The rage

The rage 

Adrian stormed into the boardroom, the door hitting the wall with a loud bang. The senior team was already seated, but the air felt thick with unease. Sophia sat near the head of the table, her posture perfect, her face calm. Michael Reed, one of the most senior executives, leaned back in his chair with a cold, assessing look.

Adrian didn’t sit. He stood at the head of the table, hands planted on the surface, his voice low and sharp.

“How did this happen?” he demanded. “How could you allow Silverline to win the Global Dynamics contract? We had every advantage. Scale. History. Resources. And we lost to a startup that was on the verge of collapse a few months ago?”

The room was dead silent. No one dared speak first.

Adrian turned to Sophia. “You were supposed to lead the strategy on this. You assured me we had it locked down. What went wrong?”

Sophia met his eyes without flinching. “Their proposal was stronger than we anticipated, Adrian. They focused on innovation and long-term sustainability in ways we didn’t match. They were two steps ahead of us and we underestimated them.”

“Underestimated?” Adrian’s voice rose. “We don’t underestimate anyone! This is unacceptable. This is humiliating for Harrison Group.”

Michael Reed cleared his throat, his tone deliberate and cutting. “Adrian, with all due respect… Maybe you are not capable of running this company anymore. You’ve been distracted. Personal issues. The divorce. Evelyn leaves. It’s clearly affecting your judgment and leadership. Silverline is rising fast because they have fresh thinking. Perhaps it’s time we discuss a change at the top.”

The silence that followed was suffocating. Adrian stared at Michael, his face hardening with barely contained rage.

“You’re questioning my ability to lead?” he said, voice dangerously low. “After everything I’ve done for this company?” maybe if you had used the time you used in questioning my ability to put to work we couldn't have been here since you knew better 

Michael didn’t back down. “I’m stating facts. The board is concerned. Losing major contracts to unknowns is not the Harrison standard. If you can’t deliver results, maybe someone else should step in. And who's the someone better I guess not you he replied loudly 

Sophia remained quiet, watching the exchange with careful interest, but her eyes flicked briefly to Adrian with something close to satisfaction.

Adrian’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. “This company is my legacy. I built it to what it is today. I will not let some startups humiliate us. We will win the next one. And I will deal with Silverline personally,and I don't want to assume you all are useless to the company 

He turned and stormed out of the boardroom, the door slamming hard behind him. The team sat in stunned silence for a moment.

Michael Reed leaned toward Sophia. “He’s losing control. We may need to act sooner than expected he has never spoken to me in that manner 

Sophia gave a small, controlled smile. “Let him rage. It only makes things easier and I apologize on his behalf 

Adrian walked down the hallway, anger burning in his chest. He stopped at his office window, staring out at the city. Silverline. The mystery company that kept beating them. Evelyn’s disappearance. His father’s disappointment. Everything felt like it was slipping through his fingers.

He didn’t know that the woman behind Silverline’s success was the same one he had lost.

And that truth was coming closer every day. 

The news of the Global Dynamics contract loss spread through Harrison Group like wildfire by mid-morning. Whispers filled the hallways, the break rooms, and the elevators.

“Did you hear? We lost it to Silverline.”

“Ever since Evelyn left, nothing’s been working the same.”

“Adrian seems off. The company feels different 

People gathered in small groups, speaking in hushed tones. Some said it was bad luck. Others blamed the recent leadership changes. A few even dared to suggest that Evelyn had been the quiet force holding things together.

In her sleek corner office, Sophia sat behind her desk, staring out at the city skyline. The rejection email still glowed on her screen. She had poured hours into the Harrison proposal, positioning herself as the key strategist. And yet, Silverline had won.

She leaned back in her chair, tapping a perfectly manicured nail on the desk.

“Evelyn is really a smart one,” she murmured to herself, a mix of irritation and reluctant respect in her voice. “I underestimated her. She took that failing little startup and turned it into something that could actually beat us. Impressive.”

Sophia’s lips pressed into a thin line. The rumors outside her door were growing louder. She could hear snippets through the walls.

“Evelyn was the one who really knew the strategy.”

“Without her, we’re slipping.”

“Adrian hasn’t been the same since she left.”

Sophia smiled faintly, though there was no warmth in it. Evelyn had walked away thinking she could start fresh. Instead, she had become a real threat. And Adrian was distracted, angry, and increasingly unstable.

She picked up her phone and stared at it for a long moment. The game was far from over. Evelyn might have won this round, but Sophia still had plenty of cards left to play.

She dialed a number and spoke softly when it connected.

“Keep the pressure on. We can’t let Silverline keep winning like this we have to do something really quick 

She ended the call and leaned back, eyes narrowing at the city below.

Evelyn might be smart but I will make life more miserable. She will wish to disappear or never come across Adrian or me. I don't care what family agreements that brought them together since she has decided to play with fire and let the fire burn.

But Sophia was determined and she never lost what she wanted. She might be divorced but not gone and I want her gone totally not here proving some super woman or independent woman only I Sophia Bennet deserves Adrian