Chapter 5 Do You Have The Guts To Do That

Lilah flung her bag onto the floor, sank into the sofa, and crossed one leg over the other with deliberate ease before unleashing a scathing tirade. "Who gave you the guts to yap in front of me, you illegitimate brat?"

"You!" Elissa sputtered, ready to run crying to Lachlan, but Lilah's voice beat her to it, her gaze locked on Lachlan, sharp and unyielding. "You have two choices-either pay for my hospital admission or let me work at the company."

Without a second thought, Lachlan rejected the latter option and folded his arms. "Don't even think about getting near the company."

A faint smirk tugged at Lilah's lips. "What? Hiding something you don't want me to uncover?" Her tone turned icy as she pressed on. "Grandma said my mother's shares make up the majority-and those belong to me. If you won't let me step into the company, I'll start by auditing the books."

She rose smoothly, intent on leaving.

Elissa, watching her father's face darken, leaned closer and muttered bitterly, "She's faking her illness, Dad-just trying to come back and grab your fortune."

Lachlan's expression clouded over, a muscle in his jaw twitching. That fucking old hag! That old woman had sworn to hand over the shares once Lilah recovered, yet she'd told Lilah everything. If only Lilah were as gullible as before. Instead, she'd grown sharp and defiant-completely beyond his control. He would have to rethink his strategy.

The following morning, the shareholders' meeting commenced. Lachlan occupied the seat of power at the head of the table, his posture relaxed but commanding, his tone heavy with self-assurance as he steered the discussion. He exuded the image of a seasoned chairman, polished and unshakable.

"Since there are no objections," the host declared smoothly, "Mr. Lachlan Walsh will remain chairman and CEO of the company..."

Just then, a crisp, confident voice sliced through the room from the doorway. "Isn't it inappropriate to hold a board meeting without notifying me-the third-largest shareholder?"

The door swung open with deliberate force. Lilah stepped inside wearing fitted sportswear, her high ponytail swinging as she walked. Every head in the room turned toward her, startled by both her audacity and her poise.

Lachlan's expression darkened, and he shot to his feet. "What on earth are you doing here?" he barked, his composure cracking.

The interruption stirred a ripple of whispers until one of the shareholders spoke up. "Mr. Walsh, do you know this young lady?"

Realizing he'd exposed himself, Lachlan forced an awkward smile. "She's a junior member of my family... The meeting's adjourned. Thank you, everyone."

With a vice-like grip, Lachlan caught Lilah by the arm and steered her out of the room.

Lilah didn't resist, merely watching him with unreadable calm as he pulled her along.

Behind them, murmurs rose among the shareholders.

"That girl is the spitting image of the late chairwoman. I heard the previous chairwoman died while giving birth years ago. Could that girl be her daughter?"

"Now that you mention it, the girl really does resemble the former chairwoman! But what about Elissa Walsh? Wasn't she supposed to be the former chairwoman's child?"

"That's what they claimed, yet none of the late chairwoman's shares ever went to Elissa."

The gossip drifted through the hallway just as Elissa was passing. The words struck like needles, and her face twisted with fury. Goddamn Lilah! Couldn't Lilah just stay the hell out of her life?

Meanwhile, inside the office, Lachlan's composed mask cracked now that they had no audience. "What the hell are you after?" he demanded, voice low and sharp.

Lilah tilted her head, a faint, mocking smile curving her lips. "I offered you a choice last night," she said lightly. "Since you refused to pick one, I went ahead and made the decision for you."

His jaw tightened, rage flaring. "Fine. Ten million for your treatment. But after that, you're never setting foot in the company again."

"Too late for that." She picked up a glass of water, sniffed it with faint disgust, and then set it back down. "Given your rotten ethics, I'm raising the price to fifty million."

The air between them crackled. Lachlan's fury darkened his face, but Lilah didn't so much as blink. "Don't tell me that in just over a decade, my mother's fortune has shrunk so much that you can't scrape together fifty million."

She stepped in close enough for him to feel her breath. "If that's really the case, Lachlan Walsh, I'll be conducting a full audit myself."

There was no trace of humor left in her expression. Under that unyielding stare, Lachlan was uneasy. Grinding his teeth, he snapped, "As long as you stay out of the company's affairs, I'll give you the fifty million."

"Then I'll wait for the transfer," she replied aloofly.

Several steps toward the door, Lilah stopped short and swung around to face Lachlan. "Lies remained lies. You'd better reveal the true origin of that illegitimate daughter of yours. If she so much as smears my mother's name, your entire family would answer for it."

The moment Lilah shut the door, a crash from the office sounded like glass and wood colliding. A smirk eased across her face.

"You feeling pleased with yourself?" A menacing voice drifted up from behind Lilah.

When Lilah turned, she was met with a hard, icy glare-Elissa's narrowed eyes burning with malice.

A derisive scoff left Elissa's lips. "You really think you can stir up trouble at the company? Your mother's shares don't transfer to you until you're married-where did you get this 'third-largest shareholder' nonsense? That's complete bullshit!"

A single brow lifted on Lilah's face. "Go ahead and tell the board then," she said flatly. "It would be the perfect time to let everyone know you're born out of wedlock. Do you actually have the guts to do that?"