Chapter 2 The Heiress

• At Price Corp.
• Damon stared at the trending topics, his temples throbbing with anger as the notifications kept coming in.
• With a loud crash, he smashed his tablet to pieces.
• His eyes were blazing with fury, his expression terrifying. “Get Hazel here, now!”
• How dare she spread rumors about him online? Who did she think she was?
• Hours later, a report came in: “Mr. Price, Miss Queen… she’s disappeared!”
• Meanwhile…
• In a flashy sports car, Hazel pulled off her sunglasses and mask, her body sinking into the leather seat with a deep sigh. “I’m free!”
• “Yeah! Congratulations, boss! You finally came to your senses and turned things around. And that humorless Damon Price—always walking around with that poker face, looking like everyone owes him money. Seriously, does anything about him even match up to you?”
• It was rare for Eddie to get the chance to roast Damon, and he wasted no time, his words coming out in rapid fire. “Now that you’ve split, you can start fresh, boss. Take us with you, we’re ready to roll! These years have been a real strain on me, but don’t let me down now!”
• As Eddie rambled on, Hazel leaned lazily against the car window, resting her hand on her temple. Her eyes, gazing out the window, were filled with complex emotions.
• Three years ago, her best friend Eddie nearly clung to her like a baby, begging her not to marry Damon. But she stubbornly refused to see reason.
• Now, having escaped that fire pit, she was a whole new person!
• “By the way, boss, the sooner the better. I’ve got a big deal lined up. Want to dive in?” Eddie couldn’t contain her excitement.
• Hazel rubbed her forehead, not too eager. “Let’s take it easy for a moment. I promised my parents I wouldn’t go back to the industry. Also, how’s that thing I asked you to look into?”
• Three years ago, her family had been consumed in a fire, with her parents perishing in the flames. Only she had miraculously survived.
• She’d concealed her identity and married into the Price family to investigate the truth behind that tragedy.
• Eddie snapped his fingers theatrically. “Tomorrow at 8 AM, Queen Corp’s board meeting will be held. I’ve sent the other details to your email!”
• Hazel’s lips curved into a sly smile as her fingers gently tapped the armrest. “Such an important event? I think we need to give them a little surprise…”
• ...
• Next day, At Queen Corp.
• “Mr. Jonah, congratulations! We’ll all be looking to you for guidance at Queen Corp from now on!”
• Amid the flattery of other shareholders, Jonah Queen laughed with exaggerated enthusiasm, shaking hands with everyone. “Oh, please! The chairman’s position is still up for grabs. It’s too early to celebrate!”
• “Tsk! Who doesn’t know how much you’ve done for Queen Corp these years? If the chairmanship isn’t yours, who else could possibly take it?”
• The former chairman of Queen Corp, Jonah’s brother, Jacob Queen, had died in the fire three years ago, along with his wife.
• An emergency meeting had been held, and the shareholders had voted to make Jonah the acting chairman. After three years, if no suitable candidate was found, he would formally take over the chairman role.
• The voting went as expected, with the majority supporting Jonah. The crowd applauded.
• Then, the host of the meeting announced, “Based on everyone’s vote, the next chairman of Queen Corp will be Jonah. Are there any objections?”
• “Objection!”
• The door to the meeting room suddenly slammed open, and a pair of high-heeled shoes clicked across the floor.
• A woman entered, dressed in a sleek black suit and wide-leg pants, exuding both power and allure.
• Jonah’s mouth went dry, his body trembling as he stared. “H-Hazel Queen?”
• Hazel took off her sunglasses and flashed a bright smile. “It’s me, Uncle Jonah. Long time no see!”
• Jonah stammered, “W-weren’t you... didn’t you die in the fire?”
• “Oh, I’m just lucky, I guess,” Hazel said casually. “Maybe the heavens kept me alive to find the real killer. Uncle, have you… seen them in your dreams?”
• Her voice was eerily calm, but her words held a cold edge.
• Jonah froze, as if someone had just slit his throat. He quickly tried to regain control, feigning concern. “Hazel, I didn’t take good care of you. It’s my fault. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely look into what happened to your parents. But right now, we’re in an important meeting. Why don’t you head home, and after it’s over, I’ll come to find you?”
• He had waited for this day for so long—there was no way he was going to let this troublemaker ruin everything now.
• Hazel patted his shoulder nonchalantly. “But Uncle, I’m here to attend the shareholders’ meeting too!”
• “What?”
• Without missing a beat, Hazel brushed past Jonah, positioned herself at the front, and pressed her hands down on the edge of the table. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Hazel Queen, the only daughter of Jacob Queen, the former chairman of Queen Corp. From today on, I’ll be taking over as chairman.”
• At her words, chaos erupted in the room.
• Jonah’s face twisted with rage. “Hazel, get back here! This is not the place for your nonsense!”
• “But Uncle, you’ll know if I’m really making trouble after you see this!” Hazel flipped open a folder and held up a document for everyone to see. “This is my father’s will, and according to it, he left me 20% of Queen Corp’s shares. The CEO position is also mine to take. This document is official, signed by a lawyer. Anyone who has doubts can take it to the notary office for verification!”
• The appearance of a female CEO in Queen Corp had truly stunned everyone.
• With 20% of the shares, she was already in a strong position to claim the chairmanship.
• Jonah was left speechless, his mouth opening and closing, but no words came out.
• No wonder he couldn’t figure out where his older brother’s shares had gone these years. It turns out they had been hidden here.
• How outrageous. Not a single penny was left to him, the younger brother.
• Queen Corp was about to change hands, and it was a woman who would control it? All his hard work could go down the drain now?
• No way. He wasn’t going to let this girl have her way.
• ***