Chapter 19

{Hailey’s POV}

I was still holding the paper that Marcus gave me another riddle: “To find the end, you must first see the beginning.” When Clara walked into my room, holding a dark suit bag and a worried look on her face.

“You need to get ready,” she said.

“For what?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She placed the suit bag on the bed. “You’ve been summoned to the board meeting. George Lachlan’s cosmetic company. Today. In New York.”

My heart stopped for a second. “Wait… what?”

Clara nodded. “They want you there. It’s official. George left the company to you.”

I sat down slowly. “But I don’t know anything about running a company.”

“George trusted you,” she said gently. “Now it’s time to show them why.”

She opened the suit bag and pulled out a deep navy-blue suit. It was clean, classy, and sharp. Underneath was a cream silk blouse and a pair of shiny black heels. I stared at the outfit like it belonged to someone else.

Clara smiled. “Let me help you.”

She helped me dress and tied my hair into a sleek low bun. She added a bit of soft makeup, just enough to look confident, not overdone. When I looked in the mirror, I hardly recognized myself. I looked like a woman with power. Inside, though, I was shaking.

Williams was waiting downstairs. “We should leave now if we want to avoid traffic.”

The drive to Manhattan felt long. I kept looking out the window, my stomach full of butterflies. What was I doing? This wasn’t my world. I was a girl from New Orleans who danced for cash. Not a CEO. Not someone who sat in boardrooms.

But then I remembered something Marcus said: You’re the final riddle.

Maybe I was. And maybe it was time to stop running from that.

When we arrived at the tall glass building, I could barely breathe. People in suits rushed around the lobby, all of them walking fast, talking fast, looking like they belonged.

I stepped into the elevator with Williams. My heels clicked against the floor. My palms were sweaty. And then the elevator doors opened. I stepped into the boardroom and froze. Julian was there. Our eyes met instantly.

My heart started racing. I hated that I felt anything when I saw him. I hated that my body reacted like this. Heat rose in my chest. My mouth went dry.

He stood slowly, his stare full of disbelief and something darker.

“What the hell is she doing here?” Julian said loudly.

The room fell quiet.

“She was invited,” one of the older board members said. “Per George’s will.”

Julian looked like he wanted to punch the wall. “This is a joke.” I didn’t say a word. I walked slowly to the empty seat at the table. I sat straight, keeping my eyes ahead.

“This isn’t a club,” Julian said, his voice sharp. “It’s a billion-dollar company. Not a prize in a will.”

I turned my head and looked at him. “I’m aware of that, I don't need your teaching.” He blinked, surprised.

“You think putting on a fancy suit makes you part of this world?” he asked. “You think George handing you keys means you’ve earned your place?”

“I didn’t ask for any of this,” I said calmly. “But I’m here. And I’m not leaving.”

“You don’t belong here,” Julian snapped. “You’re a dancer. You have no idea what this business even does.”

I faced him.“If I don't belong here, then I must say you start getting used to it.”

One of the other board members cleared his throat. “Mr. Lachlan, please.”

But Julian wasn’t finished. “She’s here because of a loophole. George always loved games. This is just another trick.”

I leaned forward. “You want to talk about tricks? Maybe we should talk about the way you act like this company is yours when your name isn’t on a damn thing.”

His eyes narrowed. “You don't know what you just got yourself into.”

I smiled sweetly. “I’m not afraid Jules, I’ve seen shit and this is nothing compared to.”

For a moment, we just stared at each other. The room was full of tension. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved.

Then the chairman finally spoke. “Let’s get to the meeting.”

The rest of the meeting passed in a blur. People talked about product launches, profit margins, and stock performance. I didn’t understand everything, but I listened closely. I wrote down names and words I didn’t know. I asked questions when I needed to.

Julian glared at me the entire time. I didn’t look away once. When the meeting ended, I stood up and walked toward the elevator. I could feel him following me.

“You think you’re smart?” Julian said behind me. “You think wearing heels and lipstick makes you powerful?”

I turned to face him. “No. But standing in a room full of men who think I don’t belong, and refusing to sit down? That does.”

He looked at me like he wanted to say more, but he didn’t. His jaw clenched. His fists were tight at his sides.

“Watch yourself, Hailey,” he said, voice low.

“I always do.”

I stepped into the elevator and let the doors close between us. As the car moved downward, I exhaled for the first time in what felt like hours. Betrayal.

That’s what this was. Not just from Julian, but from the world I had stepped into. This place would never welcome me easily. But that didn’t mean I was leaving. George Lachlan gave me a kingdom .And I was learning how to rule it, one enemy at a time.