Chapter 581:
Her words struck harder than the earlier jibe about silverware, the weight of them pulling the air out of the room.
The boasting from moments ago evaporated. Stetson froze mid-toast, his wine glass suspended. Michael’s ingratiating grin collapsed. Drake’s eyes widened in stunned silence, like a deer caught in headlights.
Rylie’s words cut through the lies Terrance had spent years weaving, tearing apart the illusion he had guarded so carefully. In that moment, everyone in the room understood she had not come to give up Detour Inc. She had come to claim it and to show exactly where the true power lay.
This was nothing like the whispers Terrance had heard. She had no intention of letting go. Her aim was to take back every piece of what he had tried to keep for himself.
The man once known for his genial smile now looked as though the mask had been ripped away. Veins pulsed at his temples. His grip on the wine glass tightened until it seemed the stem might snap in his hand.
His chest rose and fell in sharp bursts, his eyes filled with a rage that he could barely contain.
It had never crossed his mind that the niece he had dismissed as easy to bend would dare to humiliate him in such a gathering, right in front of his closest allies.
Laurel’s face hardened. She fought to keep her voice even. “Rylie, that’s not how this should be handled. We’ve given up plenty to welcome you back into the Owen family. We even let go of Malvren Manor. You need to learn your limits when you throw tantrums. Detour Inc. is no small venture. Handing it over to someone as young and inexperienced as you would undo years of your uncle’s work. Don’t you think so?”
“Given up plenty?” Rylie’s eyes narrowed. “Be careful how you choose your words. Did you truly move out of Serenity Manor willingly for me — or were you removed for misconduct? Say it plainly.”
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“You!” Laurel’s chest tightened. She knew well how sharp Rylie’s tongue could be. The anger was there, but she swallowed it, knowing she could not strike back without consequence.
“Rylie!” Terrance forced her name through clenched teeth. His voice was rough, his control fraying. “What nonsense are you speaking? You’re too young to understand. I won’t waste my time arguing. But Detour Inc—”
“Too young to understand?” Rylie cut in before he could finish. Her tone was cold enough to chill the air. “You’re the one who doesn’t understand. You’ve been living in a dream, taking what belonged to my parents, and you think a few polished words and your so-called ‘experience’ are enough to push me aside?”
The company itself meant little to her wealth. Her successes in arms and pharmaceuticals had already secured her fortune. But these two people were connected to her parents’ deaths and her own disappearance, so she couldn’t let her enemies have it.
She rose to her feet, her presence pressing down on the room. “Let me make this clear. Detour Inc.’s past, present, and future are mine alone. An agent stays an agent. Remember your place. And as for my ability to take over? That’s none of your business.”
Her gaze swept across Drake and the others, sharp and mocking. “If you can’t even understand the simplest legal and ownership principles, what makes you think you guys are more capable than I am?”
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