تسجيل الدخولALYANA POV
For a second, I thought I heard him wrong."They want to remove me?"Julian's expression didn't change."That's the proposal."A cold laugh escaped me before I could stop it."That's ridiculous.""I agree.""Then why are we even talking about it?"Because deep down, I already knew the answer.Corporate boards didn't call emergency meetings for fun.They called them when they believedALYANA POVFor a second, I thought I heard him wrong."They want to remove me?"Julian's expression didn't change."That's the proposal."A cold laugh escaped me before I could stop it."That's ridiculous.""I agree.""Then why are we even talking about it?"Because deep down, I already knew the answer.Corporate boards didn't call emergency meetings for fun.They called them when they believed they had enough support to make something happen.Julian looked at me for a moment."They think you're a liability."There it was.The word I had been expecting.Liability.Not employee.Not executive.Not person.Just a problem that needed to be removed.I folded my arms across my chest and looked away.For some reason, that bothered me more than the leaked contract.Maybe because scandal
ALYANA POVThe room stayed quiet after Julian's question.What if they're not making it up?I stared at him.For a second, I honestly thought I had heard him wrong.Maybe because Julian wasn't the kind of man who spoke without thinking.Every word that came out of his mouth usually had a purpose behind it.But right now?He looked serious.Too serious.My fingers tightened around the tablet."You're joking.""I'm not."I let out a short laugh.The sound came out strange even to me.Unsteady.Because somehow, that answer made me more nervous than Elena's interview.More nervous than the leaked contract.More nervous than the reporters waiting outside.Julian wasn't looking away.Neither was I.And that was becoming a problem."People online don't know anything," I said finally."They never do.""No."His voice stayed calm."But sometimes they notice things."I hated that answer.Mostly because I couldn't immediately argue with it.The charity gala photo was still displayed on the scree
ALYANA POVThe silence after Julian's words felt heavier than anything Elena had said during that interview.Tomorrow, I'm giving her one.I stared at him."That's exactly what she wants."Julian didn't respond immediately.He walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window and loosened his tie slightly. It wasn't a dramatic gesture. Most people probably wouldn't have noticed it.I did.Because Julian only touched that tie when he was irritated.Really irritated."Julian.""I know what she wants.""Then don't give it to her."His reflection stared back at me through the glass."She leaked private company documents.""I know.""She dragged your name through the media.""I know.""She used Leo."That one landed differently.His jaw tightened.There it was.Not jealousy.Not exactly.But something close enough that I felt it immediately.I crossed my arms."Leo didn't do anything.""He met with you.""Because he was helping me."Julian finally turned around.The look in his eyes made my pulse
ALYANA POVFor a moment, neither of us moved.The words hung in the air between us.Elena just scheduled a live interview.I stared at Julian."What kind of interview?"His jaw tightened."The kind designed to cause damage."I hated how calm his voice sounded.Not because he didn't care.Because he did.The calmer Julian became, the angrier he usually was underneath.He looked down at his phone again before setting it on the conference table."They announced it ten minutes ago."I folded my arms across my chest."About the contract?""About us."Something twisted in my stomach.I already knew what that meant.Elena wasn't interested in facts.She was interested in humiliation.The difference mattered."When does it start?"Julian glanced at the time."Now."I let out a slow breath."Of course."Without another word, he picked up the remote and turned on the large screen mounted on the wall.The broadcast appeared almost instantly.A bright studio.A smiling host.And Elena.Perfectly
ALYANA POV The moment I stepped out of the elevator, I knew something was wrong. People stopped talking too fast. A few employees looked away the second they noticed me. Others stared for a second too long before pretending to focus on their phones or laptops. That heavy feeling settled low in my stomach again. Not fear. Just exhaustion. Because lately, every quiet moment felt temporary. I tightened my grip around the folder in my hand and continued walking toward my office. My heels clicked against the marble floor, steady and controlled even though my chest already felt tight. Then I heard my name. Not directly. Whispers. “She’s here.” “Did you see it already?” “God…” I slowed slightly. My brows pulled together. Saw what? Before I could stop anyone, Mia hurried toward me from the reception area, her face pale. “Alyana.” The way she said my name made my pulse spike instantly. “What happened?” She hesitated. Too long. “Mia.” Her eyes flickered around nervously
ALYANA POVI knew something was wrong the second I stepped into the building.Not because people were staring. I was already used to that.It was the silence.The kind that spread too carefully.Conversations stopping the moment I walked past. Assistants suddenly pretending to focus on tablets. Employees avoiding eye contact a little too quickly.My heels slowed against the marble floor as I glanced around the lobby.Something had already happened.“Miss Alyana.”I turned toward Mia from the communications department. She looked nervous. More nervous than usual.“Good morning,” I said carefully.Her lips parted like she wanted to say something, then stopped herself. “Mr. Vance is waiting upstairs.”That answered absolutely nothing.I pressed the elevator button. “What happened?”She hesitated.That hesitation alone made my stomach tighten.“There’s... media outside,” she admitted quietly.I frowned. “About what?”This time, she didn’t answer at all.The elevator doors opened behind me
ALYANA POV The next morning felt strangely normal. I woke up just after sunrise, the pale light already filtering through the tall windows of the east wing. For a few seconds I stayed still, listening to the quiet hum of the mansion waking up somewhere beyond my room. Yesterday kept replaying in
ALYANA POV The moment I heard his voice, I got nervous. I didn’t even need to turn around to know who it was. Only one person in this house spoke that calmly in the middle of the night, like nothing ever surprised him. Julian. Leo’s fingers were still wrapped around my wrist when the sound of
ALYANA POVI went straight to the kitchen.Not because I was hungry, but because I needed a moment away from the strange tension outside. The moment the door closed behind me, the quiet inside the mansion felt almost too peaceful compared to what had just happened in the garden.I leaned against th
ALYANA POV The conference room felt colder than the rest of the mansion. Maybe it was the glass walls or the polished steel table that stretched almost the entire length of the room. Everything looked sharp and expensive, like it was designed to remind people they were sitting inside a powerful c







