Her weakness

The boardroom had emptied, but Larry Williams remained seated at the head of the table, one hand pressed thoughtfully against his lips. His fingers traced the faint outline of a smirk that had been growing steadily since the moment June Blackwood left the room in her signature heels and sharp-edged resolve.

He chuckled—low, amused.

Her fragrance still clung to the air. Subtle, like expensive silk soaked in jasmine and danger. It was the same perfume she wore years ago when they were still married. Back when she used to wait for him in that red robe, eyes smoldering, legs folded, voice low.

“Still intoxicating,” he muttered to himself, licking his bottom lip slowly. “Better than I thought, actually.”

He leaned back, eyes drifting lazily to the high ceiling of the boardroom, now echoing with silence. “God, it’s good to see her again. She’s fiery. Cold on the surface… but burning underneath.” He laughed now—short, full of mirth and smug certainty. “And she still wants me. They always do.”

The door opened behind him with a soft knock. It was Darren, his assistant young, clean-shaven, ambitious, and constantly anxious. He carried a tablet under his arm, his expression taut with concern.

“Boss,” Darren began carefully, “that meeting… June Blackwood really flipped the energy in there. She didn’t come to play. What’s the next move?”

Larry didn’t answer right away. He pushed himself up from his chair, stretching like a lion after a nap, sauntering to the massive window overlooking the city skyline. He watched the cars crawl through the late-afternoon traffic, a living pulse below.

“She’s a storm, Darren,” Larry said finally. “But I’ve danced in her rain before. I know every lightning strike. Every thunderclap.”

Darren frowned. “With all due respect, sir… she’s not who she used to be. Williams Holdings is powerful. If she restructures the board and seizes control, it could”

“Could what?” Larry interrupted, turning slowly. His eyes gleamed, but not with fear only hunger. “She already thinks she’s won. She’s made her move. And now she expects me to just roll over and watch her take what’s mine? Please.”

“But she already has taken most of it, sir,” Darren said hesitantly. “The board is divided. Your creditors are circling. If she gets shareholder backing and replaces executive leadership”

Larry held up a hand and waved him off, chuckling again. “You’re too young to understand, Darren. This isn't about shares or boardrooms anymore. This is personal. Deeply personal.”

He stepped closer, voice lowering but growing colder.

“She’s still into me. That little performance in the boardroom? Her glares, the power play, the little quiver in her lip when I walked in? That wasn’t hatred it was memory. Desire.”

Darren’s brow furrowed. “Sir, are you sure? I mean, she”

“I felt it,” Larry cut in sharply. “When I leaned in… her breathing hitched. When I whispered in her ear, her legs tensed. She didn’t push me away.” His smile darkened. “She sat there. Let me touch her. Let me talk. The same woman who once swore she’d never let me near her again.”

He turned toward the window again, voice filled with twisted satisfaction.

“She thinks she’s playing a game of power. But June? June still has one weakness.” He tapped two fingers against his temple. “Me.”

Darren shifted uncomfortably. “So what’s the plan?”

Larry’s eyes narrowed, a glint of malice hidden behind his grin.

“We draw her in,” he said, almost gleeful. “Make her believe she’s still in control. Let her play her little queen-on-the-chessboard act. But behind the curtain? We pull strings. We sabotage from within.”

He walked to the table and picked up a folder one June had left behind by accident. Inside were notes, early plans, and a list of upcoming executive appointments. “She’s making moves fast, but she’s exposed now. She thinks she’s winning.”

He paused, then looked Darren dead in the eye.

“I’m going to break her,” he said simply. “From the inside. I’ll get close. I’ll make her remember what it felt like to love me. To need me. And the moment she lets her guard down…”

He slammed the folder shut.

“I’ll take back everything. The company. The board. The reputation. Everything she’s built under my name. And I’ll do it smiling, Darren.”

Darren hesitated. “And… what about her personally?”

Larry’s grin widened. “Oh, I’ll take care of her. She’s fire, yes. But fire burns out. And when it does? All that’s left is ash.”

He leaned over the table, fingers steepled in front of him.

“She wants revenge. I want her begging me to come back—if only so I can say no. I want her to realize too late that she played the wrong game with the wrong man.”

He straightened and grabbed his coat. “Get me access to her schedule. I want to know where she’s going, who she’s meeting, what she’s planning. Quietly. No mistakes.”

Darren nodded nervously. “Yes, sir. I’ll get it done.”

“And Darren?” Larry said as he paused at the door.

“Yes?”

“I don’t want to defeat June,” he said with a twisted grin. “I want to own her downfall. I want to be the reason she crumbles.”

As he walked out of the room, the shadows seemed to follow him, stretching behind like whispers from a dark past returning for a second act.

“I will certainly get you June Williams “