Chapter 23

Elodie’s smile, a razor’s edge in the spotlight, never faltered. ‘Experience is overrated. I have something far more valuable – vision. My father built this empire, and I intend to take it to the stratosphere, fuelled by innovation and a killer work ethic.’ The next question came like a jab to the gut. ‘But isn’t this just about clinging to your daddy’s legacy? A trophy for a spoiled princess?’ Elodie’s eyes narrowed. ‘My legacy is my own. I may be young, but I’m not playing dress-up. This company is my lifeblood, and I won’t let anyone, least of all you, diminish my passion.’ The barrage continued, questions like poisoned darts aimed at her heart. But Elodie parried each one with grace and wit, her voice a steady drumbeat of defiance. Her gaze swept the room like a laser, landing on a balding reporter with a smirk as oily as his comb-over. She knew, the moment his lips parted, that he was a pawn in her uncles’ twisted game. ‘Miss Fontaine,’ he harrumphed, his voice dripping with feign