The Billionaire Heir's Revenge

Chapter 7: The Price of Betrayal

The chairman's office fell silent.

Sophia sat frozen in her chair.

Her face had turned completely pale.

Damien Sterling was attacking Hart Group?

The same Damien who promised to save the company.

The same Damien she was supposed to marry.

It felt impossible.

Yet deep down, she knew it wasn't.

Because business had never been about love.

It was about profit.

And Damien had always cared about profit first.

The secretary handed a tablet to Ethan.

"Chairman."

Ethan glanced at the screen.

Several charts immediately appeared.

Stock prices.

Ownership transfers.

Emergency transactions.

A hostile takeover was already underway.

Sophia stood abruptly.

"No."

"This can't be happening."

Ethan calmly continued reading.

The numbers told the entire story.

Damien had secretly acquired several minority shareholders over the past month.

He had been preparing this move long before the divorce.

Long before his supposed rescue plan.

The realization hit Sophia like a truck.

She had been used.

From the very beginning.

Ethan finally looked up.

"It appears your future husband is more ambitious than expected."

Sophia lowered her head.

She couldn't even argue.

Because the evidence was right in front of her.

The secretary spoke again.

"Chairman."

"Should we intervene?"

Sophia immediately looked toward Ethan.

Their eyes met.

For a brief moment, hope appeared in hers.

Ethan noticed.

And remained silent.

Several seconds passed.

Then he asked:

"Why should I?"

Sophia froze.

The question struck her harder than any insult.

Why should he?

The company wasn't his responsibility.

The family wasn't his responsibility.

She wasn't his responsibility.

Not anymore.

The divorce papers had settled that.

Sophia slowly sat back down.

Unable to answer.

Because she knew she had no right to ask for help.

None whatsoever.

---

Meanwhile...

Sterling International Headquarters.

Damien stood before a wall-sized screen.

The stock market data flashed continuously.

A cruel smile spread across his face.

Everything was proceeding perfectly.

"How much have we acquired?"

A senior executive answered immediately.

"Twenty-two percent."

"Excellent."

Damien nodded.

"Continue."

Within hours, he would possess enough influence to seize control of Hart Group.

Once that happened, Victoria and Sophia would become little more than decorative shareholders.

Their family company would belong to him.

Completely.

His phone suddenly rang.

Damien answered.

"What is it?"

The voice on the other end sounded nervous.

"President Sterling..."

"We've encountered a problem."

Damien frowned.

"What problem?"

"Someone is buying shares faster than us."

The smile vanished from Damien's face.

"What?"

The employee swallowed.

"We don't know who it is."

"But they're spending aggressively."

Damien's eyes narrowed.

An unpleasant feeling appeared in his chest.

"Find out."

"Immediately."

---

Back at Blackwell Global.

Sophia finally stood.

"I should go."

Ethan nodded.

"Safe trip."

The polite response somehow hurt more than rejection.

As she turned toward the door—

Ethan suddenly spoke.

"One question."

Sophia stopped.

"What?"

Ethan's expression remained calm.

"When you signed the divorce papers..."

"Did you hesitate?"

The question struck directly at her heart.

Sophia lowered her eyes.

She remembered that night.

The anniversary dinner.

The candles.

The disappointment.

The pain in Ethan's eyes.

And yes...

She had hesitated.

But she signed anyway.

After several seconds, she answered honestly.

"Yes."

Ethan nodded.

"Thank you."

Nothing more.

No accusations.

No bitterness.

Just thank you.

Yet somehow that response made her chest ache.

Because it sounded like closure.

As if Ethan had finally accepted the end of everything between them.

Sophia quietly left.

The office became silent once again.

---

Sebastian studied Ethan carefully.

"You still care."

Ethan smiled faintly.

"No."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

"Then why are you helping?"

Ethan walked toward the window.

The city lights stretched endlessly before him.

After a moment, he answered.

"I'm not helping Sophia."

"I'm teaching Damien a lesson."

Sebastian couldn't help smiling.

"Of course, Young Master."

---

At 10:15 PM.

The stock market was closed.

But private transactions continued.

Inside a confidential trading room, dozens of Blackwell Global analysts worked rapidly.

The atmosphere was intense.

Orders flew across screens.

Numbers changed every second.

Finally, the lead analyst stood.

"Chairman."

"We've secured thirty-one percent."

The room erupted.

Thirty-one percent.

They now controlled the largest share block in Hart Group.

Even larger than Damien's position.

Ethan nodded calmly.

"Good."

The analyst hesitated.

"Should we reveal ourselves?"

Ethan smiled.

"Not yet."

The analysts exchanged excited glances.

Someone was about to suffer.

---

The next morning.

Hart Group Headquarters.

Victoria Hart rushed into the emergency board meeting.

Panic filled the room.

Directors argued loudly.

Everyone feared losing control.

Sophia entered moments later.

She looked exhausted.

None of them had slept.

Victoria slammed her hand onto the table.

"How many shares does Damien control?"

A director answered.

"Twenty-six percent."

Victoria's face darkened.

Then another director stood.

His expression was strange.

"Actually..."

"What?"

The director swallowed.

"Someone else owns thirty-one percent."

The room froze.

"What?!"

Every director jumped to their feet.

Thirty-one percent?

Who?

How?

When?

Victoria immediately demanded answers.

But nobody had them.

The mysterious buyer had hidden their identity perfectly.

Sophia's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

A strange possibility entered her mind.

Could it be...

No.

Surely not.

---

At the same time.

Damien received the exact same report.

His office exploded with rage.

Crash!

Another expensive vase shattered against the wall.

"WHO IS IT?!"

Nobody answered.

Because nobody knew.

The mystery shareholder had appeared overnight.

Like a ghost.

Destroying his plans.

Ruining months of preparation.

Then his assistant rushed inside.

"President Sterling!"

"What now?!"

The assistant handed over a tablet.

Damien read the report.

And instantly froze.

His face turned white.

His hands began trembling.

The assistant looked terrified.

"President..."

"What do we do?"

Damien slowly lowered the tablet.

His voice sounded hoarse.

"Impossible."

The assistant swallowed.

"What is?"

Damien stared at the screen.

The identity of the mystery shareholder had finally been uncovered.

One name appeared at the top of the report.

Blackwell Global Holdings.

The room fell silent.

Damien suddenly understood.

This wasn't business.

This wasn't investment.

This wasn't coincidence.

This was war.

And Ethan Blackwell had just stepped onto the battlefield.

Meanwhile, on the top floor of Blackwell Global Headquarters, Ethan stood beside the window, watching the sunrise.

His phone vibrated.

A message appeared from an unknown number.

He opened it.

The message contained only one sentence:

"Project Phoenix has begun. They know you are alive."

For the first time since inheriting the empire...

A serious expression appeared on Ethan's face.

Because this message wasn't about business.

It was about something far more dangerous.

And somewhere in the shadows—

Someone was already watching him.