06: The Board and The Bargain

( Mia POV)

I flew down the stairs, my heels clicking panic against marble.

8:30. The board meeting started at 9:00.

"Good morning, ma'am, your breakfast..."

"I'm sorry, I can't." I grabbed my bag from the foyer table, my voice tight. "Get the car. Now."

The chauffeur nodded and disappeared.

"Where's Emily?" I spun, looking for her familiar blonde bob.

The staff exchanged glances. No one answered.

I didn't wait. The car pulled up, and I threw myself into the back seat.

---

Emily met me at the building entrance, tablet in hand, moving fast.

"Why weren't you at the mansion?" I asked, matching her pace.

"Setting up your office. But you're late for the board meeting." She punched the elevator button twice. "And you know what Robert said."

His words from last night replayed in my head, cold and clear. *Prove you're competent. Or you'll never pay off that billion-dollar debt.*

"Where is it?"

"Third floor. Conference room A."

I pushed through the doors.

Everyone turned.

The room was massive floor-to-ceiling windows, a table that could seat twenty. Board members in expensive suits, coffee cups halfway to mouths, staring at me like I'd just crashed a funeral.

Victoria sat next to Robert. Blue lace dress, diamond necklace, that same sharp smile from the wedding.

"Please, have a seat, Mrs. Lud." Robert's voice was professional. Distant.

I found an empty chair and sat, my face burning.

"As I was saying," Robert continued without missing a beat, "our stock rose fifty percent after partnering with B-Beverage. Their brand recognition boosted our sales across all regions. Mia Lud will serve as the new director of product sales."

A man at the far end gray hair, expensive watch—leaned forward. "Sir, with respect, she's just starting. How do we know she's capable?"

"I agree with Mr. Celestine." Victoria's voice was silk over glass. "According to her educational records, she only has a bachelor's degree. How can we trust her with such a critical position?"

My jaw tightened.

A woman in a charcoal suit spoke up. "We have a new competitor rising fast. We need someone who can move quickly. Can she?"

Robert's expression didn't change. "Our former sales head left without notice to join our rival. That's why we need someone fresh. Someone hungry." He glanced at me briefly. "Mia graduated top of her class in business administration. She completed a year-long internship at Lucas Foods, where she led a sales team that won Company of the Year."

The room went quiet.

"Giving her this position carries less risk than you think," Robert continued. "And if we want to secure the Cops investment before our competitor does, we need her."

He turned to me fully. "Your first project: win the Cops contract."

My stomach dropped.

A woman in gray nodded. "We're counting on your department, Mia. Make it happen."

Robert closed his folder. "Let's aim for a hundred percent increase this quarter. That's how we win this year's industry award. Dismissed."

Chairs scraped. Papers shuffled. The room emptied in waves.

Emily gathered the files handed to me during the meeting. I stood, legs shaky.

Victoria appeared in front of us, blocking the exit.

"First," she said, her eyes dragging over my outfit—jeans and a white chiffon blouse, "this is not how you dress in an office like this."

I looked down at myself. My clothes felt suddenly cheap. Wrong.

"Second." Victoria's smile sharpened. "I hope you meet your target. Because I won't make it easy for you."

She walked past, her perfume trailing like a threat.

Emily touched my elbow. "Let's go, ma'am."

I couldn't move. "Is she always this mean?"

"She's the CEO of B-Beverage," Emily said quietly. "When JR Investment's stock was crashing and investors were pulling out, she stepped in. Saved the company. Now she wants Robert to increase her stock percentage so she can bid on the Cops investment herself."

"So that's what she meant." I glanced back at Robert, who was shaking hands with board members, laughing at something Mr. Celestine said. "What does she have on him?"

Emily's expression closed. "I don't know. But it's enough to keep him trapped."

---

My office was ridiculous.

Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. A desk the size of my old bedroom. Leather chairs. Art on the walls—actual art, not prints.

I sank into my chair and stared at the files Emily had left. Sales reports. Market analysis. Competitor profiles.

"Busy already?"

I jerked. Robert stood in the doorway, hands in his pockets, that easy smile on his face.

"Robert. I—" I stood too fast, nearly knocking over my coffee. "I'm sorry I was late. And dressed like—"

"You look fine." His eyes moved over me slowly, unreadable. "I should've helped you prepare. It's your first real job." He stepped closer. "Let me make it up to you. I'll take you shopping."

"What? No. I can buy my own.."

He pressed his index finger gently against my lips. "Shh."

My breath caught.

"You can't object to this, okay?" His voice was soft but firm. "I know the perfect place."

I nodded before I could stop myself. Like a fool.

"You smiled," he said, surprised. "It's beautiful."

I turned away quickly, staring out the window at the city sprawling below. The sun was warm through the glass. Traffic hummed in the distance.

Robert moved beside me, looking out at the same view.

"You know," I said quietly, "as a country girl, I only learned the simple life. The city is... loud. Busy."

"You got the best office," Robert said. "When you're done with work, we'll go."

He turned to me, taking my hand. His palm was warm, steady.

"Mia." His voice dropped. "Please give me a chance. I want us to be better than this."

Last night came rushing back. His arms around me in the dark. The way he'd carried me to my room, held me until I stopped shaking. How safe I'd felt, just for a moment, before remembering I shouldn't.

The basement. The secrets he was hiding.

But also the way he'd dried my tears with his thumb. The way he'd stayed until I fell asleep.

"I have work to do." I pulled my hand away, not looking at him. "I'd like to be alone."

I sat at my desk, opened my laptop, pretended to read something important.

He stood there for a long moment. Watching.

Then the door clicked shut.

I exhaled, my hands shaking over the keyboard.

one week ago I was single. Nobody's wife. Nobody's responsibility.

Now I was Mrs. Lud, director of product sales, drowning in a billion-dollar debt, and married to a man whose kindness felt like a trap I couldn't see.

And I had no idea how to stop falling.