Chapter 82: Fighting back
Inside the quiet bedroom, Jean sat curled up on the bed, wearing nothing but Logan’s crisp white shirt. It hung loosely around her thighs, the fabric soft beneath her fingertips as she absently ran her hands over it. The scent of his cologne lingered faintly, grounding her in the present, though her mind was spiraling far into the past.
Across the room, Emma sat on the edge of the armchair, sipping beer from the bottle they’d smuggled in from the dining table war zone. She didn’t speak for a while, just watched Jean with concern knitted across her brows. Then finally, in a soft but firm tone, she said, "Jean... tell me everything. Please."
Jean took a shaky breath, still tracing the seams of the shirt. "The night I came back from South Korea, Mom called me for dinner," she began. Her voice was quiet, almost too calm.
Emma nodded slowly.
Jean continued, "When I entered the dining room... Dad and Alex were already there. They weren’t eating. They looked like they were waiting... for me."
Her throat tightened. She reached for her beer and gulped it down like water, chasing the ache in her chest with bitterness.
"They asked me to transfer my shares to Alex."
Emma nearly choked on her drink. "What?!" she gasped. "Are you kidding me? How the hell could they even... Why would they..."
Jean kept her gaze low. "They said... Alex slept with one of our major investor’s daughters and treated her badly, now the investor wants Alex gone from having any power in the boardroom. They said Alex needed the power more than I did. That I’ve done my part and now it’s time to settle down."
Emma sprang to her feet, pacing the room furiously. "Settle down? With no stake in your company? They’re trying to erase you, Jean! This is insane! Your parents... God... they’re monsters!"
Jean didn’t deny it. She hugged herself tightly, her shoulders trembling slightly.