Chapter 8 - The Weight of the Crown
The boardroom was empty, save for the two of them.
The chaos of the arrests, the frantic media statements, and the overwhelming barrage of questions from the remaining board members had finally ceased. Outside the glass walls, the city of New York was turning into a sea of glittering lights.
Charlotte stood by the window, a crystal glass of bourbon in her hand. She stared out at the skyline, feeling the heavy, cold weight of the diamond crest resting against her collarbone.
Elias was sitting in one of the leather chairs, his jacket off, his sleeves rolled up to the elbows, revealing muscular forearms. He was typing rapidly on a sleek laptop, securing the company's frozen assets.
“The board has unanimously recognized your majority stake,” Elias said without looking up from the screen. “The Sterling shares are frozen pending the federal investigation. Tomorrow morning, the market is going to go insane. Solmere stock might dip initially due to the scandal, but your dramatic return will stabilize it by closing.”
Charlotte took a slow sip of the burning liquid. “It doesn't feel like a victory.”
Elias stopped typing. He closed the laptop and stood up, walking over to join her by the window.
“You put the man who murdered your mother behind bars. You reclaimed a billion-dollar empire in a single afternoon,” Elias pointed out, his tone gentle but firm. “Take the win, Charlotte.”
“Richard was arrogant, but he wasn't a mastermind,” Charlotte said, turning to look at Elias. The proximity between them was suddenly intense. She could see the faint shadow of stubble on his sharp jawline. “He couldn't have bypassed the Vanguard security protocols on his own. He couldn't have bribed federal aviation inspectors without a broker. Someone helped him. Someone with more power than a mere interim CEO.”
Elias’s gray eyes darkened. He took a step closer, invading her personal space just enough to make her heart skip a dangerous beat.
“We cut off the head of the snake today,” Elias said softly, his gaze dropping briefly to her lips before meeting her eyes again. “If there is a bigger monster lurking in the shadows, they know you are alive now. They will come for you.”
“Let them come,” Charlotte whispered fiercely. “I’m not hiding anymore.”
Elias reached out, his knuckles lightly grazing the unbruised side of her cheek. It was a rare, intimate gesture that broke every rule of their professional boundary.
“I won't let them touch you,” Elias promised, his voice a low, gravelly vow. “But you need to be ready. In three days, we host the Solmere Annual Gala. It was supposed to be Richard’s coronation. Now, it will be your grand debut. The whole world will be watching.”
May you like
Charlotte leaned ever so slightly into his touch, before stepping back and fortifying her walls. She placed her empty glass on the windowsill.
“Then we better make sure they have something spectacular to look at.”
