Chapter 4: The Mother-in-Law Strikes Back

The next morning, the boardroom of Hart International was packed.

Senior executives sat around the long glass table.

Department heads whispered among themselves.

Several lawyers were already reviewing documents.

At the head of the table stood Derrick.

Beside him was Georgina.

And beside Georgina...

I stood quietly.

I had no idea what was about to happen.

But I knew one thing.

Georgina was ready for war.

The doors opened.

Rosalie walked in wearing a designer suit.

She carried a leather folder under one arm.

Behind her came two lawyers and three executives.

She looked completely confident.

"Good morning," she said.

Georgina didn't even look up.

"You're late."

"I was handling an urgent hotel matter."

Georgina raised an eyebrow.

"Which you had no authority to handle."

Rosalie smiled.

"That depends on what the board decides today."

Derrick's expression turned cold.

"The board has no reason to decide anything regarding your position."

"I disagree."

Rosalie placed several documents on the table.

"I have evidence that I have been managing critical operations across the Solenne properties for months."

"You were given temporary authority," Derrick replied.

"Temporary authority does not make you an executive."

"It does when you signed the documents yourself."

Silence.

I looked at Derrick.

He immediately turned toward the company's legal counsel.

"Explain."

The attorney opened one of the folders.

"Several documents were indeed signed under Mr. Hart's delegated authority."

Georgina's eyes narrowed.

"Delegated by whom?"

The attorney hesitated.

"The system lists the authorization as Mr. Hart's."

Derrick stood.

"I never gave her permanent signing rights."

"Then someone altered the authorization."

Rosalie smiled.

"Maybe you simply forgot."

Georgina slammed her palm on the table.

"My son doesn't forget business contracts."

"So don't insult us by pretending this is normal."

Rosalie looked irritated.

"I'm only protecting the company."

"From whom?" I asked.

Her eyes moved toward me.

"From people who don't understand how this business works."

"You mean me?"

"I didn't name anyone."

"You didn't have to."

Georgina looked at me.

"Let me handle this."

I nodded.

She turned back toward Rosalie.

"You spent months using my son's name."

"You took control of hotel staff."

"You accessed private accounts."

"You humiliated guests."

"And yesterday you nearly drowned me."

Rosalie's expression changed.

"It wasn't like that."

"Your employee attacked her."

"And you ordered him to do it."

"There are witnesses."

Rosalie's lawyers exchanged nervous glances.

Georgina continued.

"Do you know what happens when someone uses Hart International authority without authorization?"

"It's corporate fraud."

Rosalie scoffed.

"You're threatening me?"

"No."

"I'm informing you."

Georgina slid a thick file across the table.

"These are the hotel security reports."

"Guest complaints."

"Financial records."

"Unauthorized transfers."

"And employee statements regarding your behavior."

Rosalie stared at the file.

"You investigated me overnight?"

"I built this company before you learned how to spell Hart."

The room went silent.

I almost smiled.

That was the Georgina I knew.

Calm.

Sharp.

Terrifying when necessary.

Rosalie turned toward Derrick.

"You're going to let her do this to me?"

Derrick didn't answer.

"Derrick?"

"Tell her something."

He looked at Rosalie.

"My mother is right."

Rosalie's face drained of color.

"You're choosing them."

"I'm choosing the company."

"You know what your real problem is?"

Derrick's eyes narrowed.

"What?"

"You never choose me when she is around."

Rosalie pointed at me.

"She turns everyone against me."

I stood.

"Nobody has to turn anyone against you."

"Your actions speak for themselves."

Rosalie looked at me with hatred.

"You think you've won because Derrick married you?"

"No."

"I think you're losing because you keep proving that you can't be trusted."

One of the executives suddenly raised his hand.

"Mr. Hart."

"There's another issue."

"What?" Derrick asked.

"We traced the unauthorized transfers."

Everyone became silent.

"A large amount of money was moved from several hotel accounts to a private investment company."

"Who owns it?"

The executive looked at Rosalie.

"The company is registered to a trust."

"But the beneficiary is connected to Ms. Rosalie's family."

Rosalie stood abruptly.

"That's a lie."

"We verified the registration," the executive replied.

"The money was used to purchase two properties in the name of her brother."

Georgina's expression became ice cold.

"You were stealing from us."

"No!" Rosalie shouted.

"I was protecting myself."

"From what?" Derrick asked.

"From being thrown away after your family no longer needed mine."

Derrick frowned.

"You were never promised ownership."

"You were given assistance."

"You used it to build your own network inside my company."

"Because I had no choice!"

The room fell silent.

For a moment, Rosalie looked less like a villain and more like someone cornered by desperation.

Then she suddenly smiled.

"Fine."

"If you want war, we'll have war."

She picked up her bag.

"You'll regret humiliating me."

Georgina calmly replied,

"You already did that yourself."

Rosalie left.

The doors closed behind her.

Derrick remained standing.

I could see the exhaustion in his face.

"I'm sorry," he said.

I looked at him.

"For what?"

"For bringing this into your life."

"You didn't bring Rosalie into my life."

"You brought the consequences of your silence."

He nodded.

"You're right."

Georgina stood.

"Derrick, there's something else you need to do."

"What?"

"You need to publicly revoke every privilege you ever gave Rosalie."

"And apologize to Vera."

Derrick looked at me.

I didn't speak.

He turned toward the communications director.

"Prepare a public statement."

"Effective immediately, Rosalie has no authority over any Hart International property."

"No access to executive privileges."

"No rights to represent the company."

"And all contracts signed under unauthorized authority will be reviewed."

The director nodded.

Derrick then looked at me.

"Vera, I know that won't fix yesterday."

"No, it won't."

"But I'm going to fix what I can."

Before I could answer, Derrick's assistant rushed into the room.

"Sir, there's an emergency."

"What happened?"

"Rosalie just left the building."

"And?"

"She took several confidential files with her."

Derrick's expression changed instantly.

"Which files?"

"Property ownership records."

"Financial ledgers."

"And..."

The assistant hesitated.

"Your private marital records."

My stomach dropped.

"Why would she take those?"

Derrick looked at Georgina.

Then at me.

"Because she wants leverage."

Georgina's face hardened.

"Find her."

"Immediately."

Security teams were dispatched.

But Rosalie had already disappeared.

That evening, my phone received a message from an unknown number.

I opened it.

A photograph appeared.

It showed Derrick and Rosalie standing together at a formal event years earlier.

The message beneath it read:

"You think she stole your husband?"

"Wait until you learn what your husband stole from her."

I stared at the screen.

Another message followed.

"The real reason Derrick married you will destroy your marriage."

My heart tightened.

I slowly looked toward Derrick.

For the first time, I wondered whether Rosalie had been hiding one final secret.

And whether Derrick had been hiding it from me.