Grandma Sullivan's hands trembled slightly as she reached for her glass of water, but she didn’t drink it. The sour taste in her mouth had nothing to do with thirst—it was rage, disappointment, and the sharp sting of humiliation.She stared blankly at the phone beside her, her heart pounding.“That ungrateful brat,” she muttered under her breath.Barbara’s words replayed in her mind like a broken record. “Don’t come near us to curry any favours. You have no say over Elysian Bloom or Charlotte.”Her pride wounded and her authority challenged, Grandma Sullivan clenched her jaw and snatched her phone off the table. With firm fingers, she dialed Harry’s number.He picked up on the second ring. “Mom?”“Harry,” she began, her voice tight, “you won’t believe what that wretched Barbara just said to me.”Harry let out a groan. “What did she do this time?”“She insulted me!” Grandma Sullivan hissed. “Told me I had no say over Elysian Bloom, over Charlotte, over anything. Can you imagine the

Charlotte descended the staircase slowly, the sharp click of her heels against the wooden floor slicing through the tension that had ballooned in the living room. Her tired eyes scanned the room. Logan was by the entrance, visibly annoyed, Barbara fuming by the foot of the stairs, and then the two intruders: Harry and Carter, standing like they owned the place. The audacity of it all made her jaw clench. “I’m here,” she said flatly, her voice laced with exhaustion and restrained fury as she faced Harry and Carter. “Go on, say what you came to say.” Harry’s face stretched into a false, toothy smile. “Charlotte, my dear niece,” he began, his tone syrupy sweet. “We’re not here to cause any trouble. In fact, we’re here to congratulate you properly on the success of your partnership with Rhine Group on the $10 billion project. The entire Sullivan family is proud of you.” Charlotte blinked slowly. “Is that so?” Her voice dripped with skepticism. “Because last I checked, the

The moment Logan called him shameless, Harry surged to his feet, fury flashing in his eyes, and strode toward Logan, fist raised. “You arrogant punk!” Harry snarled, aiming for Logan’s face. But Logan didn’t flinch. He stepped aside smoothly and caught Harry’s wrist midair, gripping it tightly. The room froze. “You really have no shame, do you?” Logan said coldly, tightening his grip until Harry winced. “After you manipulated the board and snatched Sullivan Investments from Charlotte—after all the damage you and your daughter did to Elysian Bloom, you still have the audacity to show your face here and ask for a cut of the $10 billion project?” Charlotte's breath caught. Barbara stood still, wide-eyed, gripping the banister like it was the only thing keeping her upright. Harry’s mouth twisted into a sneer. He opened it to hurl back an insult, but before a word could escape, Logan leaned in closer, his voice low and razor-sharp. “Say one more word,” Logan warned, eye

Charlotte stood silent for a moment after Harry’s yelling and arrogant declarations. “Well then,” Carter said, his eyes fixed squarely on Charlotte. “Now that Harry’s cleared the air, are you ready to sign us in as partners in the Elysian Bloom project? Or are we still pretending we don’t know where the foundation funding came from?” Charlotte looked at him for a moment, expression unreadable, before letting out a low chuckle. It wasn’t one of amusement, but of disbelief. She crossed her arms, her chin tilting up ever so slightly. “No, Uncle Carter. I’m not ready. And I won’t be—until I’m absolutely sure that Uncle Harry had anything legitimate to do with the reconstruction of Elysian Bloom.” Harry raised a brow, clearly displeased. “I can’t trust a man who once used his daughter to blackmail me. Or did you think I forgot what Ava did in your name, Harry? That stunt alone was enough to remind me just how low you’re both willing to stoop,” Charlotte continued. Barbara, sitt

That weekend was fixed for the Sullivan family meeting.Despite the heavy cloud of accusations and political maneuvering, Elysian Bloom soared. The $10 billion Rhine Project, was advancing faster than anyone anticipated. The partner companies—selected purely on merit and innovation, had exceeded expectations. Production sites were buzzing, data centers were synchronized, and clean-energy modules were being deployed faster than projected. Every step proved one thing: Charlotte’s leadership was unshakable.By Thursday, the city couldn’t stop talking about Charlotte. Her face graced the covers of business magazines, and news anchors referred to her as The Flower of Enterprise—a title Elysian Bloom had unintentionally made literal. Her decisions were hailed as visionary. The entire John Sullivan family rose to prestige almost overnight, invited to elite business circles, diplomatic luncheons, and investment forums. John himself received an honorary medal for “distinguished business l