Married to the Billionaire Who Betrayed Me novel Chapter 73

Chapter 73 He Discovers The Missing Months

I want you to protect your future investment,” I said. I played my final card. ‘Aegis operates with zero debt and fifty million in

projected annual revenue. If you wire thirty million to the Valdez holding accounts by tomorrow morning, I will grant Redford

Capital a fifteen percent equity stake in Aegis. Non-negotiable.”

The offer was massive. I surrendered a piece of my armor. But holding one hundred percent of a dead company meant nothing.

I listened to Alexander breathe. He calculated the risk against the reward. He possessed a reputation for ruthless investments.

“Send the Valdez holding account details, Alexander instructed. “My legal team will draft the equity contracts. You will have your

thirty million by dawn.”

The sun rose over the capital city, casting a harsh glare across the glass skyscrapers.

I wore a tailored slate suit. I pulled my hair into a tight knot. Marcus and Leo flanked me as we exited the black town car.

We stood in front of the Johnston Group headquarters. The massive steel monolith pierced the morning sky. The building

represented decades of absolute corporate dominance.

I walked through the revolving glass doors.

The lobby buzzed with executives and security personnel. Mateo Castillo stood near the private elevator banks. He spotted me

immediately. He stepped forward, raising a hand to halt my approach.

“Miss Hayes, Mateo warned. “You lack authorization for this building.”

I did not stop walking. I handed a sealed envelope to Marcus. Marcus bypassed Mateo and pressed the envelope against the security

scanner. The scanner beeped a green approval. The elevator doors slid open.

“I possess an appointment,” I said.

I stepped into the elevator. Marcus and Leo followed. The doors shut, leaving Mateo standing in the lobby.

The carriage rocketed up to the executive penthouse.

I stepped out onto the top floor. The air smelled of expensive leather and filtered ozone. I walked past the stunned executive

assistants. I reached the massive mahogany double doors of the CEO’s office.

I pushed them open.

Tristan Johnston stood near the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring out at his city. He held a crystal glass of water. A stack of legal

documents rested on his massive desk. The asset seizure forms for Valdez Elegance.

He turned around.

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Chapter 73 He Discovers The Missing Months

He saw me standing in his office. He expected a broken woman begging for mercy. He expected me to surrender Aegis in exchange for Eduardo’s salvation.

I walked across the thick carpet. I stopped in front of his desk. I pulled a certified bank document from my portfolio. I dropped the

heavy paper onto the mahogany surface. It landed on top of his seizure forms.

Tristan looked at the document.

“The debt is cleared, I announced. My voice was a sharp blade cutting through the silence of his office. “Eduardo Valdez holds erg

commercial liabilities. Your regional banks received the wire transfers an hour ago. The hostile takeover is dead.”/

Tristan froze. He stared at the certified seal on the bank document. He read the origin of the transfer. Redford Capital.

He looked up at my face.

The realization hit him with the force of a physical blow. The color drained from his skin. The glass of water in his hand tilted,

spilling a few drops onto the carpet.

He spent his entire life dominating negotiations. He wielded his conglomerate like a massive hammer, crushing any entity that opposed his will. He believed absolute wealth guaranteed absolute victory.

He looked at the slate suit. He looked at the unyielding set of my jaw.

The shift happened in his steel-gray eyes. The final illusion shattered. He stopped seeing the fragile girl he kept hidden in a penthouse. He stopped seeing a liability he needed to protect from his board of directors.

He saw a rival CEO who just outmaneuvered a hundred-year-old conglomerate in under twelve hours. He saw a woman who mobilized thirty million dollars while he slept. He saw a predator capable of tearing his empire apart.

He realized I could beat them.

“You secured Redford, Tristan whispered. His voice carried a profound, terrifying awe.

“I secured my company,” I corrected. I leaned forward, resting my hands flat on his desk. I invaded his space. I commanded the room. “I told you yesterday, Tristan. I do not require your protection. Your board underestimated my reach. You underestimated my intellect. Do not make the mistake of attacking my supply lines again.”

I straightened my posture. I delivered my final terms.

“Tell Celeste to cease her media leaks, I instructed. “Tell your legal department to back down. If the Johnston Group crosses into my territory one more time, I will not defend. I will attack.”

“You built an impressive fortress, Minerva.

Tristan’s voice stopped me. The awe was gone. A cold, dangerous calm replaced it.

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Chapter 73 He Discovers The Missing Months

I paused near the exit. I looked back over my shoulder.

Tristan walked around his desk. He picked up a thin folder. It lacked the corporate seal of the Johnston Group. It looked plain.

‘You secured your supply lines, Tristan continued. He traced the edge of the folder with his thumb. “You scrubbed your digital

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