THE DIVORCE GAMBIT From Dumped Wife to CEO's Forever novel Chapter 371

Caitlin had barely finished speaking when the whole room fell silent.

Everyone stared down at the table, as if afraid that even breathing too loudly might draw attention.

They’d all assumed Caitlin was just a naïve country girl—someone who could be dismissed with a few patronizing words.

But she’d walked in and, without hesitation, struck right at the heart of their weakness.

It was terrifying.

This young woman was downright terrifying.

Across the room, Keira stood watching her granddaughter, eyes shining with excitement—and, even more, with pride.

She had fully expected the old foxes on the board to give her granddaughter a hard time.

She never imagined Caitlin would put them on the defensive from the very start.

Good!

Very good!

This was exactly what she’d hoped for from a true heir of the Gonzales family.

It took a long moment before Leo finally snapped out of his astonishment. He lifted his head and met Caitlin’s gaze. “Miss Gonzales,” he said, “you’re well aware of the company’s situation. The fact that we, the shareholders, managed to keep the books looking this good and the market stable—it hasn’t been easy! If not for our hard work, Gonzales Holdings’ stock would have crashed ages ago. The only reason you can still enjoy your life as the family heiress is because us old men are holding the line. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”

“Chairman Barrett, you really are a master at rewriting history,” Caitlin replied, her tone calm but sharp. “I call you ‘Chairman’ out of respect for your years working alongside my grandmother, but don’t think you can pull rank here. Is it really so hard to admit you’re out of your depth?”

Admit he couldn’t handle it?

Caitlin’s words made Leo’s blood boil.

He’d dedicated his entire career to Gonzales Holdings, and now this little upstart was calling him incompetent to his face.

Leo shot to his feet. “With the company in its current state, it wouldn’t matter if we brought in a miracle worker—no one could turn things around!”

The shareholders hadn’t expected Caitlin to go that far.

They glanced at one another, and the look in their eyes was unmistakable: ridicule.

If Caitlin was foolish enough to sign such a contract, she’d be packing her bags before the year was out.

Did she even understand what a wager agreement entailed?

Once she lost, there would be no way back. Gonzales Holdings would cut ties with her for good.

Leo could hardly believe Caitlin was so naïve—one little trick and she’d walked right into his trap.

“Excellent,” Leo said, clapping his hands together. “You’re truly your father’s daughter, Caitlin—brave, just like Stuart.”

And Stuart had been a rare genius in the business world.