Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Nadia’s POV

Nadia’s POV

Murmurs spread through the room as members of the board whispered among themselves. I stood there, momentarily lost, until I felt a hand touch my shoulder.

“Are you okay?”

I turned to see Eli standing beside me.

It took everything in me to keep my emotions in check.

My brother stood there, looking as proud as ever, his eyes filled with warmth and reassurance.

And me?

I had almost lost the chance to ever see him again.

For years, he had begged me to come back home. He had called and tried countless times to reach me, but I had refused to listen.

I had chosen Damian over my family, chosen  man who never truly valued me over the people who had loved me unconditionally.

And it had taken my death for my eyes to finally open.

He nudged me gently, pulling me from my thoughts.

I shifted my gaze toward my father and asked the question that was on everyone’s lips.

“What are you talking about?”

“Yes, Nadia. That’s always been the plan seeing as your brothers already have their own establishments,” he said. “I want you to take over after me.”

I froze.

In the deafening silence that followed, I could have heard a pin drop.

I didn’t even need to turn around to know everyone was staring at me.

I would’ve stared too if I were them.

How could Nadia, Damian’s quiet little housewife, possibly be the heir to a conglomerate like the Holt Group?

There was only one face I wanted to see.

Damian’s.

And as expected, the smug confidence he’d worn earlier had vanished completely, replaced by disbelief and embarrassment.

Part of me wanted to enjoy it while the other part wanted to understand what my father was saying.

“You mean as your heir?”

My father smiled, though regret lingered behind his eyes.

“Yes, dear.” My old man slowly rose from his chair as he added, “And in case you still don’t understand what I mean, let me make it clear.”

His voice echoed through the boardroom.

“Nadia is taking over because she is my sole heiress of the Holt Group.”

A collective gasp swept through the boardroom.

I felt my heart skip a beat even hearing the words spoken aloud felt unreal.

“Truth is,” Eli began, “we wanted to tell you years ago.”

I stared at him.

“Then why didn’t you?”

His expression softened.

“Because you left, Nadia.”

The words struck harder than I expected and the feeling of regret that I had tried pushing behind me overwhelmed me.

“You just abandoned everything and ran off with that LOSER,” Eli continued bluntly, “ Dad thought you needed time and held onto the hope that one day you’d come back to your senses and realize he wasn’t worth it.”

My gaze immediately shifted toward my brothers.

Kane looked away with a guilty smile while Seth rubbed the back of his neck.

In my previous life, they had eventually cut all contact with me after I repeatedly refused to come home.

At the time, I’d convinced myself they didn’t care but now, I wasn’t so sure.

Maybe they had simply been exhausted from watching me destroy myself or they had been worried about Dad’s health… or perhaps, they had been hurting too.

I lowered my eyes.

Because Eli wasn’t wrong.

I had ignored every warning, every phone call and attempt they made to reach me.

All because I thought I was choosing love, that love had ended up being the reason I died.

“The company was always yours,” my father said. “Your brothers weren’t competing with you, Nadia. They were managing it for you.”

My throat tightened.

I didn’t deserve this.

I didn’t deserve their patience, their forgiveness and especially not their love.

“This man…” Dad started, his gaze shifting toward Damian but Eli quietly placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from cursing him out.

I turned back, facing Damian, who looked as if the ground had disappeared beneath his feet.

His face had gone pale while he stared at me like a stranger, as if he had never truly known the woman he married. 

And honestly?

I couldn’t blame him.

I too had spent years pretending to be someone I wasn’t, just as I’d spent years refusing to see the man he truly was.

Suddenly laughter erupted from across the room… loud and mocking, filling the silence.

Everyone turned.

Simone.

She laughed so hard she had to wipe tears from her eyes.

“Oh, please.” She rolled her eyes dramatically.

“Do you honestly expect us to believe all this nonsense that's just been spilled here?” Simone asked with a loud voice.

Seeing everyone staring at her and not saying anything, I chuckled.

Simone didn’t back down, “I know exactly what's happening.” 

She then raised her hand, pointing at me.

“This woman is a nothing but a fucking good actress.” She said with a cold stare at me, “Just yesterday, she had spent the whole day playing housewife and suddenly she’s the heiress to a billion-dollar empire?”

A few board members frowned while the others exchanged uncomfortable glances.

Simone scoffed, “Of course, I just know something else is going on here.”

Her gaze shifted toward my father and then back to me.

A cruel smile spread across her face as she said, “There is only one sensible reason as to why Mrs Holt is kissing her ass and I can bet it’s because she is sleeping with him.”