do you know?"
"I know far more than you imagine." I pulled out a copy of documents from my briefcase and waved it before her eyes, "For instance, how you abused your position as Chief Innovation Officer to provide special funding to 'Omega Genesis' without board approval. Or the gene editing experimental data from the 'Prometheus' Child' project that hasn't passed ethical review."
She reached out to grab it, but I quickly pulled it back.
"Don't rush, Leila. These documents, along with the ones father signed during his lucid intervals authorizing me to handle urgent group matters when he's unable to fulfill his duties, will soon be presented to the board."
Just then, the hospital room door opened, and the attending physician walked out with a grave expression. "Mr. Vance's condition is temporarily stable, but the cause remains unknown and requires close observation. He was briefly conscious and asked to see Miss Elara Vance."
Leila staggered backward as if struck by a heavy blow.
I took a deep breath and entered the hospital room. The air was filled with the smell of disinfectant and some kind of precision equipment. Father lay on the hospital bed, his face ashen, with oxygen tubes in his nostrils, all his usual authority completely gone. When he saw me, a complex, indiscernible emotion flashed in his cloudy eyes.
"Elara…" his voice was hoarse and weak.
"Father." I stood by the bed without moving closer.
"You…are all prepared?" His question came abruptly, but I understood.
"Yes." I nodded, "Starlight Trust, the Dome Project, and those dangerous transactions between you and Omega…it's time for me to sort them out."
He closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing once, as if sighing, yet also like relief. "Leila…the children…"
"They will have trust funds, living without worries." My tone remained completely steady, "But the core of the Vance Group will have nothing to do with them from now on. This is the outcome you should have foreseen when you made your choice years ago."
I said nothing more and turned to leave the hospital room. In the hallway, Leila had already been "invited" by the group's security personnel to answer preliminary inquiries from the internal investigation committee. The way she looked at me was full of resentment and disbelief.
Hours later, an emergency board meeting of the Vance Group was convened. Wearing a simple black suit, I walked into the conference room that overlooked the entire Radiance City. The shareholders were whispering to each other, the atmosphere tense.
Without wasting words, I walked directly to the side of the main seat—the position that belonged to Cassius Vance but was currently vacant. The lawyer presented the authorization documents, while I projected the core contents of the evidence chain onto the large screen: financial violations, benefit transfers, ethical risks, and the unspeakable connection between the "Dome Project" and Omega Genesis.
"Ladies and gentlemen," my voice echoed clearly in the conference room, carrying an indisputable power, "I am Elara Vance, Cassius Vance's only legal and adult heir.
For the past few years, I have infiltrated the corporation under the identity of 'Allison White,' and I have a clear understanding of the current crisis. I propose that I temporarily take over the CEO responsibilities of the group, with the primary task being a thorough investigation of the cooperation with Omega Genesis, a transparent review of the 'Dome Project,' and stabilization of market confidence."
There were voices of doubt, but more silence and calculation.
The evidence I presented was too devastating, and the sudden power vacuum left by my father's downfall required someone legitimate and informed to fill it. I was undoubtedly the most "suitable" candidate at the moment.
My first official directive was to mobilize the group's best medical resources to fully support my mother Sophia's treatment, and to authorize the "Dawn Project" team to access relevant data in search of a cure for "Heartblight."
My second directive was to freeze all pending projects with Omega Genesis and establish an independent investigation committee.
Walking out of the conference room, it was already dawn in Radiance City. Sunlight broke through the clouds, illuminating the glass facade of the "Crystal Tower."
My terminal rang, it was a holographic message from Caleb and Isabella, the two children's faces filled with unease and confusion.
"Sister Elara, how is dad? We're really scared..."
I looked at their young faces, my tone calm and firm: "The future will be shaped by me, for Vance, and so that you can study with peace of mind."
