Chapter 5

Cleo Kline POV:

Holden' s voice, dripping with arrogant confidence, echoed in the vast ballroom. He truly believed he had already won. He believed I had no choice, no will of my own. He believed I was still the naive girl he had molded, the one who would always bend to his desires. His smile was smug, his eyes darting to the Ingram board members, seeking their approval for his inevitable victory. Tonight, he imagined, was the night he finally became the undisputed heir, the king of the Ingram empire.

The lights in the ballroom dimmed slightly, a spotlight illuminating the raised platform where Elsworth Ingram stood. The air crackled with anticipation. Elsworth cleared his throat, his voice, though aged, still commanded absolute authority. "Ladies and gentlemen," he began, his gaze sweeping over the silent crowd. "We are gathered tonight to celebrate the 21st birthday of Cleo Kline, a cherished member of our family." He paused, his eyes finding mine. "And, more importantly, to witness a pivotal moment in the future of the Ingram Corporation."

A collective murmur rose from the crowd. Everyone knew. This was it. The announcement. The transfer of power. The coronation. Their eyes, hungry and calculating, turned to me. They saw a pawn, a vessel for wealth.

"According to her late father's will," Elsworth continued, his voice resonating through the room, "Cleo, upon reaching her majority, has the sole authority to designate the future custodian of her substantial voting block within the Ingram Corporation. This decision will significantly influence the leadership and direction of our company for decades to come." He looked at me again, a strange, knowing glint in his eyes. "Cleo's choice tonight is not merely personal; it is strategic. It will determine who guides this family and this corporation into its next era."

The murmuring intensified, bordering on a roar. Shock, envy, and outright greed flickered across the faces of the assembled elite. My father's foresight, his cunning, was not lost on them. He had ensured his daughter, even as an orphan, would hold immense power.

Elsworth raised a hand, silencing the crowd. "And now, Cleo," he boomed, his voice echoing, "the time has come. Step forward, and name the man you choose to stand beside you, to guide your future, and to lead the Ingram Corporation."

Holden, his chest puffed out, a triumphant grin plastered on his face, began to stride confidently towards the platform. His movements were fluid, practiced, like a peacock spreading its feathers. He was already reaching out, expecting to take my hand, to lead me up to his father. He was certain this was his moment.

But Elsworth Ingram' s gaze remained fixed, not on Holden, but on a different part of the room. He subtly shook his head, a minute gesture Holden missed in his self-absorbed march.

Then, from the shadows near the back, a figure emerged. Tall, imposing, with a predatory grace. It was Hazen. He wasn' t in a tuxedo like everyone else; his suit was dark, perfectly tailored, but it gave him the air of a dangerous animal, not a domesticated one. In his hand, he held a sleek, black leather-bound volume – the Ingram Corporation charter. He moved with an unsettling silence, his dark eyes never leaving mine.

He walked past the stunned faces, past the grasping hands of socialites, directly to me. He held out the charter, a silent offering. His eyes, dark and intense, searched mine. No words were exchanged, but his gaze spoke volumes. Are you sure? This is it.

My heart thrummed, a strange mix of fear and exhilaration. This was the precipice. The moment of no return. The old Cleo would have faltered, her knees buckling under the weight of expectation. But the new Cleo? She simply met his gaze, her resolve like steel.

Holden's confident stride faltered. His triumphant smile slowly peeled away, replaced by a look of bewildered confusion, then dawning horror. His eyes darted between Hazen, the charter, and me. His face contorted with a silent, desperate question. What is happening?

Elsworth' s voice, ringing with a profound weight, brought me back to the present. "Cleo," he said, his eyes full of an unreadable expectation. "The choice is yours. Make it."

I took a deep breath. The scattered champagne glass from earlier, still lying broken on the floor, glinted under the lights. A symbol. I had refused to clean up Holden' s first mess. Now, I would make a new one. A mess of his carefully constructed reality.

I took the charter from Hazen' s hand. The leather was cool beneath my fingers. I turned, my gaze sweeping past Holden's pale, horrified face, past Dianne's gaping mouth, and met Elsworth's eyes. Then, my voice, clear and strong, sliced through the breathless silence of the ballroom.

"I choose Hazen Ingram," I announced. My words were a hammer blow, shattering the carefully crafted illusions of the Ingram empire.

The silence that followed was absolute. A vacuum of sound so profound it felt like the world had stopped spinning.

Then, a collective gasp. Followed by a frantic, whispered explosion of voices. An uproar. Shock. Confusion. Betrayal. It all converged into a single, deafening wave. My choice. My defiant, irreversible choice. The game had truly begun.