Chapter 29 Who Wins?
The atmosphere in the executive corridor shifted from a funeral march to a riot in a matter of seconds. Inside the boardroom, Sarah could hear the muffled roars of the Veridian Integrity Committee.
Gary MacIntyre was no longer the hunter; he looked like a man standing on a trapdoor. Mr. Henderson held the manila envelope as if it contained a radioactive substance.
"This is a mistake!" Gary shouted, his voice cracking as he followed Henderson toward a side office.
"You can’t delay this vote based on an anonymous smear campaign!"
"It isn't a smear campaign when the bank account numbers match your personal holdings, Gary," Henderson replied, his voice echoing with a cold, newfound disgust. .
"The letter details every payment made to Joseph Hayes over the last three weeks. It outlines your plan to use him to manufacture a scandal to lower the valuation of Sarah’s firm. This isn't just misconduct; it’s criminal collusion."
Sarah stood frozen by the leather bench. She watched as Gary was led away, his face pale and sweating, his eyes darting around the lobby like a cornered animal. He didn't look at her. He couldn't. The man who had tried to own her ten minutes ago was now fighting for his professional life.
"Sarah, we need to go," Stacy whispered, grabbing her arm.
"The board is in a total uproar. Henderson told me the vote is officially postponed till further notice while they verify these documents. But Sarah... you’re in the clear. If Gary is discredited, his 'moral turpitude' argument dies with him."
"I need to go back to my office," Sarah said. Her voice was flat, devoid of the triumph Stacy expected. "I need to think."
"Are you okay? You just won!"
"I don't feel like I won," Sarah muttered.
She left the Veridian headquarters and drove back to her office in a trance. The city moved around her in a blur of gray and steel. When she reached her building, the lobby was quiet. Her staff had mostly gone home for the day.
She pushed open the door to her private suite and stopped.
Alex was there.
He was sitting in her high-backed leather chair, his long legs stretched out across her desk. The office was dark, save for the city lights shimmering through the window behind him. He had changed his shirt; the blood-stained white cotton was gone, replaced by a clean, black hoodie. The cuts on his face were minor—thin red lines across his cheek and a fading bruise near his eye—but in the dim light, he looked like a shadow come to life.
"You’re supposed to be at my house," Sarah said, closing the door behind her. Her heart was pounding, but not with the passion of the previous night. This was a cold, sharp dread.
"Joseph is filing a restraining order, Alex. If the police see you near me, it’s over."
"The police have bigger things to worry about today," Alex said. He didn't get up. He just watched her, his eyes tracking her every move with that familiar, predatory intensity. "How was the meeting?"
"The vote was delayed," she said, walking to the edge of the desk. She looked down at him, searching his face for a sign of guilt.
"A letter was delivered. It contained everything. The payments to Joseph, the plan to sabotage the firm, the bank records. Gary MacIntyre is finished."
Alex tilted his head slightly, a small, dark smile touching his lips.
"That’s good news, isn't it? That’s what you wanted."
"How did you do it, Alex?" Sarah’s voice was a whisper. "How did you get Gary’s bank records? How did you know about his deal with Joseph?"
"I told you, Sarah. I’ve been busy," he said. He stood up slowly, looming over her in the small office.
"While you were playing by the rules, I was looking for the people who were breaking them. Gary isn't as smart as he thinks he is. He leaves digital footprints. And Joseph... Joseph is a loudmouth when he’s had a few drinks. It wasn't hard to find the connection once I knew where to look."
"You went into his accounts? You broke into his private files?"
"I found leverage," Alex corrected. He stepped closer, his presence filling the space until she felt the wall against her back.
"I found a way to fix your life. I told you I would be your shield. A shield doesn't just block the hits, Sarah. It strikes back when the enemy gets too close."
Sarah looked at him, truly looked at him, and felt a wave of terror. This wasn't just a young man in love. This was someone who had dismantled a multi-millionaire and a former husband in the span of twenty-four hours without breaking a sweat. He had moved pieces on a chessboard she didn't even know existed.
"You’re terrifying," she breathed.
"I’m loyal," he countered. He reached out, his fingers brushing against her jaw, tracing the line of her throat.
"There’s a difference. I did this for you. I did this so you could have your company and your reputation and your son’s future. Everything is back in your hands now. All you have to do is take it."
"But at what cost?" Sarah asked, her eyes filling with tears.
"You’ve turned my life into a series of crimes and secrets. You’re holding Gary over a cliff, you’ve beaten Joseph... what happens when I’m the one you disagree with? What happens when I want to walk away?"
Alex’s grip on her chin tightened, just a fraction. It wasn't enough to hurt, but it was enough to remind her of his strength.
"Why would you want to walk away from me when I'm only just getting started with you? Don't I make you scream enough when I make love to you?”
"This is ownership. You’re trying to own me just like Gary was. You’re just using different weapons."
"I saved you, Sarah." Alex shouted, his voice finally breaking its calm facade. The anger flared in his eyes, raw and volatile.
"I took the hits. I did the dirty work. I sat in the dark and watched your house so you could sleep! And now you’re looking at me like I’m the villain?"
"I don't know what you are!"
"I'm yours," he hissed, stepping into her personal space.
"And you are mine. That was the deal we made in that tub. That was the deal when you let me into your bed. You don't get to take the safety I provide and then judge the way I give it to you."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
She turned away from him, her hands shaking as she reached for her purse on the desk. She needed to get home. She needed to see Mark. She needed to find some piece of her world that hadn't been touched by Alex’s protection.
"I have to go," she said, her voice trembling.
"Sarah—"
"No. Stay here. Stay away from me for tonight," she commanded.
Alex didn't follow her. He stood in the center of her darkened office, his silhouette sharp against the city lights. He looked like a king who had just conquered a kingdom and found it empty.
She practically ran to her car, her mind racing with the weight of the day. The verdict from Henderson should have been a relief, but it felt like a stay of execution. As she pulled out of the parking lot, her phone pinged on the passenger seat.
She picked it up, expecting another frantic update from Stacy or perhaps a final threat from Joseph.
Instead, the name on the screen made her blood run cold.
Mark.