Chapter 76: The Queen Takes Back Her Kingdom

The next morning, chaos erupted inside Hawthorne Corporation.

News channels had barely finished reporting the scandal surrounding Missy Hawthorne before the market reacted with brutal efficiency.

Rona Design’s shares plummeted to their lowest point in over ten years.

Investors panicked. Calls flooded the company switchboard. Partnerships were suddenly put on hold, contracts frozen mid-signature. Every financial analyst was predicting the same thing—

The company had lost the market’s trust.

Inside Hawthorne Corporation, Raymond hadn’t left his office since dawn.

Documents covered his desk in chaotic piles—financial reports, legal briefs, shareholder complaints. Every few minutes another executive entered with worse news than the last, their faces pale, their voices tight with barely concealed panic.

Emily was equally busy, rushing between departments trying to reassure employees that everything was under control, her smile strained, her voice too bright.

Unfortunately, nothing was under control.

Meanwhile, inside Royal Estate, the atmosphere couldn’t have been more different.

Calm. Collected. Strategic.

Layla sat at the dining table with three phones beside her, one call after another flowing seamlessly.

"Mr. Peterson..." Her voice was smooth, professional. "...Yes. I understand your concern. But if Miss Hawthorne remains CEO, today’s losses will only become tomorrow’s bankruptcy." She paused, listening. "...Exactly. I’ll see you at noon."

She ended one call before immediately answering another, her fingers moving with practiced efficiency.

Across from her, Mindy sat quietly with her laptop, her fingers moving effortlessly across the keyboard. One share purchase after another. Another notification appeared.

Transaction Successful.

Again.

Again.

Again.

The number beside LUXT Corporation kept climbing, the percentage ticking upward with each acquisition.

Finally, Mindy closed the laptop with a soft click.

Layla finished her last call before leaning back with a satisfied smile. "The board meeting is confirmed. Twelve noon. I’ve already spoken to everyone who remained loyal to Maria. Roughly thirty percent are already on our side."

Mindy nodded. "Good."

Layla looked toward the laptop before smiling. "We finally have it."

Mindy looked at her, a small smile appearing. "This is because of you. No one can beat you when it comes to finance."

Layla snorted. "You forgot who taught me."

Both women smiled, the moment warm and shared.

Just then, Layla’s phone rang. She answered, listened quietly, then hung up. "The investigation is complete. Murder charges won’t apply to Missy. She only faces charges related to sabotaging Bright Competition. There wasn’t enough evidence connecting her to Adam’s poisoning."

Mindy wasn’t surprised. "I expected that. My goal was never to send her to prison." She paused. "...Not yet. I only wanted to destroy her reputation."

Layla nodded knowingly. "That’s already done."

Mindy stood, her movements graceful and deliberate. "Let’s go. It’s time to take back my mother’s company."

11:45 AM — Rona Design Headquarters

The towering glass building looked just as grand as ever, its sleek facade reflecting the midday sun. Yet today, employees whispered the moment they saw two women enter through the revolving doors.

One dressed in an elegant black fitted dress, her posture regal. The other in a cream blouse paired with a black pencil skirt, her expression sharp and focused.

Their footsteps echoed confidently through the marble lobby, the sound crisp and purposeful. No one dared stop them. Everyone knew exactly who they were.

Maria Hawthorne’s daughter had returned.

Before they reached the elevators, a gentleman in his sixties approached with an assistant behind him. His face carried genuine warmth, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Miss Wilson." His voice was kind. "It’s wonderful to finally meet you."

He extended his hand. "I am Martin Leis. I worked alongside your mother. I was with Maria when she founded Rona Design."

Mindy politely shook his hand, her grip firm. "It’s nice to meet you too, Mr. Leis."

Martin smiled, his gaze lingering on her face as though searching for traces of someone he’d lost. "I always believed you had no interest in this company." He looked at her proudly. "Who would’ve thought you would surpass even Maria one day."

Mindy smiled humbly. "Thank you. I still have a long way to go."

Martin laughed softly, then turned toward Layla. "And Miss Hart..."

Layla smiled politely, her expression guarded.

Martin’s eyes softened. "When Maria told me she was sponsoring a young girl studying in Rithol, you should’ve seen her smile. It was the same smile she wore whenever she talked about her children."

Layla froze, her breath catching.

Martin continued gently. "She once told me, ’That girl has a remarkable mind. One day she’ll manage a company no one can shake.’" He smiled warmly. "Maria would’ve been incredibly proud of both her daughters."

Layla’s throat tightened. For a brief second, she couldn’t speak. She simply nodded. "...Thank you."

Beside her, Mindy quietly reached over and held Layla’s hand. No words were needed.

The conference room doors opened with a soft hiss.

Inside, the board meeting had already begun. The atmosphere was tense, the air thick with unspoken accusations and barely restrained panic.

Raymond occupied the CEO’s chair at the head of the long table. Emily sat to his left, her posture rigid. Missy sat proudly to his right, though her pale face betrayed her anxiety.

One shareholder slammed his file shut, the sound sharp. "Mr. Hawthorne. It’s obvious. Miss Hawthorne can no longer continue as CEO. Our shares have collapsed."

A director loyal to Emily immediately objected. "The company has made profits these past two years. We shouldn’t remove her over a single incident."

Several people nodded in agreement.

Another added, "Everyone deserves another chance."

Before anyone else could speak, an elderly gentleman cleared his throat—a sound that commanded immediate silence.

Alexander Matt. The oldest board member, his silver hair neatly combed, his eyes sharp despite his age.

"Another chance?" He scoffed. "Do you intend to wait until the company is bankrupted? The CEO chair never belonged to her. It belongs to someone worthy of Maria’s legacy."

Silence fell like a curtain.

Then the conference room doors slowly opened.

Every head turned.

Mindy. Layla. Martin.

They entered together, their steps synchronized, their presence undeniable.

Raymond immediately stood, his chair scraping against the floor. "Mindy? What are you doing here?"

Emily frowned, her voice sharp. "What do you want?"

Missy glared openly, her hands clenched into fists beneath the table.

Mindy met their eyes calmly. "It’s my mother’s company. Do I need permission to enter it?"

Emily bit her tongue, her jaw tight.

Raymond forced himself to stay composed. "This isn’t home. We’re discussing important business. Please leave."

Mindy sighed, the sound almost pitying. "I thought this was a shareholders’ meeting. Shouldn’t major shareholders be present?"

Emily suddenly felt uneasy, a cold prickle running down her spine.

Missy frowned. "What do you mean?"

Layla calmly placed a folder on the table, the leather cover embossed with LUXT Corporation’s logo. "Effective this morning, LUXT Corporation owns 23% of Rona Design."

The room exploded.

"What?!"

"Twenty-three?!"

"Impossible!"

Raymond quickly grabbed the documents, his hands trembling as he flipped through page after page. Every transfer, every acquisition, every signature—perfectly legal, meticulously documented, impossible to dispute.

His hands shook.

Missy stood, her chair scraping loudly. "Impossible!"

Layla ignored her, her voice steady. "At this moment, the largest shareholder present is LUXT. And the person with the greatest right to sit in this meeting is Miss Mindy Wilson."

Missy scoffed, her voice rising. "So what? LUXT owns the shares. That doesn’t mean Mindy belongs here. The founder of LUXT should be sitting here."

Layla stared at her, disbelief flickering across her face. "...Are you serious? No wonder Rona is collapsing."

The room became awkwardly quiet, several directors hiding smiles behind their hands.

Layla continued, her tone flat. "The founder of LUXT is sitting right in front of you."

Silence. Complete, suffocating silence.

Raymond blinked. "...What?"

Emily laughed nervously, the sound brittle. "Stop joking. Mindy is only LUXT’s chief designer."

Mindy looked at her calmly. "Can’t I be both? I founded LUXT when I was eighteen."

Nobody breathed.

One director whispered, his voice barely audible, "Eighteen... The mysterious founder... was a woman?"

Raymond stared at his daughter, his mind reeling. For years, everyone believed LUXT’s founder was some brilliant businessman who avoided publicity. Never—not even once—had he imagined it was his own daughter.

His lips moved. "Mindy... why didn’t you tell anyone?"

Mindy met his eyes, her gaze cold. "Why should I? So you could manipulate me too? Or perhaps you would’ve taken LUXT away and handed it to your precious daughter. Just like you did with my mother’s company."

Raymond froze, his chest tightening painfully.

Months ago, he had publicly severed ties with Mindy, believing she was insignificant, disposable. Now the woman he abandoned had built an international corporation before turning twenty.

Regret crushed him like a physical weight.

Martin watched quietly, his smile widening. Maria... Your daughter truly surpassed us all.

Alexander Matt slowly smiled. "Maria always said her daughter would change the world. I just didn’t realize she meant before turning twenty-five."

Mindy calmly pulled out the chair opposite Raymond and sat down, her movements graceful and deliberate. Layla sat beside her. Martin took the remaining seat.

Mindy folded her hands on the table. "Shall we begin? It’s obvious Miss Hawthorne lacks both the qualifications and talent required to lead this company."

Emily immediately stood, her voice shrill. "You can’t decide that! Everyone here has dedicated years to Rona!"

Mindy looked around the table, her expression mildly curious. "...Interesting. Is this how Rona conducts board meetings? Allowing people without shares or official positions to influence corporate decisions?"

Her voice hollow. "Leave!..Before I ask security to escort you out."

Raymond slowly closed his eyes. "...Emily. Leave."

Emily stared at him, her face flushing. "Raymond—"

"I said leave."

Emily’s hands trembled. She looked around the room—at the directors who wouldn’t meet her eyes, at Missy who sat frozen, at Mindy who watched her with cold satisfaction. Finally, she turned and fled, the door slamming behind her.

As the echo faded, Mindy looked toward the room. "Now that the trash has been taken out, shall we continue?"

Martin coughed to hide a laugh.

Missy glared furiously, her nails digging into her palms.

Mindy stood, her voice clear and formal. "I move that Miss Missy Hawthorne be removed from the position of CEO. If anyone objects, please speak now."

Missy stood abruptly, her chair scraping. "This is illegal! You can’t just—" "Can’t what?" Layla’s voice was ice. "Follow proper corporate procedure? Hold a legal vote? Remove an incompetent CEO who destroyed shareholder value?" She leaned forward. "Sit down, Miss Hawthorne. You’re no longer in charge here." Missy’s mouth opened, then closed. Slowly, she sank back into her chair, her face ashen.

Silence.

She nodded. "Then all those in favor, raise your hands."

Mindy raised hers. Martin followed. Alexander. One after another, hands slowly rose.

Ten out of fifteen.

The decision was clear, undeniable.

Mindy looked toward Raymond. "Mr. Hawthorne. Do you oppose this resolution?"

Raymond looked at Missy, then around the room. Finally, he lowered his eyes. "...No."

Missy’s face turned white, her voice breaking. "Dad... That’s... my seat."

Raymond couldn’t answer. For the first time, he chose the company instead of her.

Mindy continued, her tone brisk. "Next agenda. The appointment of a new CEO. I nominate Miss Layla Hart."

Layla nearly choked, shooting Mindy a deadly glare. You’re dumping more work on me.

Mindy ignored it beautifully, continuing smoothly. "Miss Hart has successfully managed LUXT Corporation’s operations for five years. I believe LUXT’s performance speaks for itself."

No one objected.

"Very well. Those in favor, raise your hands."

Eleven hands rose.

The motion passed.

Martin smiled. "Congratulations, Miss Hart."

Layla sighed dramatically before standing. Raymond slowly rose from the CEO chair, his eyes lingering on it. For years, this seat represented authority, control, power. Now his own daughter had asked him to leave it.

Without another word, he stepped aside.

The room fell completely silent.

Layla walked forward, looked once toward Mindy—who gave her an innocent smile—then sat down.

The new CEO of Rona Design.

Missy stared blankly, her eyes filled with disbelief. Her chair. Her company. Her authority. Gone.

A director finally asked, "How will LUXT cooperate with Rona moving forward?"

Mindy smiled, then looked toward Layla.

Layla immediately understood. She straightened in the CEO chair, her voice professional and confident.

"Existing Rona projects will continue uninterrupted. LUXT’s design division will collaborate with Rona. I’ll personally oversee financial restructuring. Every account, every expenditure, every project."

She smiled sweetly toward Mindy. "And our Chief Designer, Miss Mindy Wilson, will personally review every design project before approval."

Mindy’s back stiffened. She slowly turned toward Layla. You did that on purpose.

Layla smiled innocently. Absolutely.

Mindy sighed dramatically. I’ve tasted my own medicine.

Layla folded her arms and smirked.

Martin watched the exchange between Mindy and Layla, amusement slowly flickering across his usually composed face. He tried to hold it back, but a short laugh escaped him at last, warm and genuine.

The sound eased the tension in the room. Several directors smiled, and even a few shareholders chuckled quietly.

The boardroom erupted into gentle laughter.

Only one person wasn’t laughing.

Raymond quietly watched Mindy. There was pride in his eyes—pride mixed with a regret so deep that no apology could ever erase it.

Mindy noticed. Then deliberately looked away.

Some bridges were never meant to be rebuilt.