The Shield Group boardroom was filled with an oppressive tension, the polished surfaces reflecting the faces of the traitorous board members who squirmed under Trinity Solaris's unrelenting gaze. Her silver-white hair framed her face like a crown, and her golden eyes blazed with quiet fury, making the three culprits shift uncomfortably in their seats.
Richard Kane, Diane Abbott, and Gerald Price sat like schoolchildren caught red-handed, their indignation barely masking their guilt. Behind Trinity stood a silent wall of security guards, their presence a stark reminder of the consequences of betrayal.
"Please," Trinity said smoothly, her voice like velvet dipped in ice, "continue explaining why you think I'm unfit to lead the company I built." She leaned slightly against the table, her posture both casual and commanding. "I'm fascinated."
Richard, his florid face growing redder by the second, puffed out his chest. "You don't understand, Miss Solaris. Your leadership style—if we can call it that—is just too domineering. You force people into impossible situations. It's... unbecoming of a CEO."
Trinity arched an elegant brow. "Do elaborate, Richard. What exactly makes my style 'unbecoming'?"
Richard sat up straighter, emboldened by her invitation. "Like the time you personally berated the entire R&D team for missing a deadline by two hours! You demanded they work overnight, didn't even let them go home—how's that for collaborative leadership?"
Trinity tilted her head slightly, her golden eyes glittering with amusement. "Ah, yes. That night." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "The same night we finalized the prototype that secured us the $3 billion energy contract? That's the one you're referring to, isn't it?"
Richard's mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air. "I—well—"
"Thank you for reminding me, Richard," Trinity said, her tone dripping with mockery. "If anything, I should have demanded they work faster. I can't have incompetence delaying my vision."
The Domineering Female CEO System chimed in gleefully:
"Host, verbal slap successful. Richard's blood pressure is reaching impressive levels. Suggest continued pressure for maximum effect."
Diane, her lips thin with disapproval, jumped in. "And what about the time you fired an entire marketing team without notice? That was completely unprofessional!"
Trinity turned her gaze to Diane, her smirk widening. "You mean the team that thought social media cat memes were an appropriate strategy for a global conglomerate? Yes, Diane, I fired them. Immediately. And then replaced them with people who increased our brand value by 400% in six months. If you'd like to join them, I hear they're hiring."
The loyal board members couldn't suppress their snickers, but Diane's face flushed with anger. "This isn't about results, Trinity!" she snapped. "It's about how you treat people. You're ruthless, cold, and impossible to work with!"
"Impossible?" Trinity repeated, her voice honeyed with false sweetness. "Perhaps for those who aren't up to my standards. But isn't that the point? To ensure only the best remain?"
The system chimed again:
"Host, Diane's fury levels are delightful. Suggest topping it off with another anecdote."
Gerald leaned forward, his voice trembling with frustration. "You're just proving our point! You're domineering, overbearing, and you treat everyone like tools to be discarded when you're done!"
Trinity's golden eyes locked onto him. "Speaking of tools, Gerald, remind me: how did you describe the $200,000 Adrian Fury wired to your account? Was that also a 'tool' for betrayal?"
The room fell silent as Gerald paled, stammering. "I—it—it was consulting!"
"Consulting on what?" Trinity snapped, her voice rising. "How to stab your CEO in the back while covering yourself in grease from Fury's wallet?"
The system chimed with mock solemnity:
"Host, Gerald's excuses are as pathetic as his attempts at concealment. Recommend immediate humiliation."
Trinity leaned back, gesturing toward the phone in Richard's hand. "And speaking of Adrian Fury, why don't we call him? I'd love to hear what your 'visionary leader' has to say about this debacle."
Richard hesitated, but the weight of Trinity's golden gaze made him comply. He dialed Adrian, putting the call on speaker as ordered.
The line connected, and Adrian's familiar, smug voice filled the room. "Richard! My loyal ally. What's the situation? Say the line."
Richard's face turned crimson. "Adrian Fury, you are the greatest and least greasy boss in the entire world."
The silence that followed was deafening before Trinity burst out laughing, the sound sharp and unapologetic. "Oh, this is priceless," she said, wiping a tear from her eye.
The system chimed in, wheezing with laughter:
"Host, this is a masterpiece. We recommend archiving this for future motivational speeches."
Adrian, clearly pleased, continued. "Now listen, Richard. You three are the backbone of this operation. Without you, Shield Group is vulnerable. Trinity might think she's invincible, but together we can—"
Trinity cut him off, her voice cool and mocking. "Adrian, let's not delude ourselves. You couldn't lead a parade, let alone an empire. And now you're scrambling to keep your pathetic allies afloat while I'm standing here, unbothered."
Adrian's voice hardened. "Trinity Solaris. I should have known you'd eavesdrop. Typical of you to interfere where you don't belong."
"Interfere?" she repeated, her golden eyes glittering. "Adrian, let's call it what it is: cleaning up the messes you leave behind. And for the record, I'm not just better than you at business—I'm even better at picking up women."
Adrian spluttered, his composure cracking. "You—you—"
"What, Adrian?" Trinity interrupted, her tone sharper. "Did I hurt your feelings? Or is it just hard to face the truth that no matter how much grease you slather on your ego, you'll always be second-rate?"
The system chimed:
"Host, direct hit. Adrian's ego is entering critical meltdown. Suggest taunting him further."
"You won't get away with this, Trinity!" Adrian yelled, his voice strained.
"Get away with what?" she asked innocently. "Being better than you in every conceivable way? Including picking up women?"
The line went dead as Adrian hung up, clearly outmatched.
Trinity turned back to the board members, her golden eyes gleaming. "Now," she said, her voice deadly calm, "shall we continue discussing why you think I'm too domineering?"
Richard slammed his fist on the table. "You are! You're proving it right now! A man would never act like this!"
Trinity's smirk widened. "You're absolutely right, Richard. No man could ever act like this—because no man could ever be me."
The system chimed one last time:
"Host, chapter complete. Their humiliation levels are exquisite. Prepare for further destruction in Chapter 4."
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