CHAOS IN THE BOARDROOM

I had signed that resignation letter three months ago, believing that I would no longer be an employee but a partner. Together with  Steven we had talked about taking the company to new heights, and I had trusted him, invested my heart and soul in his vision. 

Steven scanned the documents, his face creased in anger when he noticed It was indeed signed three months ago.

"Alexa, for long have you been planning this?" He asked accusingly, I met his gaze, my expression calm and collected. "I didn't need to plan anything, Mr. President?" I replied. "Is it wrong for an employee to resign? My reasons are valid."  Steven's eyes narrowed in anger. I smiled, because in those eyes I could see fear. 

"Is the resignation valid?" Mr. Hills asked, he was one of those men that worked for Owen Hales. Steven nodded curtly, his face filled with anger and irritation.

Nicole turned to face me, her eyes flashing with hatred. "If you don't work here, there's no need to be here." she said, her voice filled with too much hate. "Security, escort her out," she ordered. 

"Not so fast, Nicole," I said, a hint of a smile playing on my lips. "I have every right to stand here. After all, after the Hales family, I am the next biggest shareholder in this company." There was chaos once again. Steven's expression turned stressed, his eyes darting between me and the panicked executives. 

Nicole aggressively scanned the list of shareholders. "Stop bragging," she snapped, her voice rising. "Your name doesn't appear on the list. Our biggest shareholder is actually the company's chief co-designer, Mrs. Clavelen." She emphasized the name.

I smiled sweetly at Nicole. "Now, go through the list of employees." I said, raising an eyebrow as I waited for her to read further. “Alexa Jones Clavelen” Nicole's eyes scanned the document, her expression faltering as she realized the truth. 

Steven's face was a mix of shock and confusion, his voice filled with a sense of betrayal. "That's impossible," he stammered, his eyes wide with denial. "How? Why did you lie to me?" He stood up, the room seemed to spin around him. “You are Mrs. Clavelen.”

I locked eyes with Steven, my smile growing wider as I watched pain on his face. "I want all rights of my designs returned to me," I said, my voice firm and final. "We had an agreement that if I let you use my designs as yours, I require a month's five percent payment." My words hung in the air, a clear and direct request.

Steven's hand slammed down on the table, the sound echoing through the room. "What are you trying to do, Alexa?" he demanded, his voice rising in anger. "Fix this, Steve," I said slowly, using my nickname for him on purpose. "Or we go to court."

Steven laughed, his voice tight with irritation. "Court, Alexa, you are making this harder than it needs to be," he said, his words laced with warning. "You are a shareholder here, unless it is about your shares, going to court will be termed as knowingly damaging the company reputation." 

I smiled brightly. "Don't worry, that won't be a problem, since I won't be a shareholder for long," I said, a sense of triumph in my voice. Just then, Sylvie opened the door, Luke and his assistant walked in, Luke looked both handsome and scarcely in that suit. His eyes scanned the room, his gaze lingering on me before shifting to Steven and the others.

The room erupted into an uproar.  Luke was an unknown presence to them, but his assistant, Ethan Kohl was a bombshell. He had a reputation for buying up struggling companies. The Hunter group was a new company but so far had influence in every industry from food to mechanics. Seeing him here, it was clear that his boss had his sights set on Hales Enterprises. Steven's face turned pale. 

I smiled sweetly as I made the introduction. "Let me introduce my replacement, a new shareholder, Mr. Luke Hunter," I said, gesturing towards Luke as he stepped forward. "Luke Hunter," Nicole repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. The room was stunned, and I couldn't blame them. 

Luke Hunter was a legend, a ghostly figure who few had ever seen in person. His reputation preceded him, he was known for his ruthless business tactics and unexplainable success. Although Ethan, his right hand man, was feared by many, it was the name Luke Hunter that inspired that fear. 

Steven's grip on the edge of the table tightened. "Everyone out," he barked, his voice commanding attention. "This sham of a meeting is over. Alexa, stay, I need to talk to you?" But despite his words, no one moved. The executives and board members remained frozen in their seats. Everyone wanted to know what was going to happen next, and no one was willing to miss the conclusion of this meeting.

I raised an eyebrow, my expression calm and collected. "We have nothing to talk about," I replied, my voice steady. 

Steven's face contorted in a mix of anger and hurt, his voice rising in protest. "Alexa, after everything we have been through, how dare you repay me with evil and then claim we have nothing to talk about?" he demanded. “The only thing I lied about was my marriage, nothing more," he added, as if that justified everything.

"Evil, what you did to me is what should be termed as evil," I said, my eyes blazing with anger. "After years of working for your success, betrayal was my reward. Now you want to demote me, but I am expected to accept my fate? Why should I?" I replied in anger.

I shivered the weight of today's events, finally catching up on me. Luke's gentle touch brought me back to the present. His hands wrapped around my shoulders, gently massaging. "Calm down, it's not a healthy baby girl," he whispered, his voice low and soothing. I gently leaned into his arms, grateful for the support and care he offered. 

“Now I see, what really happened” Steven's voice cut through my momentarily peace. Seeing the rage on his face, I leaned further into Luke and smiled.