The day after Vanessa’s hearing, the air in the O’Connell estate felt lighter—not because the storm had passed, but because they had found shelter within it. Lena stood before a full-length mirror in her dressing room, adjusting the lapel of her cream blazer. She had a board meeting that morning—the first since Vanessa’s arrest.
“Today’s not about victory laps,” she said aloud, mostly to herself. “It’s about planting flags in new soil.”
Carson knocked once before entering, his tie already perfectly knotted. “You look ready.”
“I feel ready,” she said. “But this time, I’m not going in just as your wife. I’m going in as a partner. An investor. A future leader.”
He stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, catching her reflection in the mirror. “That’s exactly what you are.”
The boardroom in Manhattan buzzed with cautious optimism. Every member was present. Even the more traditional voices who had once side-eyed Lena’s involvement had read the headlines, watched the hearin
