"Vanessa, don't play games with me. Tell me right now, by what right did you get those shares?" Faye was so furious she lost all composure, the usual courtesy she showed Vanessa replaced by pure resentment over the stolen inheritance.

On the other end, Vanessa's tone grew cold. "Faye, if you want to know, I'll tell you. It was a gift from lan, and Dad agreed to it."

Faye's eyes widened in disbelief. "What did you say?"

"Faye, I know this is hard for you to accept, but it's compensation from lan," Vanessa continued. "It's also his breakup settlement for me."

Faye's mind reeled again. Vanessa and lan had broken up? That would explain why lan had been so cold to her earlier. So Vanessa hadn't been able to hold onto him after all. But to take thirteen percent of Yeaton Holdings as a breakup settlement was a direct blow to her interests. How could she not be enraged?

"Vanessa, have you no shame? Why should you get shares in our family company just because you and lan broke up?"

"Why?" Vanessa couldn't be bothered to pretend anymore. "Because it was through my connections that Yeaton Holdings had the chance to go public. Have you ever contributed anything to Dad's company?"

"You—" Faye was so angry she was speechless.

Vanessa wasn't wrong. If lan hadn't suddenly stepped in, Yeaton Holdings would still be a second-rate company. Its market value had surged over the past year entirely because of lan's influence.

"Faye, I know you're upset, but this is a done deal. You'd better learn to accept it."

With that, the call ended.

Faye stared at the disconnected call, steadying herself against her desk, her body trembling with rage. She had never imagined that Vanessa would use lan to see a piece of the Yeaton Holdings inheritance ahead of time, and a three-billion-dollar piece at that.

But was what she said about breaking up with lan true or false?

She hoped it was true. Otherwise, if Vanessa actually married into the Goodwin family, she'd probably get greedy enough to try and take over all of Yeaton Holdings.

Faye called her mother back. Her mother immediately launched into a stream of curses on the other end. After letting her vent, Faye, still not ready to give up, dialed her father.

"Faye, what is it?" Roland Yeaton's voice came through.

"Dad, what's going on? Why did you give thirteen percent of the company's shares to Vanessa?"

Roland was silent for a few seconds before his tone became stern. "Faye, stay out of the company's business."

"Dad, it's the business you worked

so hard to build! Why would you just

hand it over to her? I'm your

daughter, too! I want you to give me thirteen percent of the shares as well, Faye cried, her sense of injustice overwhelming her, she was the legitimate Miss Yeaton; what right did an illegitimate daughter have to enjoy such privileges?

"What do you know?" Roland snapped on the other end. "Stop being so childish. The company is giving me enough headaches as it is."

With that, he hung up. Faye was both furious and devastated, but she vowed she

would not let an illegitimate daughter take what belonged to the Yeatons. She would get back what was rightfully hers.

Faye sat back down, her mind in a fog. She had once thought that by getting into the civilian projects division, she could use her

connection to Vanessa to get into the core team. But now that

Vanessa and lan had broken up, did

that mean she would never have

that chance?