Todos os capítulos de MARRIED TO THE CEO BY CONTRACT: Capítulo 31 - Capítulo 36

Alessandro’s exit was announced on Thursday.Not the end of the week.Not the end of the quarter.Just early enough to control the narrative and late enough to prevent discussion.Elara was in Berlin when the notification came through. She was walking between buildings, coat pulled tight against the wind, when her phone vibrated once. She stopped without thinking, standing just off the kerb as bicycles rushed past her.De Luca Holdings Confirms Leadership TransitionShe didn’t open it immediately.She already knew how it would read.Following a period of strategic review, Alessandro de Luca has mutually agreed to step down as CEO, effective immediately. The board thanks him for his years of service and wishes him success in future endeavours.Mutually agreed.The phrase felt almost tender in its dishonesty.Elara crossed the street and entered the café she’d been heading toward anyway. She ordered coffee she didn’t want and sat near the window, hands wrapped around the cup, eyes unfoc

Elara did not announce her decision.She simply acted.The Global Ethics Forum released their statement at noon, polished and carefully neutral. It praised her “principled engagement” and expressed “mutual respect” for her choice to remain independent.What it did not mention was the rotating council.What it did not mention was decentralisation.By evening, interpretation had already begun.Headlines softened the truth into something more digestible.ELARA VOSS DECLINES PERMANENT ROLE — FUTURE COLLABORATION UNCLEARINDEPENDENT THINKER OR MISSED OPPORTUNITY?Elara read none of them.She felt the shift instead.It arrived in the tone of emails that grew slightly cooler. In invitations that arrived with caveats. In conversations that paused just long enough for her to notice the recalibration.This was the cost of refusing consolidation.You remained visible but unprotected.At the institute, Isabelle watched the numbers quietly.“They’re testing you,” she said. “Waiting to see if you’l

The vote was scheduled for 09:00.Not symbolic.Not ceremonial.Operational.Elara arrived early—not out of nerves, but respect for the moment. She had learnt long ago that decisions taken lightly often demanded payment later.The room filled gradually. No small talk. No posturing.Everyone understood what today meant.This was no longer about Elara Voss.It was about whether people were willing to exist without a centre.Isabelle sat beside her, tablet closed.“They’ve trimmed the agenda,” she murmured. “Straight to the framework.”Elara nodded.“Good,” she said. “The less narrative, the better.”Faces appeared on the screen—some firm, some hesitant, some carefully unreadable.The chair began without flourishing.“We're here to vote on the adoption of the Distributed Oversight Framework,” he said. “Pilot phase. Six months. Independent evaluation.”A breath passed through the room.“This vote”, he continued, “will also determine whether this consortium continues in its current form.”