Chapter 3
A Deal with the Devil
The boardroom of Lancaster Industries was filled with an
unsettling silence. The long, polished oak table reflected the
tension in the air as some of the most powerful executives in
the city sat in their respective seats, stealing cautious glances
at one another.
At the head of the table sat Ryan Lancaster, his jaw clenched
as he tapped his fingers against the sleek surface. His onceunshakable confidence seemed slightly rattled, his mind still
reeling from the events of the past few days.
Across from him, Elena Carter-Stone sat with effortless
poise, her dark eyes cool and unreadable. She was dressed in
a tailored navy-blue suit that exuded power, her signature
diamond-studded watch glinting under the warm lighting.
The woman who had once been a meek, devoted wife now
carried herself like a force of nature—one that couldn’t be
ignored.
The CEO of Stone Enterprises.
The name had been on everyone’s lips since the news broke.
The same woman Ryan had dismissed as weak and
disposable was now sitting across from him, poised to take
over what he had spent his life trying to control.
“Elena,” Ryan finally said, forcing a strained smile. “To
what do we owe the pleasure?”
Elena leaned back in her chair, crossing one leg over the
other with effortless grace. “Oh, come now, Ryan,” she said
smoothly. “I’m sure you’ve already guessed why I’m here.”
Ryan let out a breath through his nose, his patience wearing
thin. “You’re wasting your time if you think you can waltz
in here and demand a seat at this table.”
A small smirk curled at Elena’s lips. “Wasting my time? I
don’t think so. You see, Ryan, I never waste my time. And I
certainly wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t holding all the right
cards.”
Murmurs rippled through the boardroom as the executives
shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Elena could feel their
uncertainty, their curiosity. They were waiting to see who
would win this battle.
Ryan straightened his tie, masking his frustration with a cold
stare. “Lancaster Industries is not up for sale, Elena.”
“Not yet,” she countered. “But it’s crumbling. The numbers
don’t lie.”
She pulled out a thin folder from her designer handbag and
slid it across the table. The CFO, Howard Grayson, hesitated
before picking it up and flipping through the pages. His eyes
widened slightly, his fingers tightening around the paper as
he absorbed the financial analysis within.
Ryan shot him a warning glance, but Howard cleared his
throat, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “She’s right,” he
admitted reluctantly. “The company’s stock has been
steadily declining for the past six months. If we don’t make
some drastic changes soon, we’ll be in serious trouble.”
Elena smiled, tilting her head slightly. “Thank you, Howard.
Now, as I was saying, Lancaster Industries is on the verge of
a financial disaster. And who better to fix it than me?”
Ryan’s fingers curled into fists under the table. He hated this.
He hated the way she sat there so composed, so confident—
like she had already won.
“Fix it?” he repeated mockingly. “You think you can just
walk in here and take what I built?”
Elena let out a soft chuckle. “Ryan, let’s not rewrite history.
You didn’t build this company—your father did. You’ve just
been riding his coattails.”
A few quiet gasps filled the room, and Ryan’s face darkened
with rage. Elena knew she had hit a nerve.
“I’ll cut to the chase,” she continued, unbothered by his
glare. “I’m offering you a deal. You step down as CEO, and
I’ll acquire controlling shares in the company. In return, I’ll
ensure Lancaster Industries not only survives but thrives.”
Ryan let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “You actually
think I’d just hand over everything to you?”
She leaned forward slightly, her gaze unwavering. “I don’t
need you to hand it over, Ryan. I already have enough
backing from the board to force a takeover if necessary. This
is me being generous.”
The board members exchanged glances, some of them
nodding subtly, while others remained frozen in shock. It
was clear that many of them had already been considering
her offer before she had even stepped into the room.
Ryan’s breathing became uneven, his hands gripping the
armrests of his chair tightly. He had always underestimated
Elena. Always believed she would never survive without
him. But now, he was the one fighting to survive.
“Elena,” Patricia’s sharp voice cut through the room as she
suddenly spoke up. She had been sitting quietly, watching
the exchange with narrowed eyes. “This… vendetta of
yours—it’s personal, isn’t it? You’re not doing this for the
company. You’re doing this to get back at Ryan.”
Elena turned her gaze toward the woman who had once made
her feel like she wasn’t good enough. Who had treated her
like an outsider even when she had been Ryan Lancaster’s
wife.
“If this was personal, Patricia,” Elena said calmly, “I
would’ve destroyed him months ago. But I didn’t. Instead, I
built something better. I built something stronger. And now,
I’m offering you all the chance to be a part of that.”
Patricia studied her for a moment, then let out a slow breath.
For the first time, she didn’t look at Elena with contempt.
Instead, there was something almost resembling… respect.
Ryan, on the other hand, wasn’t ready to accept defeat. Not
yet.
“This isn’t over,” he growled.
Elena’s smirk widened. “Oh, I know. But I do love watching
you realize you’re no longer the one in control.”
She rose gracefully from her chair, adjusting the cuff of her
blazer. “Take some time to think about it, Ryan. But don’t
take too long. This offer won’t be on the table forever.”
With that, she turned and strode out of the boardroom, her
heels clicking against the marble floor.
The moment she stepped into the elevator, she exhaled
slowly, allowing herself a brief second of satisfaction.
This was only the beginning.
And she had every intention of finishing what she startedy.