Chapter 77

“No more excuses!” His voice was razor-sharp. “Clovies cannot be run by people who only know how to run away from responsibility.”

His jaw clenched, his eyes blazing with fury. “If they are not in this room within the hour, I will make the decisions without them. And don’t blame me when both of them lose their positions in Clovies—effective immediately.”

The room turned frigid. The directors exchanged wary glances—fearful, yet quietly admiring Leonel’s ruthless resolve.

Blade stood silently at his side, his eyes scanning the room with calculated sharpness. He knew a storm had only just begun.

The tense silence lingered until the sound of footsteps echoed from the doorway. Every head turned at once.

Jeslyn entered with a composed face, dressed in a sharp business suit, as if her lateness had been intentional. Her eyes locked with Leonel’s—cold and unflinching.

“Apologies. I’m late,” Jeslyn said flatly, her voice void of regret, before walking gracefully to her seat.

Leonel straightened, his eyes narrowing. “Late? Do you realize how much of this company’s time has been wasted because of your negligence, Manager Jeslyn?” His voice was low but heavy, each word a whip.

Jeslyn turned her head slowly, a faint smirk curling at her lips. “This company has been wasting its time ever since you sat in that chair, Mr. Leonel.”

The room buzzed with hushed whispers. Some directors stared in disbelief that Jeslyn had dared to speak so boldly.

Blade shot her a sharp glance but quickly lowered his gaze, knowing the fire in his master’s eyes was about to erupt.

Leonel’s fists tightened, his breathing heavy as he struggled to contain his rage. “Do not test my patience, Miss Jeslyn. You are here as a manager. I don’t care how much you despise me, but I will not tolerate unprofessional behavior.”

Jeslyn turned her face away, choosing silence to control the storm inside her. In truth, she was the one allowing personal matters to bleed into business.

“No rebuttal?” Leonel pressed.

Jeslyn’s hands clenched on the table. She knew that if she spoke, her emotions would only escalate the tension. But her silence became another weapon, one that stabbed directly at Leonel’s pride.

He leaned back in his chair, his eyes sharp as blades. “Silence does not mean innocence. You know that, don’t you?” His voice was low, but laced with threat.

Jeslyn finally turned, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, yet defiant. “If I speak, it’s wrong. If I stay silent, it’s still wrong. So tell me—what is it you really want from me, Mr. Leonel?”

Her words turned the room to stone. The directors froze, shocked that anyone would dare to speak so bluntly—so fearlessly—to Leonel, the man feared even outside the corporate world.

Leonel locked eyes with her, unblinking, as though trying to shatter the last shield she had left. “What I want is simple. Do your duty. If you still want a place in Clovies, prove that you deserve it, Miss Jeslyn. Don’t hide behind anyone’s name.”

The meaning was clear—it was a direct strike at Jefran. Jeslyn’s heart dropped, but she steeled herself.

Jeslyn held his gaze, hatred burning in her eyes, but beneath it was an old wound that had never fully healed.

Before the tension could break, the boardroom doors opened again. All eyes turned.

A man walked in with calm, unhurried steps.

It was Jefran.

The sound of his shoes echoed across the marble floor. Every pair of eyes followed him—tall, dressed in an elegant gray suit, his thin smile brimming with confidence, as if the room belonged to him.

“Apologies,” Jefran said casually, closing the door behind him. “I’m late.”

Some directors sighed in relief, others looked down, afraid to meet Leonel’s eyes—eyes that were already sharp with anger.

Leonel leaned forward, his voice a dagger. “So you finally decided to show up, Jefran. Do you think the CEO’s chair is just a decoration you can abandon at will?”

Jefran smirked, then glanced briefly at Jeslyn, who quickly turned away. “It seems the meeting hasn’t started yet. So technically, I’m not late, am I?” His voice calm, but dripping with mockery.

SLAM! Leonel struck the table again, startling everyone. “Do not play games with me! I will not tolerate negligence—or arrogance!”

Jeslyn bit her lip, her hands trembling beneath the table. Torn between defending Jefran or staying silent under Leonel’s searing gaze.

Jefran, however, stepped closer to the main table, unafraid. “How amusing, Leonel. You’ve only sat in that chair for a day, and you already think you can control everything. Don’t forget—Clovies exists because of my father. Without my parents, this company would not even stand.”

“Oh really?” Leonel raised an eyebrow.

“Excuse me, perhaps we should begin,” the General Manager interjected quickly, desperate to ease the escalating fire.

“Yes, Mr. Leonel,” the Finance Director added nervously. “We should proceed with the agenda. Otherwise, we’ll waste even more time.”

Leonel raised his hand, silencing the room. His gaze never left Jefran, sharp and suffocating.

“Very well,” he said flatly, his voice deep and commanding. “If you want this meeting to proceed, then it will proceed. But mark my words, Jefran—this is no longer your family’s company. As long as I sit in this chair, Clovies is under my command.”

The directors exchanged uneasy glances. Leonel’s words weren’t just a declaration—they were a warning.

Jefran smirked and sat down in the CEO’s chair with deliberate ease. “We’ll see, Leonel. Let’s see who truly controls Clovies.”

Jeslyn sat frozen, her head bowed, gripping her pen so tightly her knuckles whitened. Her heart pounded violently, torn between two men who both commanded the room with fire and dominance.

The General Manager hurriedly opened the documents to begin. “Alright, let’s start with the quarterly financial report.”

But no one in that room was truly listening. Every eye, every thought, was fixed on Leonel and Jefran—two raging storms on a collision course.

Blade stood like a sentinel at Leonel’s side, his eyes sharp, absorbing every reaction. He could feel the room’s temperature shift between ice and fire. He knew this battle was no longer just about business. It was about pride, betrayal, and a war that Jeslyn had unknowingly become the heart of.

***