Chapter 37: Game On

Scarlet entered the boardroom with a sense of purpose, her footsteps echoing in the sterile silence. The air was thick with tension, her heart pounding against her chest. She held the folder in her hand, the evidence of Wyatt’s deceit, the final piece she had been waiting for. She had been through hell and back, but this time, she wasn’t backing down. She couldn’t.

Tucker sat at the head of the conference table, his gaze sharp but distant. His eyes flickered toward her as she approached, but there was no warmth in his look, only the cold remnants of their fractured relationship. The lawyer, a tall man in a grey suit, stood beside him, looking at her with calculated indifference.

“Sit down, Scarlet,” Tucker said, his voice low but authoritative.

She hesitated for only a second, then took her place across from him, her fingers tightening around the file in her lap. She didn’t need his permission, but she took a deep breath, trying to steady the storm raging inside her. The moment she had been preparing for had finally arrived.

“I have something for you,” she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside. She placed the folder on the table, sliding it toward Tucker. “Evidence that can take Wyatt down once and for all.”

Tucker’s eyes flickered to the file, then back to her. “What is it?”

“This,” she began, “is proof that Wyatt manipulated my family’s finances, and yours. This isn’t just about the company it’s personal. He’s been using us all as pawns in his game for years.”

The lawyer beside Tucker glanced at the file, then back at her, his expression skeptical. “And what makes you think this is enough to prove your claims?”

Scarlet leaned forward, her gaze locking with Tucker’s. “Because this ” she tapped the folder, “ was buried. This isn’t just some piece of paper. It’s the missing link. You know it, and I know it.”

Tucker didn’t speak for a long time, his jaw tight, his fingers tapping nervously on the table. His silence was more deafening than words could ever be. Scarlet could feel his indecision, his inner conflict. But she wasn’t going to let him hesitate any longer.

“I need you to help me, Tucker,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “If we join forces, we can expose Wyatt for everything he’s done. But I need you to believe in me again. I can’t do this alone.”

The room seemed to hold its breath. The weight of their history, their lost love, and the pain between them hung like a shadow, but Scarlet pushed it aside. This wasn’t about them anymore. It was about justice. It was about taking back what Wyatt had stolen from them all.

Tucker’s eyes softened for the briefest moment before he stood abruptly, pacing the room. The air was thick with the unspoken words between them. Scarlet watched him, her heart racing, knowing that this was their last chance.

Finally, Tucker stopped and turned to face her, his expression conflicted but resolute. “I don’t know if I can trust you again, Scarlet. You’ve broken me before. But...” He took a deep breath, his fists clenched. “If we’re going to do this, we do it my way.”

Scarlet nodded, her breath catching. “We’re in this together, Tucker. No more lies. No more games.”

The room was eerily quiet as Wyatt Lockwood stood behind his desk, his tall, imposing figure cutting a shadow against the floor-to-ceiling windows. He was still the man who controlled everything his wealth, his power, and now, it seemed, his family. But the tension in the air was different today. It crackled with the electric anticipation of a storm waiting to break.

Tucker stood across from him, his jaw clenched, his fists at his sides. There was no mistaking the fury in his eyes. Wyatt’s smirk never faltered as he observed his son, his once-proud heir. But today was different. Tucker wasn’t a boy anymore, and he wasn’t going to let Wyatt control him or anyone else any longer.

“You’ve gone too far this time, Father,” Tucker said, his voice steady but edged with anger. “I’ve found out everything. Your lies, your manipulation it’s over.”

Wyatt’s eyes narrowed, his expression turning cold. “You think you can defeat me, Tucker? You’ve always been weak, always looking for someone to blame. This company, this empire it was built on my terms. And you?” He scoffed. “You’ve always been a disappointment.”

Tucker stepped closer, his voice rising with every word. “I won’t let you hurt anyone else. Not Scarlet, not me, and not anyone else who’s been a victim of your greed.”

Wyatt stood tall, not backing down. “You can’t stop me. You’re nothing without me, Tucker. You’ll always be my son, always under my thumb.”

The words stung, but Tucker refused to flinch. “I’m done being your puppet.”

With a swift motion, Wyatt’s hand slammed down on the desk, sending a ripple of tension through the room. “You’re wrong. You’re a fool to think you can win this. You’ve always been weak. You don’t have the strength to stand up to me.”

Tucker’s expression hardened, his body brimming with a newfound determination. “I may have been weak, but I’ve learned, Father. I’ve learned from my mistakes. And now, I’m taking control.”

Wyatt’s face twisted with rage. “You think you can defeat me?” he hissed, his voice low and threatening. “I’ll destroy you, Tucker. You’ll regret crossing me.”

But Tucker stood firm, his gaze unwavering. “No. This ends today. The truth will come out. And when it does, you’ll have nothing left.”

As the tension between them reached its boiling point, Wyatt’s eyes flickered with a mix of hatred and disbelief. He had always seen Tucker as weak, a mere extension of himself. But now, for the first time, he saw a son who was ready to fight back. And it terrified him.

“Get out of my sight,” Wyatt spat, his voice seething with fury. “You’re nothing to me.”

Tucker didn’t look back as he turned to leave, his heart pounding. The confrontation was over, but the battle was just beginning. Wyatt had underestimated him and now, the consequences would be dire.