A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 618

"I want the Yelchin Group to be mine," Starla stated simply.

Kael stared at her.

Ah. She wanted to own it. Yes, bankrupting it would be entirely counterproductive.

"Will Fairfax just hand it over to you?"

A hostile corporate takeover of a legacy brand like Yelchin was incredibly messy. If the target resisted, it usually meant a scorched-earth battle.

"He will," Starla replied with calm certainty.

"The boss and the old chairman are running critically low on patience," Kael warned gently.

"I know. It won't be much longer."

Right now, the entire Yelchin family was panicking, scrambling to find a way to appease her. Fairfax might want to fight to the bitter end out of spite, but he simply didn't have the luxury of time. The rest of the family—specifically Annika and Harley, who was safely tucked away in Maxlandia—would eventually force his hand to save their own skins.

Kael let out a quiet sigh of relief. "As long as you have a plan, Ms. Lansbury."

If she intended to swallow his entire empire, it meant her emotional ties to Fairfax were thoroughly severed. That made his job infinitely easier.

For the next two hours, they remained in the suite as Kael meticulously went over the finer details of her timeline and acquisition strategy.

...

After leaving the banquet, Fairfax was consumed by a restless, gnawing anxiety. He ordered Gabriel to keep a close watch on the party's movements.

When his car reached the entrance of the Yelchin estate, he was forced to get out and walk for fourteen minutes. Starla's strict new security protocols made driving onto the grounds a nightmare. He would have preferred to just sleep at the office, but he genuinely feared she might burn the corporate headquarters to the ground if left unchecked.

Fairfax didn't need to hear another word to connect the dots. The second he finished his grueling negotiation with Lyon, Herbert swooped in to hijack the deal.

A sickening fury erupted in Fairfax's chest. Even though their marriage was effectively dead, the thought of his wife spending two hours alone behind closed doors with Kael made his blood boil over.

"Let him meet with Lyon," Fairfax snarled. "If he's willing to agree to even worse terms just to steal the deal, he can have it!"

Lyon's conditions were already predatory. Partnering with him was barely a victory.

"So Herbert basically tossed Starla to Kael like a shiny toy, just so he could sneak off and poach my deal?"

"It appears so, sir."

*That stupid woman!* Fairfax thought, feeling a twisted sense of rage at her naivety.