Chapter 9

Derek’s POV

Seated at the head chair of the round table for thirty in the conference hall, I watched the room shift and shudder beneath the weight of the HR manager’s announcement. Her voice cut through the hall like a blade.

“The court has set a date for the preliminary hearing,” she declared, her tone flat and unwavering, as though daring anyone to question her.

Murmurs erupted instantly, sharp, biting, chaotic. Faces twisted, fingers twitched to point blame, small circles of gossip sprouted like weeds in the cracked concrete of this company.

I kept my expression still. Motionless. But inside, a storm churned, not fear, not guilt… just annoyance at their pathetic panic.

A slow melancholy began to sprout in me, but I quickly smothered it.

They didn’t know what was really at stake. They didn’t understand that some sacrifices had to be made to get what you wanted in this world. They never had the guts.

My gaze swept over the sea of inquisitive, confused faces, and there she was. Jacqueline.

Her face was caught in some topsy-turvy blend of worry and fragile hope. Her eyes locked on mine, wide and trembling with that unyielding faith that made my stomach turn. She still believed in me. Even now. Foolish woman.

She had always been a pawn in my game. The part that she still thought the wedding plans were genuine, that truly icks me. By now, I expected her to have figured it out, to realize she was just chasing clout as far as I was concerned.

She was in love, I guessed. An unnoticed grin tugged at the corner of my lips. I didn’t have time for her softness. Or her tears. Not now.

My phone buzzed on the table, but I ignored it.

“The site manager has something to say,” the HR manager continued, cutting into my thoughts.

I took a silent, unnoticed breath as every eye locked onto me like snipers, seeking the perfect spot to sink a bullet.

I exhaled slowly, for them, not for me. Performance was everything.

“We will get to the root of this,” I said, each word carefully measured. “In the meantime, I urge you all to focus on your duties as usual.”

Another wave of murmurs. Weaklings.

Then Robinson decided to open his useless mouth. I often called him "motor-mouth" behind his back.

“Mr. Robinson,” I snapped, my patience finally cracking. “If there’s anything you’d like to share, I suggest you put it on the table now instead of whispering to a select few.”

His head snapped up, pale and clammy, eyes darting like a cornered animal.

“Huh…uhm, I was just wondering why, up to this moment, we haven’t been given details about the lawsuit,” he stammered.

“He’s right,” a few idiots muttered, emboldened by his cowardice.

My jaw clenched. My muscles twitched. I drew a slow breath, fighting the urge to slam my fist down and tell them all exactly how incompetent they were.

“Well,” I said finally, slicing each word precisely, “as I stated before, we are working to uncover the full extent of this issue. Any verified information will be shared at the appropriate time.”

Robinson pushed again. “Our investors and shareholders have already started reaching out to me about this matter. I’m not sure how it got to them so quickly.”

Of course he would push, Robinson was always eristic. I didn’t expect him to just listen and nod like the rest.

“This will be dealt with before it escalates any further,” I cut in sharply, my voice dropping lower, darker. “And I expect everyone here to keep this matter strictly confidential until we have clarity.”

My eyes swept the room again and landed on her.

Jacqueline.

She watched me as if she could see something beyond the mask. Like she was waiting for me to crack, to confess, to become the man she thought she knew.

For one heartbeat, I almost felt something. Almost. But I had long since learned to snuff out those impulses.

This was survival. This was my future. And nothing, no trembling eyes, no fragile love, would stop me from getting there.

I ended the meeting quickly, pushing away the tangled questions and tight faces like they were nothing more than gnats.

I turned and headed straight for the exit, feeling the last shred of patience drain from my veins.

As I pushed through the door, I heard her sigh behind me, heavy, broken.

But I didn’t turn back.

I wouldn’t.

She would either learn to live with the truths she refused to see… or she’d break under them.

Either way, it wasn’t my problem.

I walked straight into my office. The fear of losing everything I had built dawned on me, sharp and electric.

“No. I cannot lose this,” I whispered, slamming my fist onto the desk.

I looked around the office for a few seconds, then picked up the desk phone and dialed. After two rings, the line connected.

“Come to my office,” I ordered curtly.

Minutes later, Jeron appeared at the door, standing at attention. “Sir,” he greeted.

“Get me a glass of water. The fridge is empty; speak to HR about restocking. I don’t know what the delays are,” I snapped.

“Noted,” he said, moving toward the fridge. The dispenser was just a few steps away, but I preferred bottled water.

He handed me the bottle. I grabbed it, gulping the contents down in one long pull before dropping the empty glass onto the desk.

“Do you need more, sir?” Jeron asked, noting how fast I drained it.

“I’m good,” I muttered.

A bead of sweat formed on my forehead, slipping down my shirt as though the water I drank had been dousing an internal fire.

After a minute, my heartbeat slowed, the violent palpitations finally receding.

Ugh… I blew out a long, relieved sigh.

I opened the side drawer of my desk and pulled out a small gift box with a purple ribbon perched on top.

“Something came up. During the meeting, I got a message about an urgent appointment at 9 PM. In the next hour, before closing, you’ll give this box to Ms. Jacqueline. Tell her I had an impromptu meeting and didn’t have time to see her myself,” I instructed.

He nodded and took the box from me.

He stood waiting for further instructions.

“That’s all for now. You can go,” I said.

As he left, I grabbed my phone and typed quickly:

“Text me the address once you get to the hospital.”

I pressed send and leaned back, my mind already shifting to the next move.