All Chapters of Chasing The Boss: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

I stared at my phone for the hundredth time, watching my calls go to voicemail. Lexi wasn't just avoiding me, she was shutting me out completely. And with every unanswered call, every ignored text, I felt her slipping further away."Sir?" Marcus appeared in my doorway, looking as exhausted as I felt. "The board is requesting another meeting.""Tell them to go to hell.""Sir, with respect, that's not going to solve anything."I looked up at him, seeing the concern in his usually impassive face. Marcus had been with me for eight years. He'd seen me through hostile takeovers, failed deals, and media scandals. But he'd never seen me like this."She's gone, Marcus." The words tasted like poison. "I finally found something that mattered more than this company, and I lost her because of it.""You haven't lost her yet.""She resigned. She moved out. She won't take my calls." I laughed bitterly. "What part of that suggests I haven't lost her?""The part where she cried when she walked out of h

The conference room at Cross Media Entertainment had never felt smaller. Twelve board members sat around the polished mahogany table, their faces set with the grim determination of executioners. At the head of the table, Harrison Webb shuffled through papers like a judge preparing to read a verdict."Before we begin the vote," Webb said, his voice carrying the weight of five years of professional relationship, "I want to give you one last chance to reconsider, Lucian. End the relationship. Issue a public statement. We can spin this as a temporary lapse in judgment."I looked around the table at people I'd once considered allies. Some avoided my eyes. Others stared back with cold calculation. A few, like Morrison, actually looked disappointed that I'd forced their hand."No," I said simply."Then we proceed with the vote." Webb's expression didn't change, but I caught the flicker of something, regret, maybe, in his eyes. "All in favor of removing Lucian Cross as CEO of Cross Media Ente

The second time I walked into the Cross Media Entertainment boardroom that day, everything had changed. The same twelve people sat around the same mahogany table, but the dynamic had shifted completely. Where there had been cold calculation before, now there was nervous energy. Where there had been judgment, now there was respect.And where I had been desperate before, now I was in complete control."Gentlemen," I said, taking my seat at the head of the table like I'd never left. "I understand you'd like to discuss my reinstatement."Webb cleared his throat. "Lucian…”“Mr. Cross.” I cut him off.“Sorry, Mr. Cross, we owe you an apology. The board acted precipitously this morning. We failed to consider the full scope of the situation.""You mean you failed to consider that firing me might actually hurt the company more than my relationship ever could?" "Yes," Morrison said quietly. "That's exactly what we mean, sir."I leaned back in my chair, studying their faces. These were the same

The moment Giselle left, I felt like I could breathe again. But the relief was short-lived. As I held Lexi in my arms, I could feel her trembling, and I knew that what we'd just witnessed was only the beginning."She's not going to give up," Lexi said, voicing what we were both thinking. "She's going to come after us with everything she has.""Let her try." I meant it. After everything we'd been through, after nearly losing Lexi twice, I wasn't about to let anyone, especially not Giselle Laurent destroy what we'd built."Lucian, she knows things about you, about the company. She could…""She could try to cause trouble," I interrupted. "But she can't change the facts. She can't change how I feel about you."I guided Lexi to the couch, needing to sit down and think clearly. My mind was racing, calculating potential damage, considering counter-strategies, falling back into the analytical mode that had served me so well in business."I should have seen this coming," I said, running a hand

I was in the middle of reviewing security protocols for our upcoming wedding when Marcus knocked on my office door. My head of security didn't usually look this grim, which immediately put me on alert."We need to talk," he said, closing the door behind him.I dismissed Gregory who was attending to some paperwork."About the wedding security? I've been thinking we should..." I started but he caught me off."About the wedding itself," Marcus interrupted. "Sir, I think you're making a mistake." He said bluntly and that startled me.I looked up from my desk. Marcus had been with me for five years. He'd protected me through hostile takeovers, death threats, and paparazzi swarms. He'd never once questioned my personal decisions."Excuse me?" I asked, even though my voice shook.Marcus sat down across from me, his expression serious. "You're rushing into this marriage for the wrong reasons." He stated."The wrong reasons?" I felt my temper flare. "I'm marrying the woman I love. How is that