Chapter 75: The House of Cards

"Say something," I murmured, my voice barely audible over the rapid thumping of my heart.

Dominic didn’t turn to face me. His gaze was fixed on the news headline glaring from his phone screen. The bold text seemed to shout at us, staining the Caldwell name with blood.

MURDER. CONSPIRACY. POLITICAL CORRUPTION.

Everything we had tried to bury—every secret we believed we had contained—was unraveling before the eyes of the entire world.

Finally, he looked up, his jaw so tightly clenched that I could see the tension throbbing in his neck. "Someone leaked it."

My throat went dry. "Who could have had access? The drive was never out of your sight."

"No one from my side," he replied, shaking his head. "Which means—"

"—Someone from mine." I cursed under my breath and began to pace the length of the living room. "Richard must have found a way to twist this. He couldn’t bury the information, so he’s wielding it as a weapon. If he falls, he wants us to go down first."

"He’s playing the martyr," Dominic said quietly, rubbing his temples. "He’ll assert that he tried to halt the corruption. Blame it all on Victor and me. Position himself as the hero in a tragedy he created."

"And people will buy it," I added with bitterness. "He’s a senator. He knows how to manipulate a crowd."

A sudden knock at the door made us both jump. Dominic reacted immediately, his hand reaching for the firearm concealed beneath the bookshelf.

I stepped back, my heart racing.

He glanced through the security camera feed, then lowered the weapon. "It’s Liam."

He opened the door, and Liam burst in, his suit jacket thrown open, eyes wide with urgency.

“You saw the news,” he said without preamble.

“We’re in the middle of it,” Dominic replied, tossing the phone onto the couch.

“They’re calling an emergency board vote to remove you,” Liam said. “Victor’s legacy. Your authority. Everything—on the line. Tonight.”

Dominic’s face didn’t show any sign of change. “Let them try.”

“No, you don’t understand.” Liam moved in closer. “They’ve already begun. The board is being bribed. Half of them are either intimidated or compensated. You won’t secure the votes.”

I gazed at them, then posed the question that was gnawing at me. “What happens if they oust you?”

Dominic’s tone was low. “They can hand over all internal documents to the Feds. Present Caldwell Enterprises as a scapegoat. All to maintain their reputation.”

“And anyone involved in the past,” Liam interjected, “receives immunity if they comply.”

A chill ran through me.

“So my father gets off,” I murmured.

Dominic gave a single nod. “And we lose everything.”

Not just the business. Not merely control. But the truth.

Victor’s demise. Olivia’s sorrow. The whole chain of devastation that had brought us here would be rewritten—with us cast as the villains.

“No,” I declared, straightening my back. “We can’t allow that to happen.”

Dominic regarded me. “What’s on your mind?”

“I’m considering that we head straight to the boardroom.” I turned to Liam. “When’s the meeting?”

“Two hours.”

“Excellent.” I pivoted and strode toward the elevator, adrenaline coursing through my veins. “It’s time we remind them who truly built this empire—and who will bring it down if they betray us.”

Two hours later, I found myself in a glass-walled boardroom on the sixty-third floor of Caldwell Tower, facing a dozen suited individuals—most of whom appeared to be perspiring through their finely tailored collars.

Dominic stood next to me, his demeanor icy and unwavering.

Liam took the seat at the head of the table, arms crossed as he addressed the board.

“This isn’t a vote of no confidence,” he said. “It’s a coup. And you all know it.”

One of the older men cleared his throat. “Liam, with all due respect—”

“Respect?” I cut in, my voice slicing through the room. “You’re backing a man who orchestrated murder, blackmail, and betrayal just to keep his name clean.”

The woman next to him began to speak. “Senator Sinclair has guaranteed complete immunity to all board members who back a company restructure—”

“—And who made you that promise?” Dominic cut in, his tone icy and sharp. “The man whose hands are stained with blood? Or the son-in-law he’s attempting to ruin?”

The ensuing silence was overwhelming.

“Let’s be perfectly clear,” I stated, pulling out a folder and slamming it onto the table. “We possess copies of every deal, every bribe, every offshore account. If you choose to vote him in and us out, those documents will go to the press. Not the FBI. Not the DOJ. The media.”

Eyes widened. A few exchanged anxious glances.

“You might evade prison,” I warned. “But you won’t escape public destruction.”

The atmosphere shifted. Power was redefined.

Suddenly, we were no longer on the defensive.

Liam rose, his gaze sweeping the table. “Vote if you wish. But be aware—we’re not bluffing. And if this company collapses, it will be on your shoulders.”

A lengthy silence ensued.

Then the man at the end stood up. “I vote we retain Dominic Caldwell as CEO.”

One by one, hands began to rise.

I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

Dominic grasped my hand under the table.

We had triumphed in this round.

But the battle was far from over.

That night, back in his penthouse, I nestled into his side, still dressed in my battle gear. We hadn’t exchanged a word for almost an hour.

Finally, he shattered the silence.

“You saved me today.”

I tilted my head up. “We saved each other.”

“No,” he said, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “You walked into that room like you owned it. Like your father’s lies couldn’t touch you anymore.”

“They can’t,” I whispered. “Not anymore.”

His lips brushed my forehead. “We’re getting close, Elena. To the truth.”

I nodded. “And when it all falls apart?”

He leaned down, eyes burning into mine.

“Then we build something better from the ashes.”

And as I kissed him, fierce and deep and full of fire, I knew he meant every word.

But neither of us noticed the red light blinking on the secure phone across the room.

A voicemail.

From a blocked number.

With a single message:

“They know. And they’re coming for her next.”