Chapter 8 - The Shadow of the Boardroom
My sudden change in behavior didn't go unnoticed by the world outside.
I was missing meetings,
ignoring calls,
and spending all my time with a woman no one knew.
The board of directors was getting restless,
and the rumors were starting to swirl.
They thought I had lost my edge,
that I had been weakened by a pretty face.
One afternoon,
my lead advisor,
Marcus,
stormed into my office.
“Silas,
the stock is dropping,”
he shouted,
slamming a folder onto my desk.
“The investors are asking questions about your stability.”
“They think you’re being blackmailed by a Rossi.”
I looked at him,
and the coldness returned to my eyes.
“I am the majority shareholder,
Marcus,”
I said,
my voice a low warning.
“I don't care about the investors.”
“You should care!”
he countered.
“This girl...
she is the daughter of the man you destroyed.”
“It’s a PR nightmare waiting to happen.”
“She is the woman I love,”
I said,
and the words felt like a declaration of war.
Marcus went quiet,
his eyes wide with shock.
“You’re serious?”
“I’ve never been more serious about anything,”
I said.
“If they want to fight me,
let them try.”
“But they will not touch her.”
I realized then that the empire I had built was a weapon that could be turned against me.
They would try to use Maya to hurt me,
to force me back into the machine.
I went home that night and found her in the kitchen,
trying to cook a meal for the first time.
She looked so normal,
so real,
and I felt a surge of protectiveness.
“Maya,”
I said,
walking up behind her and wrapping my arms around her waist.
“We might have some difficult days ahead.”
She leaned her head back against my shoulder.
“I’ve survived worse,
Silas,”
she said.
“But we’ll survive it together,”
May you like
I promised.
I would burn my empire to the ground before I let them take her away.
