Chapter 70: Corporate Drama

Ivy

I took a deep breath and steadied myself. Shaking off the remnants of my nightmare, I moved toward the bathtub, turning the shower on to let the hot water wash away the lingering unease.

Once I was clean, I wrapped myself in a plush towel and stepped in front of the mirror. My reflection stared back at me, pale but composed. I couldn't afford to look fragile. I couldn't afford to look like my nightmares.

I picked an elegant black pantsuit from my wardrobe, pairing it with a silk blouse in a muted shade of blue. The structured blazer sat perfectly on my shoulders, a protective armor of its own. After fastening a delicate silver bracelet around my wrist, I slipped on a pair of sleek heels.  

My fingers worked through my hair, styling it into a sophisticated low bun—sharp, professional, controlled. Light makeup followed—just enough to conceal the exhaustion beneath my eyes. A soft nude lipstick finished the look.  

With one last glance in the mirror, I straightened my posture. Whatever storm awaited me at the office, I was ready to face it. 

The driver was already waiting outside. As soon as I stepped into the car, he nodded and pulled away from the estate, merging onto the main road.  

The city passed by in a blur of glass buildings and morning traffic. I barely paid attention. My mind was already at the office, bracing for whatever crisis had unfolded in my absence.  

When we pulled up in front of the towering headquarters of Westbridge Corp, I took a steadying breath before stepping out. The moment I entered the lobby, conversations halted, and every set of eyes turned to me.  

The concerned murmurs started instantly.  

“Miss Blackwood… oh my God, you’re back?”  

“What happened? Has there been any progress with the investigation?”  

“Are you okay? We were so worried!”  

I clenched my jaw, forcing down the irritation bubbling beneath the surface. The last thing I wanted was to discuss my disappearance with people who thrived on corporate gossip.

I met their gazes with cool detachment. “I’m fine,” I said curtly, brushing past them toward the elevators. My assistant, Eva, was already waiting by the doors, clutching a tablet.  

The second the elevator doors slid shut, Eva turned to me. “I know you don’t want small talk, so let’s get straight to it. We have a problem—a major one.”  

I arched my brow. “How bad?”  

Eva exhaled. “A lawsuit. And not just any lawsuit—this could bring the company to its knees.”  

My expression didn’t waver. “Start from the beginning.”  

Eva swiped at her screen, her voice clipped with urgency. “A former employee, Daniel Chu, is suing Westbridge Corp for wrongful termination. He’s claiming he was fired after raising ethical concerns about the company’s environmental impact.”

My fingers curled slightly. “And do his claims have merit?”

Eva hesitated. “That’s… complicated. He was dismissed for breaching contract confidentiality, but his legal team is framing it as retaliation for whistleblowing. He’s accusing Westbridge Corp of covering up violations of environmental regulations in the East Asia division.”

My mind was already spinning through the implications. A lawsuit like this could tarnish the company’s reputation, weaken investor confidence, and possibly trigger a deeper investigation.

“Has my father been informed?”

Eva nodded. “Yes, but with the travel ban, he’s still stuck overseas. He wanted to handle it himself, but given the urgency, he agreed that we should lead the response.”

My jaw tightened as I skimmed through the tablet. “Who’s representing him?”  

“Carter & Vince,” Eva replied grimly.  

I let out a slow breath. One of the most ruthless law firms in the country. Of course. How grand.

A part of me bristled at being thrown into crisis mode immediately after my ordeal, but another part of me welcomed the distraction. 

The boardroom had always been my battlefield. The chaos of corporate wars was, in some ways, easier to navigate than the nightmares clawing at my mind.

Eva pressed the elevator button for the top floor as I handed her the tablet. “Schedule a board meeting for this afternoon. I want everyone present—the legal team, the CFO, and anyone else who’s remotely involved.”  

Eva nodded, already typing out messages. “Understood.”  

The elevator doors opened, and I stepped into my office, my gaze sweeping across the space. The familiar sleek furnishings, the floor-to-ceiling windows, the crisp scent of paper and ink on my desk wrapped around me—it was the one place where I held complete control.

And right now, I need that control more than ever.

****

The tension in the room was thick as I entered. Seated around the long glass table were Westbridge Corp’s top executives, along with the company’s legal team.

“Ivy,” David Langston, the company’s general counsel, spoke first, his expression tight with worry. “I wasn’t expecting you to be back to the company so soon.”

“Neither was I,” I said smoothly, setting my bag down. “But here we are. Let’s get to it.”

Mr David cleared his throat. “As Eva must have briefed you, we’re facing a lawsuit from Daniel Chu. His attorneys have filed for an injunction to halt operations in East Asia, claiming we failed to meet regulatory compliance.”

I leaned back in my chair, steepling my fingers. “Do we have proof that his claims are false?”

“We have documentation that supports our compliance,” Mr David said. “But it’s not bulletproof. There were some delays in reporting emissions data, and some internal memos—taken out of context—could look incriminating.”

I exhaled sharply. “So, not a clean case. What about settlement?”

One of the executives, Leonard Crane, scoffed. “Settling would be an admission of guilt. Investors would panic.”

“And a drawn-out legal battle could do just as much damage,” I countered. “We need to control the narrative before this spirals.”

The head of PR, Pam Henshaw, nodded. “I agree. The media is already picking up on the lawsuit, and if we don’t get ahead of it, we’ll be playing defense.”

My mind raced. There was always more beneath the surface in cases like this. Daniel Chu wasn’t just filing a lawsuit—he was sending a message.

I turned to Mr David. “Do we have any leverage on Chu? Anything that could discredit his claims?”

He hesitated before nodding. “There were some financial irregularities in his past employment records. It’s not a smoking gun, but it could call his credibility into question.”

I tapped my fingers against the table. “Dig deeper. If there’s something there, I want to know.”

I turned to Pam. “Prepare a statement emphasizing our commitment to compliance. We’re not reacting—we’re leading the conversation.”

Finally, I addressed the room. “We do not settle unless absolutely necessary. We do not panic. And above all, we do not let this define us.”

A flicker of approval crossed some of their faces. The uncertainty lingering in the room began to shift—resolve taking its place.

I felt it too.

This, I could handle.

Corporate wars were predictable. They followed rules, even when people tried to bend them. Unlike the shadows in my mind, unlike the nightmares that haunted me, this was a battle I knew how to win.

And I intended to.

Just as we were about to go over the final details, a sudden commotion erupted right outside the door.  

"Sir, you cannot go in there!" the security guard's voice rang out, sharp and firm.  

But before the last word had even left his mouth, the doors were thrown open with force.  

And there he was.  

Another nightmare I wasn’t ready to confront.

My breath hitched, but I steeled my expression, masking the pain that slammed into me.  

Everyone else in the room turned, their murmurs blending into a dull hum in the background.  

He took a step forward, his eyes locking onto mine.  

“Ivy,” he said, his voice low, unreadable.  

For the first time since I got to the office, I felt the control I had just regained slipping right through my fingers.