Chapter 3 She Didnt Come to Play

At eleven fifteen that morning, Adrian Blackwood stood in his office on the forty-second floor of Blackwood Holdings. The city stretched beneath the glass walls, bright and busy under the midday sun. Normally, the view always calmed him but today it irritated him. His phone lay on the desk beside a stack of reports, he had already read the same financial summary three times without absorbing a single word.   His thoughts kept returning to Eleanor, he remembered the expression on her face when he announced the divorce, he remembered the moment she removed her wedding ring and he remembered how she had walked out of the ballroom without begging him to reconsider.   That last part annoyed him more than he cared to admit. Eleanor had always been stubborn, but he had expected her to be on the ground begging as if he was begging for her life instead, she had looked at him as though something inside her had finally broken beyond repair and she kept on asking questions as if he had owe her. At least that was he thought.   He told himself it did not matter and the divorce was necessary. The scandal surrounding the confidential company information had threatened the upcoming merger, and he could not afford uncertainty and Victoria on the other had promised him that she could help stabilize the situation. Her family had connections that could prove useful when the merger negotiations resumed.   Eleanor, on the other hand, had become a risk, so she had to be discarded for Victoria to shine, at least, that was what he had told himself.   A knock sounded at the door. "Come in."   His chief financial officer, Martin Cole, entered carrying a tablet.   "Mr. Blackwood, we need to discuss the Hayes estate."   Adrian looked up sharply. "What about it?"   Martin placed the tablet on his desk. "Our legal team has been reviewing historical shareholder records. A private investment company connected to Margaret Hayes may hold voting rights that could affect the merger."   Adrian's expression changed. "Margaret Hayes?"   "Yes."   He stood. "Why am I hearing about this now?"   "Because the estate transfer appears to have been triggered by a recent change in the beneficiary's marital status."   For a moment, Adrian said nothing the. he asked, very quietly, "Who is the beneficiary?"   Martin hesitated. "Eleanor Hayes."   The name landed between them like a threat.   Adrian stared at him. "What, Eleanor?, How"   Martin's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Your former wife, sir."   Adrian's jaw tightened. "Don't correct me. Tell me exactly what you know."   "We don't have the complete estate documents yet but if the transfer is finalized, Eleanor may gain voting rights through Hayes Meridian Investments. Depending on the final structure and the merger terms, those rights could complicate the transaction."   Adrian walked to the window.   "This is  impossible. Eleanor had never shown any interest in corporate affairs beyond the occasional question about his work, she had never mentioned owning shares and she had never suggested that her grandmother had any connection to Blackwood Holdings."   "How much influence could she have?" he asked.   "We need the complete records to establish that but the stake is significant enough that we cannot ignore it."   Adrian turned around. "Find out whether the transfer has been completed."   "We've already made an inquiry."   "And?"   "The estate lawyer refused to provide details."   Adrian's eyes narrowed. "Who is the lawyer?"   "Daniel Foster."   He recognized the name vaguely. "Contact him again through our legal department this time. Find out what rights Eleanor may acquire, and whether there is any legal basis to challenge the transfer."   Martin nodded. "Understood."   He started toward the door, but Adrian stopped him.   "One more thing."   Martin turned back.   "Do not approach Eleanor directly. Not until we know exactly what we're dealing with."   "Of course."   After Martin left, Adrian remained standing by the window. He thought of the letter Eleanor had signed the previous night, the divorce agreement was supposed to separate their lives cleanly. He had expected her to leave with whatever personal belongings she wanted and accept the settlement offered through his lawyers, he had not expected her to become a potential obstacle to the most important business deal of his career.   His phone vibrated, a message from Victoria appeared on the screen.   "Lunch at my place? We need to celebrate our new beginning"   Adrian stared at it without replying, the future he had imagined did not look quite as certain. He had believed he was removing a problem from his life, instead, he might have handed that problem a key to his empire and somewhere across the city, Eleanor Hayes was sitting with a photograph that connected their families in ways neither of them understood but all they wanted is to make sure they defeat one another    At exactly twelve thirty in the afternoon, Victoria Sinclair arrived at Adrian Blackwood's penthouse carrying a bottle of champagne and wearing the smile of a woman who believed she had finally won. She had spent three years watching another woman occupy the position she wanted. Three years of attending events beside Adrian while Eleanor stood beside him as his wife, three years swallowing her jealousy whenever Adrian introduced Eleanor as the woman he had chosen to build his future with but those days were over.   Today, Eleanor was out and Victoria intended to make sure Adrian never regretted choosing her. She entered the penthouse without waiting for the housekeeper to announce her, her heels clicking against the marble floor.   "Adrian?"   "I'm in the dining room."   Victoria followed his voice, he was standing beside the dining table, looking at his phone with a troubled expression. The table had been arranged with white roses, crystal glasses, and an elaborate lunch prepared by his private chef.   Victoria stopped in the doorway. "Well," she said brightly, "someone looks as though he has attended his own funeral."   Adrian glanced up. "I'm working."   "On our celebration lunch?"   "On something important."   She placed the champagne on the table. "More important than me?"   He gave her a tired look. "Victoria please"   She laughed and walked toward him. "Relax. I am only teasing you."   She slipped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his chest. Adrian allowed the embrace, but his attention remained on the phone in his hand.   Victoria noticed and then she raised her head and stared at him. She had always been good at recognizing when Adrian's mind was somewhere else.   "You're thinking about Eleanor," she said.   His body stiffened. "Don't start."   "I haven't started anything." Victoria pulled away, studying his face. "I'm simply wondering why you look so worried the morning after you finally ended your marriage."   "I'm not worried."   "Then what are you?"   "Busy."   Victoria's smiled cunningly, she had expected him to be relieved after ending things with Eleanor and finally be with her, she had imagined the two of them sitting together, laughing about the future, discussing their engagement, and finally enjoying the freedom they had supposedly been denied for years instead Adrian had barely looked at her since she arrived. She moved to the table and poured champagne into two glasses.   "Fine. If you don't want to talk about your former wife, we won't."   "Victoria-"   "Let's celebrate."   She lifted her glass. "To us. To the future and to finally getting rid of everything that stood between us."   Adrian stared at her, then push himself to lift his own glass so she won't think otherwise    "To the future." He shouted    Their glasses touched, Victoria took a sip, smiling over the rim.   "So, what happens next?"   "What do you mean?"   "The engagement, the wedding, your family, my family, the press, We need to begin planning."   "I haven't thought about the wedding."   Victoria lowered her glass. "You haven't thought about it?"   "I have a merger to complete."   "And I have a fiancé who announced our engagement in front of an entire ballroom." She gave him a pointed look. "I think that earns me at least one conversation about the wedding."   Adrian exhaled. "Fine. We'll discuss it when the merger is settled."   "When?"   "When I have time."   Victoria's expression tightened the sweetness disappeared from her face. She is a woman whom when she has her eye on something, she gets it no matter what, she is good at manipulating also, and she had all sorts of connection that even Adrian could not dare go close to.   Then she smiled again. "Of course, darling. Work first."   She walked around the table and sat down. "But tell me something."   Adrian reluctantly took the seat opposite her. "What?"   "Did Eleanor cry?"   He looked at her sharply. "Why would you ask that?"   "Because I was there. I saw her face when you announced the divorce."   "She signed the papers."   Victoria tilted her head. "That wasn't what I asked."   Adrian said nothing.   Victoria leaned back. "She looked strangely calm. I thought she would make a scene, perhaps beg you to reconsider. She always seemed so devoted to you."   "She knew the marriage was over."   "Did she?"   Adrian's expression darkened.   Victoria picked up her fork. "Well, whatever she thinks, she should understand that things have changed. You and I have a future now."   "Victoria, I don't want to spend lunch discussing Eleanor."   "Then stop looking as though she's still in the room."   The words landed harder than she intended.   Adrian pushed his chair back. "I have a meeting."   Victoria stared at him. "You are leaving?"   "I'll be back later."   "Adrian, you invited me to celebrate with you."   "I didn't invite you to interrogate me."   His voice was cold.   Victoria watched him walk toward the door, her fingers tightening around the stem of her glass.   "Fine," she called after him. "Go and work. I'll wait."   He did not turn around, he stepped out and slam the door.    Victoria remained perfectly still then she placed her glass on the table with a sharp click.   "Eleanor Hayes hmmmm, I guess making you leave your marriage was not enough, now I am determine to make you leave this world" she whispered.   She had thought the other woman would disappear quietly. Apparently, she had underestimated how difficult it would be to erase a wife who had spent three years inside a man's life.   Victoria reached for her phone, she needed to know what Adrian was hiding and she needed to know what Eleanor was doing because if Eleanor thought that signing divorce papers meant she could suddenly return and threaten Victoria's future, then the woman was about to discover that Victoria Sinclair had not waited three years to lose everything at the last moment.   Across the city, Eleanor Hayes stood in front of a full-length mirror. She was dressed in a fitted black suit with sharp shoulders, a cream silk blouse, and black heels that made her stand taller. Her hair fell in polished waves around her shoulders, and her makeup was elegant but striking, a pair of small diamond earrings completed the look, her appearance its self was loud. The woman looking back at her was composed, beautiful, and unmistakably expensive but the most noticeable difference was not her clothes, it was her eyes.   The Eleanor who had walked out of Adrian's ballroom the previous night had been a woman trying to understand how the person she loved could destroy her in public. The Eleanor standing in front of the mirror now had revenge in her eyes and also with a lot of questions and she intended to get answers.   Eleanor phone rang and she picked up   "Hello"   Good morning, Ms. Hayes," Daniel Foster said.   Eleanor checked the time. "It's almost one in the afternoon, Daniel."   "Then good afternoon."   For the first time that day, she smiled. "Better."   "I wanted to inform you that the transfer has been completed."   Eleanor's smile disappeared. "Completed?"   "Yes. The final verification is finished, the relevant documents have been executed, and the ownership records have been updated. Margaret Hayes Capital is now under your control, subject to its governing documents and any applicable obligations."   Eleanor sat down slowly.   Yesterday, she had believed her grandmother's inheritance was simply money and property left behind by an older woman who loved her but today, she was the controlling owner of a company with substantial interests in one of the country's most powerful business groups.   "What does that mean for me right now?" she asked.   "It means you can exercise the authority granted to you by the company's constitution and the shareholder agreements. You are also entitled to assume the executive role provided for in the succession documents."   "Which role?"   "Chief Executive Officer."   Eleanor was silent.   Daniel continued. "Your grandmother appointed you as her successor. The documents provide for you to take over the company, not merely receive its financial assets, there are employees, active investments, ongoing contracts, and a board of directors, you will need to review all of them."   Eleanor rose and walked toward the window. "How many employees?"   "Forty-seven, including the executive team. The company is relatively lean, but its investments are substantial."   "Who has been running it?"   "An interim management team under the supervision of the board, they were instructed to maintain operations until the succession process was completed."   "And they know about me?"   "They have been informed that the transfer is complete. Your first board briefing is scheduled for two o'clock."   Eleanor glanced at the clock "That gives me less than an hour."   "Would you prefer to postpone it?"   "No."   Her answer came so quickly that Daniel paused.   "Eleanor, this is a serious responsibility. You don't have to prove anything to anyone today."   "I'm not doing this to prove anything to anyone."   She looked at her reflection in the window. "I'm doing it because it's mine."   There was a short silence then Daniel said, "Your grandmother would have appreciated that answer."   Eleanor breathe in and out and then she remained silent, she remembered Margaret sitting in her garden, correcting her posture whenever she slouched and telling her that a woman should never be ashamed of wanting more from life.   "Never allow someone to convince you that ambition makes you difficult to love, Eleanor. The right people will respect what you build."   She had not understood those words then but now she gets it.    "Send me the board papers," Eleanor said. "I want the financial statements, the current investment portfolio, the shareholder agreements, and every document relating to Blackwood Holdings."   "All right."   "And Daniel?"   "Yes?"   "From now on, I want every important communication documented. No verbal promises, no missing files, and no one making decisions on my behalf without my authorization."   "I'll arrange it."   "Good."   She ended the call and stood motionless then she opened her wardrobe and removed a slim leather handbag. She placed her phone inside, picked up her car keys, and headed for the door.   She had a company to run and she had a husband to defeat, not with tears, not with begging but with extreme power.   She head out to the company, when she got to the front of the company, it was big and beautiful, she looked it from up till down and then she felt emotionally.    "Wow, how is this possible" she used her two hands to cover her mouth and then she head inside, and then she introduced her self and she was directed to the boardroom   The boardroom of Margaret Hayes Capital occupied the top floor of a modern office building overlooking the city when Eleanor entered, the conversation around the long conference table stopped, seven people turned toward her, some looked curious and others looked uncertain.   One man, seated near the head of the table, glanced at his watch before looking back at her.   "Ms. Hayes?"   Eleanor walked toward the empty chair at the head of the table.   "Yes."   "I'm Richard Bennett, the interim managing director. We were expecting you."   "Then I hope I haven't kept you waiting."   She placed her handbag beside the chair and sat down.   Richard cleared his throat. "Before we begin, I think it would be helpful to establish what you know about the company and the current investment portfolio."   "That would be helpful," Eleanor replied. "Please proceed."   He looked faintly surprised, perhaps he had expected a grieving granddaughter with little business experience, perhaps he had assumed that because Eleanor had been married to Adrian Blackwood, she would be more interested in her personal affairs than the responsibilities she had inherited. Whatever his assumptions were, he quickly learned that she intended to hear every word.   For the next twenty minutes, Richard presented an overview of the company. Margaret Hayes Capital held investments across several sectors, including property, logistics, manufacturing, and financial services. Its most consequential holding was its position in Blackwood Holdings, acquired through an arrangement established years earlier.   Eleanor listened without interrupting, she asked about operating expenses, voting rights, outstanding obligations, and the company's relationship with its major investment partners.   When Richard tried to move past a section on the Blackwood merger, she stopped him.   "Go back."   He looked up. "To which part?"   "The merger."   He returned to the previous page.   Eleanor studied the figures. "What happens if this transaction is approved?"   "The merger would expand Blackwood Holdings' operations and give it access to new international markets," Richard explained. "It is expected to improve the company's long-term position."   "Expected by whom?"   Richard hesitated. "The Blackwood executive team and the advisers involved in the negotiations."   "Has Margaret Hayes Capital independently reviewed the projected benefits?"   "The preliminary review was completed before your grandmother's passing."   "By whom?"   "The previous investment committee."   "Do we have their report?"   "Yes."   "Then I want to read it."   Richard nodded.   Eleanor turned another page. "And what is our position on the vote?"   "Margaret Hayes Capital has a substantial voting interest. Depending on the final transaction structure and the applicable shareholder agreements, our approval could be significant."   "Could be?"   "We need legal counsel to confirm the precise requirements."   "Then confirm them."   Her tone was bold and calm, but there was no invitation to argue, it was like she has completely become a different person after sitting on that chair.    Richard folded his hands. "Ms. Hayes, may I ask a personal question?"   "You may ask."   "Is your recent divorce from Mr. Blackwood going to affect how you approach this investment?"   The room became quiet.   Eleanor looked directly at him. "My marriage is a personal matter. My responsibility to this company is a professional one."   "Of course. I only ask because the timing is unusual."   "Then let me make something clear." She closed the folder in front of her. "I will not use this company as a personal toy, and I will not allow anyone to treat it as an extension of Blackwood Holdings. We have our own interests, our own obligations, and our own future."   She looked around the table. "If a deal benefits this company, I will consider it. If it threatens this company, I will oppose it. I don't care who proposed it, how wealthy they are, or how many powerful friends they have."   The room became silent, everyone stared at her and didn't interrupt her.    Eleanor stood. "By the end of tomorrow, I want a complete report on every active investment, every pending transaction, and every agreement involving Blackwood Holdings. I also want independent legal advice on our voting rights."   Richard rose halfway from his chair. "That is a substantial amount of work to complete in one day."   "Then start now."   Her eyes settled on him. "And Richard?"   "Yes, Ms. Hayes?"   "Please stop referring to me as a temporary complication. I am the chief executive of this company."   She picked up her handbag. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment."   She left the boardroom without waiting for a response,  behind her, the directors exchanged looks. The woman who had entered the room was not a helpless heiress who had inherited money she could barely understand. She was a woman who intended to learn every corner of her business and she had made one thing very clear.   Margaret Hayes Capital would no longer sit quietly in Blackwood Holdings' shadow.   At two forty-five, Adrian Blackwood received a message from his legal department.   "Ownership transfer of Margaret Hayes Capital has been completed. Eleanor Hayes has assumed the position of CEO."   He read it once then again. "You're joking," he muttered.   Martin Cole stood on the other side of the desk. "I'm afraid not."   Adrian looked up. "She has become CEO overnight?"   "The succession documents were already in place. The transfer was the final requirement."   "How much does she know about the merger?"   "We don't know yet."   "Find out."   Martin hesitated. "There is another development."   Adrian's eyes narrowed. "What now?"   "Margaret Hayes Capital has requested the full documentation relating to the proposed merger, including the original shareholder agreements."   Adrian stood. "Who made the request?"   "Eleanor."   Adrian became silent, he did not speak for a moment.  He remembered the woman who had sat quietly beside him at company dinners trying to explain something's to her about finance. The woman who had once asked him to explain a financial report because she wanted to understand what he did all day. He would give her excuse that she would understand this particular finance report even if she tried to and now she was demanding the very documents he had kept at a distance from her.   "She thinks she can walk into my business and start giving orders?" he asked angrily   Martin chose his words carefully. "Legally, she represents a significant shareholder. Depending on the agreements, she may have every right to request those records."   Adrian's expression hardened. "Then make sure she gets nothing she isn't entitled to."   "Of course."   "And I want a full review of every agreement connected to Margaret Hayes Capital. Every one."   Martin nodded and left.   Adrian turned toward the window. The divorce was supposed to simplify his life, instead, Eleanor had acquired a position from which she could complicate his most important transaction.   He picked up his phone and called her.   He murmured "You think you have the mind to face me, huuuh you don't know what you have put yourself into"   The line rang countless times then the call went to voicemail. He tried again but she declined it.   Adrian stared at the screen.   A message appeared moments later. "Wow, Mr Adrian Blackwood, stop calling me and if this concerns Margaret Hayes Capital, please contact my office through the appropriate business channels."   His jaw tightened.   He typed a reply. "Don't make this personal, Eleanor."   Her response arrived less than a minute later. "You made it personal when you destroyed my reputation in public, this is business."   Adrian's grip tightened around the phone, he had never seen this side of her or perhaps he had seen it once or twice and dismissed it because he believed it would never be directed at him.   He called his lawyer. "Get me every legal option available concerning the Hayes voting stake."   "Adrian, we need to be careful, if her rights have been properly transferred, we cannot simply prevent her from exercising them."   "Then find another way."   "Are you asking me to challenge the transfer?"   "I'm asking you to protect my company."   There was a pause. "Understood."   Adrian ended the call, he looked at Eleanor's message one final time.   "This is business."   Fine. If she wanted to treat their divorce as a declaration of war, he would show her that he had not built an empire by allowing people to threaten it not even his former wife.   By four o'clock, Eleanor had returned to her new office. The walls were lined with shelves containing investment reports, legal files, and financial records. A large desk stood in front of the windows, and beyond it, the city stretched toward the horizon.   Her assistant, a composed young woman named Natalie, entered carrying a tablet.   "Ms. Hayes, the press has started asking questions about the ownership transfer."   Eleanor continued reading a document. "What questions?"   "They want to know whether your divorce from Mr. Blackwood influenced your appointment as CEO, and whether you intend to interfere with the merger."   Eleanor finally looked up. "Who has confirmed my appointment publicly?"   "No one has issued an official statement yet."   "Then no one from this office will comment on my private life."   Natalie nodded. "Understood."   "And prepare a short announcement confirming that I have assumed leadership of Margaret Hayes Capital. Focus on the company's future, not my marriage."   "Yes, ma'am."   Natalie turned to leave. "One more thing," Eleanor said.   Natalie stopped.   "Has Blackwood Holdings responded to our document request?"   "Not yet."   "Send it again through legal counsel. Give them the appropriate deadline under the agreement."   "I'll handle it."   When the door closed, Eleanor leaned back in her chair and sighed, she allowed herself to feel the full weight of what had happened. She was angry, hurt and there were moments when the memory of Adrian's face still made her chest ache but she refused to let those feelings make her careless. She has become he woman whom has to hide her pain under her face. She refused to feel defeated.    "I will make sure, I make the Blackwood family crawl on the ground with tears to beg me"   Adrian had money, influence, and an established network of powerful people. She had inherited a company with its own responsibilities, a complicated history, and a voting stake that could affect the future of his empire so it would not be easy. She would need to learn quickly, make difficult decisions, and surround herself with people who knew more than she did but she had never been afraid of hard work. She was only finished working for a man who had mistaken her loyalty for weakness.   Her phone vibrated.   A message from an unknown number appeared, it was another person entirely again.    "You should stop digging into the past. Your grandmother made the same mistake."   Eleanor sat very still, she read the message twice then she placed the phone on her desk and took a screenshot. Attaining the Hayes company may come with a price too but Eleanor is a fast thinker.  The sender had mentioned her grandmother that meant this was no longer simply about a divorce or a corporate merger.   Someone knew what Margaret had been investigating, someone knew Eleanor had inherited the company and someone was afraid of what she might discover.   Eleanor's eyes moved to the old photograph Daniel had given her. Two men who stood side by side beneath a date and a warning written decades ago.   "The night the Blackwoods took everything."   She picked up her phone and called Daniel.   "Hello, Eleanor?"   "I need you to do something for me."   "What is it?"   "I want every record Margaret kept about Thomas Hayes and Edward Blackwood. Every letter, every agreement, every financial record. I want the original documents preserved and copies sent to me."   "That may take some time."   "Then start now."   "Eleanor, I should warn you that some of those records may contain information that could be difficult to process."   She looked at the message on her phone. "I've already discovered that people are warning me to stay away from the past."   Daniel fell silent. "Someone contacted you?"   "Yes."   "Do not respond to them. Save the message and send me a copy. I'll have our legal team examine it."   "I will."   "And Eleanor?"   "Yes?"   "Be careful. Whatever happened between your grandfather and the Blackwoods, it appears that someone still cares about keeping it hidden."   Eleanor ended the call and looked out across the city. She had entered the morning believing that her greatest battle would be learning how to live without Adrian but she had been wrong. Her battle was only beginning and this time, she would not be the woman standing outside the ballroom, wondering why she had not been enough.She would be the woman sitting across the table from Adrian Blackwood, holding the power to challenge him.   Eleanor Hayes had no intention of making his victory easy because the next time she walked into Blackwood Holdings, she would not be arriving as his wife, she would be arriving as the woman whose signature could change the future of his empire.