SARAH “You must be out of your fucking mind.” I seethe. I can feel my heart pounding, but I refuse to let him see me shake, or stutter. He won’t win this battle, whether by wits or will. Julian straightens his tie, that smug expression still plastered on his face. “You might want to be careful with your words, Sarah. You will need to be on my good side very soon. As I said, I spoke to Aaron about acquiring his shares. He was very receptive to the idea.” I still can’t believe the words that are coming out of his fucking mouth. “You went to see my ex-husband. In prison. To buy shares in my company.” Friends definitely do not do things like that. “Our company,” he corrects. “And yes. Aaron still owns a significant portion of Wellspring. Just because he’s behind bars for now doesn’t mean those shares disappear, Sarah. You should know that.” I stare at him, trying to reconcile this man standing in front of me with the man that seemed to have my back at the hospital. The man who smiled at me and told me he was fine being friends, the human who Kevin vouched for. I should have known. People don’t change as easily or as quick, and definitely not for no reason. “And what?” I lean back in my chair, keeping my voice steady. Now that I know his grievance, I can face him head on. “All this is because I wouldn’t fuck you?” His face goes red. Instantly. I’ve never seen Julian lose his composure, but it’s there now, bright as day: the anger flashing across his features before he tries to push it away. Too. Fucking. Late. “That’s—” He stops talking and takes a breath. “I was nothing but nice to you, Sarah. Nothing but supportive. I deserved as much as a chance, but you wouldn’t even give me that. You just…” “I’m engaged, Julian. You knew I was in a relationship. I never hid that from you.” “With three men,” he snaps. “Three. And you’re pregnant with their children. Do you have any idea how that looks? How…” he taps his index finger on his forehead, “…mentally unstable that’ll make you appear to the rest of the Board? To our shareholders?” The real Julian Cross, peeling out from underneath the charming exterior. “But that has nothing to do with why I’m here,” he continues, his voice smoothing out again. How many times has he rehearsed this in front of his mirror? “In fact, I’m not angry at all. I’m simply looking out for the company’s best interests. Wellspring needs strong, stable leadership. And right now, you’re neither of those things.” I want to throw something at him, scream, tell him exactly where he can shove his fake concern: far up his asshole where everything else—including his brain—seems to be. But I don’t. Only because I’ve learned something in the last few months. The loudest voice in the room isn’t always the strongest. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is stay calm when everyone expects you to break. So I take a breath, count to three. And when I speak, my voice is steady. “I built Wellspring from the ground up, Julian. I was barely twenty three years old when I started this company. Twenty-three. I had nothing but an idea and enough audacity to believe I could make it work.” I lean forward, planting my hands on my desk. “I’m twenty-seven now. And I have absolutely no intention of retiring in the next thirty years. So until I decide otherwise—which would be in three decades—I will be the chairwoman of Wellspring.” Julian Cross throws his head back in laughter. I watch him keenly, my own fake smile plastered on my face. “It’s so cute that you think you can stop me. Sarah, if I acquire Aaron’s shares combined with my own, I’ll have majority control. I can call for a vote. I can remove you from the Board. I can strip you of your title as CEO and chairwoman. I can make sure you lose everything you’ve built.” “You’re not the only shareholder. You’re not the only director.” His smile widens, and it makes my skin crawl. “You think you have half the influence I do? I’ve been on this Board for three years. I have relationships with every single member. I know their concerns, their priorities. And right now, their biggest concern is whether our CEO can actually lead this company. And they have no idea you’re under criminal investigation.” That last part hits like a slap, but I don’t flinch. Don’t give him the satisfaction. “So what’s your play here?” I ask. “You buy Aaron’s shares, call an emergency Board meeting, and what? Convince everyone I’m unfit to lead?” “I won’t have to convince them,” he says, spreading his hands. “The evidence speaks for itself. Extended absences. Health complications. A relationship that’s—let’s be honest—a PR nightmare waiting to happen. We are one more scandal away from collapse. We barely got through your ex-husband’s drama. Wellspring needs someone without…all the baggage you come with.” Baggage. My tongue kisses my teeth. “And you just happen to be available.” “I am.” He shrugs. “I’ve been acting CEO in your absence multiple times already. The transition would be seamless, trust me. Wellspring will be in good hands.” I study him. Really study him. The perfectly tailored suit. The expensive watch. The calculated expression that he thinks makes him look concerned instead of predatory. You want to know what I realize? He is bitter. An extremely hurt and bitter soul. I lean back in my seat, fold my arms across my chest, and let a slow smile spread across my face. His expression falters. Just for a second. “We’ll just have to see about that, won’t we?” My words and boldness strike the wrong chord. Julian springs up to his feet, fumes in his nose, anger in his eyes. He stays like that for three minutes when he suddenly realizes he’s lost his composure. His fingers thread the buttons of his suit, and he clears his throat. But it’s too late. I’ve seen through him, and he knows it. “Don’t bother fighting this, Sarah. You’ll lose. And when you do, it’s going to be painful. Save yourself the trouble and resign now. I’ll make sure you get a generous severance package.” I stand too. Slowly. Deliberately. Until we’re facing each other across my desk. “Let me make something very clear to you, Julian.” My tone is calm, but there’s steel in it. Steel I didn’t know I had until right now. “If you think you have the balls to go against me, then do it. Call your meeting. Make your play. But it won’t be funny for you, because I will fight you with everything I have.” “And you think what you have is enough.” “Why don’t you put it to the test? This is going to be a miserable ride for you, Julian, seeing that you can’t handle rejection.” His jaw clenches. “This isn’t about rejection.” “Isn’t it?” I cock my head to the side. “Because from where I’m standing, it really looks like it.” “I tried to be reasonable,” he mutters. “I came here to give you a chance to leave with dignity.” “Fuck reason, Julian Cross.” The words come out sharp and clear. “And fuck you too.” The silence that follows is deafening. We stand there, staring at each other, and I can see him processing what just happened. He came in here expecting to intimidate me. Expecting me to crumble, to beg, to make it easy for him. He didn’t expect me to fight back. “You’re going to regret this.” he says finally. I chuckle lightly, more irritated than amused. “If you think I am still the same woman Aaron pushed around, you have another thing coming for you.” For a moment, something sparks in his eyes. It looks a lot like pride, but that’s impossible. He’s my arch nemesis, and has absolutely no reason to be proud of me. “We’ll see.” He spits out, then turns and leaves without looking back. The door closes behind him, and I finally let myself sit down. My legs are shaking. My hands are trembling. But I’m still standing. I’m still here. I pull out my phone and stare at it for a long moment. I should call the brothers. As if on cue, my phone buzzes. It’s a text from Ronan: “How’s your first day back?” I stare at the message for a while, before I pick it up. “Eventful.” A dry laugh escapes my throat as I hit the send icon. His response is immediate: “Everything okay?” “Yes,” I type. “Actually, I think it might be.” A thought crossed my mind. “Also, do you know anything about Langford group of companies?”