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Catherine carefully examined the contract before her, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips. She couldn’t help but admire Korbin’s audacity. The contract he had hastily put together was clearly designed to strip her of her autonomy, giving him total control over her actions and the Swann Corporation. It was a classic power play.
As Catherine flipped through the pages, Korbin’s patience began to wear thin. He was certain that she couldn’t understand the fine print—after all, she came from the countryside, where schooling was hardly a priority. His voice grew more insistent.
“That’s enough, Catherine,” he snapped. “You don’t have to waste time reading all that. Just sign it, and I’ll give you $100,000 every month as your allowance. You’ll live a comfortable life here at the Swanns’ mansion. You won’t ever need to go back to the countryside.”
The offer of $100,000 a month sounded generous to most people, but Catherine was not most people. She wasn’t about to trade control over billions in assets just for an allowance. Did Korbin think she was naïve?
She placed the contract back on the table and gave him a look that could freeze anyone in their tracks. Her lips curled into a subtle, evil smile, and she coldly uttered one word.
“No.”
Korbin’s face turned a shade of green as his anger flared. His fists clenched at his sides, and he was on the verge of slamming the table. But years of experience in the business world taught him to keep his emotions in check. He forced himself to calm down, his voice low but insistent.
“Catherine, I’m doing this for your own good. The Swann Corporation is your grandfather’s legacy. It cannot be squandered.”
But Catherine wasn’t done. She reached into her pocket and retrieved a folded piece of paper. With a slow, deliberate motion, she unfolded it and placed it in front of Korbin.
Korbin glanced at the paper and felt his blood pressure spike. The words “Law of Succession” were printed at the top, and as he read further, his anger boiled over. Catherine, it seemed, had anticipated this move. She’d already done her homework.
“I’m of age now,” Catherine said calmly, her voice cutting through the tension. “I have the legal right to inherit and manage my wealth. I don’t need a guardian, and I don’t need to authorize someone else to manage my assets for me.”
Korbin’s face darkened as the realization hit him. He hadn’t expected Catherine to have checked the Law of Succession. According to his information, she had never even attended high school. How could she possibly be this well-informed?
Before Korbin could respond, Rachael, unable to contain her anger, slammed her hand on the table. Her voice was sharp as she pointed a finger at Catherine.
“Ungrateful doesn’t even begin to describe you,” she spat. “The Swanns raised you, and this is how you repay us? You’re a curse on this family, a jinx. If you sign this agreement, we can still be family. But if you refuse, don’t blame us for abandoning you!”
Johnathan, ever eager to join in, added loudly, “That’s right. If you don’t sign, we’ll kick you out!”
Catherine’s gaze swept past Rachael, her eyes sharp. She had seen Rachael’s personal files. The woman who now looked down on her was once Rachel Lang—no aristocrat, just a beautiful woman who had married into the Swanns for status and wealth. After four children, she had solidified her place as Mrs. Swann.
Rachael, for all her outward praise, was now glaring at Catherine with open disdain. It was laughable.
A “jinx,” huh? Catherine couldn’t remember the last time someone had dared to call her that. She vaguely recalled it being used against her when she was younger, but the person who had once scorned her with such words had long since disappeared from her life—probably driven mad by the consequences of their own actions.
The memory of the past didn’t matter anymore. No one had dared to call her a jinx in years, and no one would ever do so again—not in her presence.