Chapter 38 Chapter 38
Amelia
I moved carefully through the house, watching every step so I wouldn’t trip or knock anything over. Everything around me was expensive and I definitely didn’t have the kind of money it would take to replace even a single broken item right now.
Just as I reached the stairs, a voice cut through the silence. “Sneaked out of the house and sneaking back in, in the middle of the night,” Maxwell said calmly.
I froze, Slowly, I turned around and squinted, trying to see him in the dark. After a moment, I spotted him sitting in the corner of the room, his legs crossed casually, a glass of drink in his hand.
“Good evening to you too, Mr. Maxwell,” I said, forcing my voice to sound steady. “I left a message for you, I said I would be spending the weekend at my parents’ place.”
The truth was, I had left my parents’ house very late. The kids had refused to let me go, clinging to me and begging me to stay longer. I had waited until they were fast asleep before finally leaving. Even then, getting back home hadn’t been easy, traffic was terrible, and it delayed me far more than I expected.
“First of all,” he said sharply, “you left this house without my permission. No call to inform me you wouldn’t be around, and instead you thought it was fine to leave a message through the chef.”
His voice rose with every word, filling the room with anger.
I crossed my arms and met his glare. “I was going to talk to you about my plans,” I shot back, “if you hadn’t decided to act like a coward, leaving the house early in the morning and coming back very late at night just to avoid me.”
Without warning, he slammed the glass in his hand onto the table. The sharp sound made me flinch. He straightened and walked toward me, his steps slow and deliberate.
“You think I am avoiding you because of what happened that night?” he asked coldly.
The way he said it sent a chill down my spine.
He stopped right in front of me, his presence overwhelming. “Why would I run,” he continued, “when by marriage, I have every right to your body?”
My heart pounded, but I refused to back away. “Then tell me,” I said firmly, lifting my chin, “why you have been avoiding me ever since that night, Maxwell Sinclair.”
He stepped closer until he was right in front of me. His body brushed lightly against mine, and I could smell the alcohol on his breath mixed with his expensive cologne. The scent was intoxicating, and for a brief second, I almost leaned in without thinking. I caught myself just in time and held my ground.
“Because some of us have jobs to do and empires to build,” he said coldly. “Thousands of people depend on me for their livelihood. I don’t always have time to entertain your little dramas.”
I scoffed. “And I used to have a job too,” I replied sharply, “until you decided to keep me locked up in this house.”
His words stirred something in me, and I realized this was the right moment to say what I’d been holding back.
“That’s actually what I wanted to tell you,” I continued, my voice steady. “I am not planning to ask for your permission. I was going to inform you that I will be resuming work tomorrow.”
He threw his head back and laughed, the sound loud and mocking in the quiet room.
“Oh,” he said casually, as if he were talking about the weather, “I forgot to mention something.”
My stomach tightened. “The board has agreed that I will be acting CEO for now,” he continued. “At least until a final decision is made.”
He looked at me calmly, clearly enjoying the effect his words had, “Who the hell made that decision?” I snapped. “I am the CEO. Until I am voted out, you have no right to take my position.”
He didn’t look bothered. If anything, he looked amused. “If you have a problem with it,” he said calmly, “I can pull my support from the company. Then you can go find investors on your own.”
My chest tightened. “It is not a permanent decision,” he continued, “It’s only temporary, until the company becomes stable again. After that, a vote will be held to decide who is best suited to be CEO.”
Before I could stop myself, I grabbed his shirt roughly, anger rushing through me. “I know exactly what you are trying to do,” I said through clenched teeth. “You want to push me out of my own company, and I’m not going to stand by and let that happen.”
He didn’t push me away. Instead, he looked down at my hand, then back at my face. “You know,” he said quietly, “I have noticed that some people on the board don’t like the fact that you are CEO. They are already working behind the scenes to remove you.”
My grip loosened slightly, my heart pounding. “I’m the only one trying to protect you,” he continued. “I’m trying to help you preserve your father’s legacy.”
I stared at him, torn between anger and doubt. “To keep doing that,” he added slowly, his voice lowering, “you are going to have to give me something in return.”
Author's note: Drum Rolllsss