Ch. 49
The man once standing proud and arrogant sank to his knees before the Chairman and President Valen, trembling so hard his words came out broken.
"C–Chairman Valen, please! M-my deepest apologies! I didn't know— I didn't mean—"
His voice cracked, echoing through the restaurant's now silent hall. The imposter, realizing the gravity of what was happening, also started shaking. Her once confident facade had completely vanished, replaced by raw fear. But Chairman Valen's gaze was cold, sharp, and utterly unyielding.
He had seen everything.
He had seen his granddaughter, his real granddaughter mocked, insulted, and humiliated by a girl pretending to be her. If they hadn't walked in at that exact moment, what would have happened? Would Selene's name have been dragged through the mud?
No. Not on his watch.
"You have quite the nerve to kneel now," the Chairman said, voice calm but heavy with authority.
"Do you realize what you've done?"
The man bowed lower, his forehead nearly touching the polished marble floor.
"P-please, I'll resign immediately, Chairman—"
"Resign?" President Valen's voice cut sharply, a dangerous calm lacing his tone.
"Do you think this can be solved with just resignation?"
The older board members behind them exchanged uneasy glances.
Selene stood silently between her father and grandfather her expression calm but distant. She wasn't angry. Not even a little. Just quietly observing, the same way someone would watch a scene in a play. Her grandfather's voice broke the silence again.
"You impersonated my granddaughter, used her name for your own benefit, and disrespected our family. That is defamation."
The imposter's face turned pale as the Chairman's words sank in.
"Y-you can't— I just— I didn't mean any harm! It was just, for fun!"
"For fun?" Selene repeated softly, finally speaking. She took one slow step forward, her tone deceptively gentle.
"Do you usually ruin people's names for fun?"
The girl's lips trembled, unable to answer.
President Valen turned to his secretary.
"Call the company's legal division. File a full report. They're to be charged with identity fraud, defamation, and company infiltration."
"Yes, sir."
The imposter gasped, tears spilling down her face.
"No, please! My family— my uncle– he didn't mean it!"
But her so-called "uncle or father" had already lost all color in his face. His mind was spiraling, his future flashing before his eyes from police to trial to disgrace.
And true to the Valens' reputation, they didn't hesitate.
By the next day, the news was already circulating within the city's business circles:
Even the families of those who aided the fraud were investigated and faced consequences.
The fake Selene's "friends" turned enemies overnight, throwing the imposter under the bus to save themselves but it was too late. None of them were excused.
And through it all, Selene stayed silent.
She didn't feel pity.
She didn't feel satisfaction either.
Just quiet reflection.
Maybe this was what her family Selene's family wanted her to learn. That even when she stayed calm, people would still try to step on her.And that sometimes, being a "villain" wasn't about cruelty it was about knowing exactly when to stop being kind.
Her grandfather's voice softened beside her.
"Next time, my dear," he murmured, "don't let anyone like that even breathe your name."
Selene smiled faintly.
"Don't worry, Grandpa. I won't."
I promise Selene too.