The boardroom of Hayes Enterprises was a glass-and-steel fortress, its high windows overlooking a sprawling city. Morning sunlight poured through the windows, creating angular shadows along the polished mahogany tabletop where silent board members lingered in a stagnation of tension. At the head of the table, Caspian Montague wore a dark suit so perfectly tailored the fabric seemed almost liquid, but white skin had sprung from under his collar like a weed, evidence of a long night and an even longer day. His eyes twinkled emerald as they danced about the room, looking for some semblance of support toward his ever-growing dissent.
Indicating the start of the normalをted presentation, Caspian slowly started his presentation as he elaborated on the plans that he carefully steered to target Soren's recent backlashes. Celeste stood next to him, her auburn hair swept back in an elegant chignon, her presence a bastion of strength and grace. Her emerald eyes stayed fixated on Caspian, her silence urging him to push through.
Caspian shook his head, but everything felt disoriented and unsteady as if the room was knocking him off balance. He clutched the edge of the table, his breath halting in his throat as his legs started to buckle. "I —" he gasped, and his voice broke with the effort. The board members stared in stunned silence as Caspian's body lurched forward, crashing atop the table with a heavy thud.
Celeste jumped to his side, grasping his arm to hold him steady as fear sprang to her face. "Caspian!" she said, her voice shaking with horror. The room was thrown into pandemonium, board members leaping to their feet and rushing to stand beside Caspian. Paramedics came crashing through the doors as well, the mood only getting more frantic as they started giving first aid.
In one corner of the room, Soren Montague watched, his lips moving with a cold, calculating smile. His silver hair twinkled with the bright lights, his piercing blue eyes did not change as he watched the day's drama. Kneeling beside Caspian, Celeste's hands were stroking his forehead, her emerald gaze desperate and worrying.
"Wait, Caspian," she said, voice lost among the chaos. "You're going to be okay."
But Caspian's breaths became shallow, his body growing weaker with every second. We'll see what else we can find before we pull her out of here, hotshot, they heard shouted among the wail of sirens behind the building. Soren stood frozen, the same cold look plastered on his face as he watched Celeste fight to keep Caspian awake.
As the paramedics burst into the room to take over, Caspian's hand weakly flailed toward Celeste, where his eyes opened just enough for a final plea. "Don't let him win," he said. The words hung heavy in the air before his eyes closed one last time, leaving the room shocked to silence.
Celeste trembled with Caspian's body, testosterone bleeding her heart, she knew Soren's push on him had condemned him. The fight for Hayes Enterprises had come at bloody, bloody cost, and Soren's true ruthlessness was now painfully obvious.
Antiseptic hung in the air of the hospital room, the foul smell giving Caspian an instant headache, but all he saw was the short-haired woman sitting in front of him. The stark white lights above shine a sterile glow on his unmoving body, the low beep of the heart monitor a grim reminder of how fragile he still is. Beside them, a team of doctors stood, their expressions serious as they talked about Caspian's condition.
Celeste approached Dr. Elena Ramirez, white coat immaculately clean, dark hair twisted tightly into a bun. "We have done all that we can do, Mrs. Montague," she said with a gentle but authoritative voice. "Caspian's heart is fully maxed out. The stress and lack of sleep have sapped his health. Another breakdown could be deadly."
Tension gripped her chest as she rolled up her emerald eyes with unshed tears. "Come on, is there any other way we can do it? She asked, her voice quivering.
Dr. Ramirez shook her head, regret written across her face. "The only way to avoid another collapse is for Caspian to stand aside from his role with immediate effect. He can't deal with that level of stress right now."
Celeste made her way over, a hand going to Caspian's arm in a gentle touch, a silent prayer for his recovery. "We need you, Caspian. Hayes Enterprises needs you. Please, don't give up on us."
But, as if sensing her desperation, Caspian shifted slightly, eyes opening enough to meet her own. "Celeste," he murmured, his voice faint but resolute, "if I don't step back, I'm going to die from this." And if I'm not, Soren will take everything you have."
At those words, Celeste's heart broke; she was stunned to realize the real stakes, the reality of what was at risk. "We're in this together; we can fight this," she said, her voice cracking. "You don't have to go through this on your own."
Soren Montague barged into the room, exuding unruffled confidence, when she went to say more. His silver hair was perfectly coiffed, and his slate blue eyes were as chillingly calculating as ever as he surveyed the room. As he stepped up to Celeste with a smirk, her body froze, and goosebumps ran up her arms.
"Congratulations, Celeste," Soren said, as if he were a news anchor as if he had no empathy for him. "Caspian's situation has made it the perfect time for me to assume complete control over Hayes Enterprises."
Soren stepped closer, and it took every fibre of Celeste's willpower not to kick him like she did so many months back. "You think you can twist the situation even more, don't you, Soren?"
He laughed a little, hollow and menacing. "It's already too late, Celeste. By the time you find out, I'm going to own half his empire."
Celeste remained steadfast beside Caspian as Soren turned to go, and she could feel the weight of Caspian's condition and Soren's threat bearing down upon them. It had taken her, Rayna, the freshly facing corporate warrior, the new face of corporate terror, to this level, and it was only just a taste because the battle now was personal and bloody.
Within the confines of Sterling Price's expansive office, a realm of authority, the walls were covered in accolades and strategic maps of the blueprints of his corporate ascendance. Sterling reviewed the most recent financial reports spanning his expensive mahogany desk. His tailored navy suit enhanced his athletic frame, his silver hair tamed to perfection, his steely blue eyes flashing with calculating ambition.
Talia Montague had been sifting through the shards of Sterling's duplicities, her auburn hair swept into a ponytail, her emerald gaze poring over the papers, anxiety blooming in her stomach. The folder she had unearthed had shown her a network of machinations and sabotage from years before, instigated by Soren Montague: doctored reports on Caspian's mental state and intentional leaks to media designed to undermine his leadership.
As she went through the incriminating evidence, Talia's mind ran with implications. The knowledge that Soren had been undermining Caspian all along sent a chill through her, the extent of his treachery suddenly clear. She also knew she had to act fast to expose the truth, but the danger of confronting Sterling was great.
As she stood to leave Sterling's office, the door barged in on her, and Sterling himself strode in with authority. His eyes locked onto Talia's, an odd blend of surprise and scepticism flitting across his features. "Talia," he said in a smooth voice imbued with authority, "what can I do for you?"
Talia was trembling, but she kept her feet down on the dirt tents, lying in wait. "Sterling, I discovered something — something that ties Soren to manipulating the company and our family from the beginning."
Sterling's smile vanished, leaving a dark, glacial expression on his face, his ice-blue eyes narrowing with a cool intensity. "Careful, Talia. You are playing with fire. Soren is a ruthless man, and he doesn't think twice about taking out anyone who opposes him."
The fear still held Talia, yet she felt the stirrings of resolve. "He cannot be allowed to keep destroying everything we've built. Hayes Enterprises deserves better than this leadership."
Sterling moved closer, menacingly. "You really think you can take me on? You know nothing, Talia. You are a layperson. If you go through with this, I will make sure that not only your father but everyone related to you pays the price."
Talia's resolve faltered, the threat like a shadow between them. She understood the extent of Sterling's power and the lengths to which he would go to protect it. But the truth must be revealed, no matter the cost.
"His last words made a fat and resounding sound in the chamber," Sterling said as he walked away. "Consider your next move carefully, Talia. Betrayal is not something I do lightly."
As he walked out, Talia focused, heart beating fast, on what might be the show's most treacherous path. The stakes were higher than ever, and the battle against Soren's unyielding machinations was only just getting started. The dark revelations she had unearthed were now both her only ally and her most threatening liability, the scales of power wobbly on a knife's edge.