Chapter 41 – Shadow Moves

The executive boardroom was cool and quiet when Evelyn entered Monday morning, but the air buzzed with unseen tension. She set her leather binder on the polished table and took her seat at Alexander's left, eyes flicking to the screen behind him that displayed the meeting agenda. Across the table, Claudia sat poised as ever, her pearl-gray suit matching her frozen expression. Genevieve's seat remained conspicuously empty.

Alexander called the meeting to order, his voice firm but measured. "We'll begin with department updates. Evelyn?"

Evelyn rose, tapping her tablet. "Digital campaign reach is up 12% week-over-week. We've finished Q4 localization for APAC and initiated strategy sessions with Latin America. Hana and I are finalizing rollout timelines by Friday."

Claudia spoke without looking at her. "I noticed the marketing budget was stretched this quarter."

Evelyn smiled thinly. "It's called future-proofing. We had to reallocate to defend against potential PR fallout. The cost of prevention is lower than cleaning up after sabotage."

Claudia's mouth twitched, but she said nothing.

As Evelyn continued her presentation, Hana discreetly slid a small data drive across the table toward Alexander. He glanced down, recognized it, and subtly pocketed it.

When the meeting ended, Alexander stood slowly. "Claudia, I need a moment with Evelyn. Alone."

Claudia didn't respond, simply rising and gliding out with silent grace.

Once the door shut, Alexander turned to Evelyn. "This drive... it's the report?"

She nodded. "Everything Hana pulled over the weekend. Doctored board minutes. Rerouted approvals. Legal indemnity votes pushed through without proper quorum."

Alexander's jaw tightened. "And the ones she blocked?"

"Strategic partnerships," Evelyn said. "Ones that would have given me more external influence."

"She's boxing you in," he muttered. "Strategically, not emotionally."

"She's not working alone," Evelyn added. "Genevieve's too quiet. I've asked Hana to monitor both their executive access logs. If they're pulling files on me or you, I want a trail."

Alexander nodded, eyes steely. "We're done playing defense."

That evening, Genevieve sipped espresso in a high-rise lounge while Claudia reviewed a stack of transcripts.

"You were right," Claudia said quietly. "She's not just ambitious. She's meticulous. Dangerous."

"Which is why we cut from beneath," Genevieve replied. "I've got a trail forming. Evelyn's past at Bennett & Sloan wasn't spotless. There's a sealed mediation file tied to a former client."

Claudia looked up sharply. "Was it settled?"

"Sealed, but not forgotten. The investigator found a junior associate who remembers the fallout. Something about ethical gray zones. Enough for whispers."

Claudia drummed her fingers against the leather folder. "Leaks, not accusations. Suggest vulnerability. Instability."

"Exactly," Genevieve smiled. "We destabilize her brand. Everything else crumbles."

Back at the townhouse, Evelyn stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. The soft white light made the dark circles beneath her eyes look deeper. She hadn't realized how tired she was until she stopped moving.

A soft knock on the door broke her trance.

"Come in," she said, already knowing who it was.

Alexander stepped in, holding two mugs of tea. "Chamomile. You need sleep."

She took the cup with a grateful nod. "How did we get here so fast?"

"Fast?" he smiled faintly. "You've been fighting this from the moment you walked into Drake Industries."

She looked down. "They're trying to erase me, Alex. One whisper at a time."

He stepped closer. "Then we speak louder."

She glanced up, surprised.

He continued. "I'll call a private board session this week. We confront the rerouted motions. Not to implicate Claudia but to surface the patterns. Once the others start asking questions, we won't be alone."

Evelyn nodded slowly, clutching her mug. "If we do this... everything comes out eventually. About us. About the marriage."

"I know," he said. "We'll handle it when it happens."

She leaned into him, just briefly. The warmth of his hand at the small of her back steadied her.

Outside, the wind rustled the trees lining the courtyard below.

Inside, the pieces were shifting.

And in the dark corners of the company, shadows began to stir.