Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 31 - Chapitre 40

POV: SamanthaI sat at the edge of the bed, my phone resting loosely in my hand as I replayed the events from the banquet for what felt like the tenth time, not because I enjoyed it, but because something about it refused to make any sort of sense at all. It wasn’t just what happened, it was how it happened, and more importantly, how Arthur reacted to it afterward.Evelyn had walked in like she belonged there. Not like someone returning after years away, not like someone trying to prove anything, but like someone who already knew her place and had no reason to question it. That alone was irritating, but it wasn’t the part that stayed with me.It was Arthur.He had noticed her. That wasn’t unusual on its own, but the way he acted afterward was different, subtle enough that most people wouldn’t question it, but I wasn’t most people. He had been distracted, his attention shifting too often, his responses shorter than usual, and when I confronted him later, he didn’t deny it properly.He

POV: SamanthaBy the time the final confirmation came in, I was fucking ecstatic. There was something satisfying about seeing it written out properly. I leaned back in my chair, scrolling through the document again, slower this time, just to enjoy it.Three investors.Not one. Not two. Three separate partners, all pulling out within hours of each other without even attempting to renegotiate their terms. No calls, no meetings, no effort to save the deal. Them following my instructions perfectly Messy, if you were on the receiving end but perfect if you were the one dishing it out. A small smile settled on my lips as I locked my phone and dropped it onto the table. I had expected resistance, at least a little hesitation before things started shifting, but this? This was clean. Too clean, almost.It made me wonder if Evelyn had even seen it coming.A knock came at the door before Daniel stepped in, already holding his tablet like he’d been waiting for the right moment to report back. H

POV: EvelynAfter planning for weeks, it was time to meet with the board and move the project along. I walked in without rushing and to my surprise, Arthur was already seated at the end of the table, posture stiff in a way that told me he was trying very hard to look like he still had control of something. His gaze flicked toward me the moment I stepped in and I could see the tension in his eyes. Was he here to make another proposition? Whatever, I'd say no anyways. Samantha was with him as well and she had this annoyingly confident look as if she expected everything to go her way. “Shall we begin?” Arthur said, his voice cutting through the low murmur of voices.I held in a laugh. He must have really thought it was his own company. I leaned back slightly in my chair, folding my hands loosely. “By all means.”He nodded once, then I gestured toward the screen behind him. “As you’re all aware, there have been recent developments concerning one of our joint projects. We’re here to add

POV: RebeccaBy the time the headlines broke, it was as if all hell was let loose.Everything about the situation was fucking messy and not just the type we could sweep under the rug. This was the kind that spread fast, picked up attention, and refused to die down no matter how much money or influence you threw at it.I was halfway through my coffee when my phone started buzzing nonstop. At first, I ignored it because people overreact all the time, especially when it comes to business news, but when it didn’t stop, I finally picked it up. The first thing I saw made me pause.“Old Company Threatens New CEO.”I stared at it for a moment, then clicked on it, already expecting something unpleasant. The article didn’t disappoint. It laid everything out just vaguely enough to avoid legal trouble but clearly enough that anyone paying attention would understand exactly what it was pointing at. Someone has filled me in on the board meeting and I knew it would make the fucking headlines no matt

POV: EvelynThe door hadn’t even fully clicked shut before I exhaled and it was not out of relief. Oh hell no, it was definitely not that.More like amusement.Because really, of all the things I had expected, Rebecca showing up at my door with a quiet little bribe wrapped in concern for “family stability” wasn’t even in the top five. It should’ve been predictable, though. That woman didn’t move unless something threatened her control, and right now, everything about this situation was doing exactly that.I walked back toward the window, picking up my glass again, swirling the drink slightly as I replayed the conversation in my head.“You leave.”God, she really thought that was going to work.It wasn’t even the offer itself that made me laugh. It was the delivery. The confidence. The way she stood there like she still had authority over me, like I was someone she could quietly relocate and file away as a resolved issue.That part was funny.The rest?Annoying, but useful.Because now