She was determined to eliminate the threat for good—to kill Chloe. Like a woman possessed, she charged. Everything happened in a blur. Scott was still standing on the stage, lost in his grief-stricken confession, when a commotion broke his reverie. He looked up, his heart lurching into his throat as he saw Monique, armed with a shard of glass, hurtling toward Chloe like a deranged beast. "Chloe!" Arthur stood frozen. The instant he saw Monique's attack, instinct screamed at him to intervene. "Arthur—!" Jennifer was quicker. Her hand shot out, clamping onto his wrist, holding him back. As the glinting shard arced toward Chloe, some guests gasped, turning their heads away, unable to watch. "Chloe!" "Chloe!" "Mom!" Cries erupted from around the room. For a split second, Chloe was disoriented. Then she was enveloped in a strong, protective embrace. A moment later, Monique's enraged scream pierced the air. "Why?! Why?!" The glass shard never found its mark. Monique's arm trembled mid-air, her face contorted with fury, eyes bloodshot. As Chloe's vision cleared, she saw that Monique hadn't missed—her wrist had been caught in a vice-like grip. Eugene shielded Chloe completely. His hand had snapped out, seizing Monique's wrist and halting the deadly thrust mere inches from its target. "If you had harmed her," Eugene's voice was glacial, "ten lifetimes wouldn't be enough to pay for it. You've signed your own fate." As the last word left his lips, Monique let out a piercing shriek. "Aaaagh!" The sickening crunch of breaking bone was audible to those nearby. Her wrist had snapped. The glass fell from her limp fingers, shattering on the marble floor. Eugene glanced at the debris, his eyes turning to ice. "I don't make a habit of striking women," he said, his tone deadly calm. "But you are an exception." With a brutal wrench, he yanked Monique off balance. As she stumbled forward, he pivoted and drove his foot into her midsection without a shred of hesitation. The force of the kick sent Monique flying backward. Her body crashed into a dessert table. She slammed onto the floor with a heavy thud. A low groan escaped her, then silence—she was out cold. "Bruce," Eugene commanded, his voice cutting through the stunned quiet. "Get the best medical team and our top legal counsel on this. Ensure she never sees the outside of a prison again." His gaze shifted back to Chloe, the terrifying coldness melting instantly into naked concern. "Are you hurt?" Chloe looked at the man whose demeanor could shift so dramatically and offered a soft, reassuring smile. "I'm fine." Eugene slid his arm firmly around her waist, guiding her away from the scene. Chloe didn't resist, allowing him to lead her out. As they passed, Oralia, dragging a wide-eyed Robert along, stopped in front of Monique's unconscious form. She glared down and spat in disgust. "You vile creature! After all the evil you've done, you can spend the rest of your miserable life rotting in a cell! You're pathetic! How dare you still try to act out? Know your place!" Having delivered her piece, Oralia huffed and stalked off, pulling Robert with her. Monique lay insensible. Handcuffs were secured around her uninjured wrist. All that awaited her now was the full, unforgiving weight of the law. Carolyn stood petrified, witnessing it all. A part of her wanted to rush to her mother's side, but fear rooted her to the spot—the fear that she, too, would be dragged away in cuffs. She looked back toward the stage. Scott, leaning heavily on his executive assistant, was slowly descending the steps. A cluster of shareholders immediately surrounded him, their voices a murmuring stream of reassurances and flattery. Carolyn realized with a sinking finality that there was no place for her here anymore. She needed help, but no one even looked her way. When she stumbled and nearly fell, not a single person glanced over. Every ounce of attention in the room was fixed on the aftermath, all of it tied to Chloe. Gritting her teeth, Carolyn knew she had to get out, now. If she stayed any longer, she might not be able to leave at all. The grand, celebratory gala had come to a shocking and precipitous end.The corporate legal team from Lewis Group moved through the venue with quiet efficiency. Every photo and video taken at the banquet was meticulously located and deleted. Simultaneously, the company's public relations department released an official statement. Lewis Group officially announced Chloe Lewis as the heir and future leader of the corporation. It was also disclosed that former shareholders Ernesto Mason and Monique Lynn were being sued for grand larceny of corporate assets and multiple counts of fraud damaging the company's interests. All shares under their names were seized by the company. Effective immediately, Chloe became the single largest shareholder of Lewis Group. The news broke that very night. The words "Lewis Group" and "Chloe Lewis" shot to the top of trending topics and business headlines. The public conversation once again buzzed about the conglomerate's dramatic upheaval and the young woman who was now firmly at its center, her name garnering more attention and speculation by the hour.