Queen of Steel: Throne of Lies

Chapter 17

With trembling fingers, I unlocked my phone and swipe through the notifications—emails, text messages, incoming calls—all demanding my attention. As the messages sank in, a slow, triumphant, yet malevolent smile spread across my face.

The shareholder meeting had been abruptly canceled. Not just that—reports were coming in of "freak accidents" crippling productivity at three different mining operations. A crisis had been manufactured, and Steel Conglomerate was now scrambling to get a handle on the chaos.

I laughed aloud, giddy satisfaction coursing through me. Amidst the chaos of my buzzing phone, a few messages stood out. The first was from Tessa: 'Rushing back from Paris. Daddy is beyond pissed 🤣 #ProudSis'

My grin widened at her bratty exuberance. If her father's irritation was any indication, Drago had certainly held up his end of the bargain. The next message was from Allistair:

'Missing you. Handling ongoing crisis, but will see you when the dust settles. Get some rest while you can...the real storm is coming. Love you, my heart.'

I knew exactly what he meant. With the initial disruption unleashed, it was time for us to swoop in and "help" manage the fallout, asserting our position as well-deserving heirs—all according to plan. My heart swelled at his understated declaration of love.

Before I could respond, another message froze me in my tracks. It was from Drago himself: 'Your turn, Ms. Steelman.' A cold shiver ran down my spine. Those four simple words were equal parts threat and challenge, laced with a very dark promise. He was indeed a formidable ally...and frenemy. A reminder that I would need to tread with the precision of a neurosurgeon.

Just then, an incoming call flashed across my screen—from the moment this plan was set in motion, I knew this clash would come inevitably. The display bore a name I'd been dreading: Daddy.

I hesitated, steeling myself as I accepted the call. "Yes, Father?" I answered evenly, keeping any trace of satisfaction from my voice.

There was a loaded pause before his gruff tones came through, clipped with barely contained irritation. "You've seen the reports, I take it?"

"I have. The mining sites in Chile, South Africa, and Queensland, if I'm not mistaken," I replied calmly. "A most...inopportune series of events, wouldn't you agree?"

A mirthless chuckle sounded. "You think I can't see exactly what this is, Tahlia? Your fingerprints are all over this. Whatever game you and that idiot son of Bill are playing, I will shut it down. You foolish, arrogant child—did you think I wouldn't be prepared for whatever stunts you tried to pull?"

My jaw clenched at his condescending venom, but I refused to rise to the bait. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Father. This crisis appears to be an unfortunate convergence of factors outside our control. Surely the prudent course of action is to focus all efforts on rectifying the situation?"

"Don't play coy with me, girl," he practically spat. "I taught you everything you know about strategy and deception. You're not creating enough smoke to hide this blazing fire from my sight."

I fought to keep my tone measured and even. "With all due respect, the only priority right now should be mitigating these incidents and getting all systems back online. I'm sure the causes will be uncovered in due course."

There was a long, tense silence. Finally, Father spoke again in a lower, more controlled register. "You're right about one thing—my focus needs to be on damage control for now. But mark my words...when the dust clears on this debacle, you and I will be having a very serious reckoning."

The line went dead, leaving me staring at the silent phone. I exhaled a shaky breath, adrenaline still thrumming through me from the heated exchange. I smiled grimly, my pulse kicking up again at the thrill of the hunt, the intricate chess game we were playing. There was no going back now—not when we'd already sacrificed so many pawns to control this particular field of engagement.