CEO Of Balmero

Thea smoothed her palms over the front of her blazer for what must have been the tenth time. The subtle hum of the air conditioner filled the long stretch of silence before the meeting began.

Across the mahogany table sat the members of the Balmero board, men and women who had once questioned her right to stand in this very room.

On Thea's right of the table sat Sakisma Reed, her eyes sharp and assessing as always. She rarely attends board meetings but her presence only made other board members realise how much of her support Thea had.

She offered Thea a faint, knowing smile.

“You’re nervous,” Sakisma murmured under her breath when Thea took the seat beside her. “Don’t be. You earned this.”

Thea swallowed. “It’s not nervousness,” she lied softly, keeping her tone steady. “Just… surreal.”

Sakisma’s brow lifted, and a flicker of something like pride crossed her face. “Then make it real.”

Before Thea could respond, Adam cleared his throat and began.

“We are gathered today to officially welcome Mrs. Thea Blackwood as the director of the Balmero Empire.”

The room filled with light applause. Polite smiles, warm nods. And yet Thea could feel the weight of it all pressing on her chest.

The months of humiliation, betrayal, and quiet endurance culminated in this single moment.

She rose to her feet, her hands trembling only slightly as she adjusted the microphone.

“Thank you,” she began. “When I joined Balmero, I had no idea where the path would lead. There were days I doubted I belonged here… days I wanted to walk away. But today isn’t about where I started, it’s about what we’ve built together, and what comes next.”

Her voice steadied with each word. “This company has survived scandal, loss, and uncertainty. But it has also proven that integrity and resilience still have a place in business. So, to everyone who believed in me, thank you. And to those who didn’t…” Her gaze swept briefly across the room. “Thank you, too. You made me stronger.”

A ripple of faint laughter moved through the boardroom. Sakisma’s lips curved, approvingly.

Soon, the meeting was over and board members drifted out of the hall, none of them bold enough to approach Thea.

Hell, she was a blackwood. And they had said the boat damning things about her.

Sakisma approached Thea quietly. “You did well,” she said. “My only request is that you don't let me down. Though I doubt you would.”

“Thank you,” Thea replied, smiling faintly.

Adam joins in, his hand on Thea's shoulder as he had always done in the past. Thea stiffened under his touch, she wasn't sure if she could lean into it, knowing that this was no more than a business transaction to her father.

“Dont worry, Ms Reed. Thea here is more than capable. She's a Balmero after all.” He smiled.

Thea leans away from carefully, offering them both a faint smile. “I should get to work.”

And then she was gone.

♤

“Ms Thea.” Clara called with a smile as soon as Thea stepped out of the elevator. She was on the CEO floor now and for some reason, every nerve in her seemed to hum with anticipation.

Clara was back in her usual seat right outside her office and she looked more than happy to be back.

“Clara.” Thea smiled.

“You're finally CEO! You own Balmero now! “ Clara squeaks.

“Yes. It's…surreal.”

“Ah.” Clara reached for her tablet. “I made sure to fire all of Posy's friends and replace them all with your trusted staff who got laid off before I resigned. They all wanted to say thank you and asked if you'd be showing up tonight for a team celebration.”

Thea nodded, it's been a minute since she'd seen those guys. In the entire company, they were the only ones who remained loyal to her.

“I would love that. Is Daisy on her way?”

“Yes, she just needs to sign a few papers with the HR and she'd be good to go.”

Thea nodded and went straight into her office. The familiar scent of lavender polish and paper greeted her. She stood still for a moment, absorbing it.

The silence, the echo of her footsteps against the tiled floor.

Clara had done well. The space was spotless, everything neatly rearranged, but Thea’s breath caught when she noticed what was missing; Posy’s nameplate, her photos, the framed award she’d once boasted about. Gone. Every trace of her had been carefully, mercifully erased.

It should have felt like closure. Instead, it felt like standing at the end of a long road with no idea where the next one began.

Thea’s fingers trailed over the edge of her desk. This was where Posy had mocked her once. Where she’d been belittled, humiliated, accused. And yet here she was, back in the same seat, not broken but whole.

Her throat tightened. She pressed a hand against her lips to keep the sob from escaping, but it came anyway, small, quiet, trembling.

She sat down, bowing her head, letting the tears fall freely this time. Months of tension, exhaustion, and the weight of pretending she didn’t care finally cracked open.

“Thea?”

The gentle voice startled her. She looked up to see Daisy standing in the doorway, holding two cups of coffee.

Daisy closed the door softly and crossed the room, setting the coffee down before pulling Thea into a hug.

“Hey. Don’t do that. You’ll ruin your makeup,” she murmured, brushing a tear from her friend’s cheek.

Thea laughed weakly. “I already have.”

“Then ruin it properly.” Daisy smiled, squeezing her hand. “You earned this. You've come this far..”

Thea took a shaky breath. “I thought I’d feel proud… but I just feel tired.”

“And that's okay. You can breathe now. It's over. You’ve been through hell but it's over now.”

“I just want to breathe again,” she whispered.

Daisy leaned against the desk beside her. “Then start now. The worst is over. Posy’s in custody, and justice was served. The world’s finally righting itself.”

Thea gave a faint smile. “You sound so sure.”

“I am,” Daisy replied softly. “And I’m proud of you. I mean, look at you!”

Thea nodded, wiping her tears before it ruined her makeup. “Thank you.”

Daisy picked up her cup, then glanced sideways at her. “So… have you spoken to Seth?”

Thea’s hand froze midway to her own coffee.

“I’ll take that as a no,” Daisy muttered with a small laugh.

“It’s complicated.”

“Everything with you two is complicated.” Daisy sighed, crossing her arms. “You don’t have to tell me what’s going on, but I can see it’s eating you up. I just hope… whatever it is, you both find a way to fix it.”

Thea stared out the window, watching the late afternoon sun wash over the city skyline. “I don’t know if there’s anything left to fix.”

“Maybe not,” Daisy said gently. “But if there is, don’t wait too long.”

Thea went silent. “I doubt there's some form of redemption for us."