Chapter 253 253

Chapter 253 253
Maya

Sarah's mouth was pressed flat and her eyes were ice, the pupils contracted to pinpoints. Whatever Elias had done to warrant this particular look, whether it was calling the meeting on short notice or the months of distance or simply existing in a way she found unsatisfactory, Sarah was making sure he knew about it.
Then Willow slipped into the room and took a seat near Sophia, smoothing her skirt as she settled in. She glanced up at the screen, found Elias, and her whole face changed. Softened. Her eyes stayed on his, steady and warm and lingering just a beat too long.
I felt nothing. No jealousy, no threat, no spike of territorial instinct. Just a distant sort of pity for a woman who wanted something she would never have. Elias was mine. He'd chosen me, fought for me, turned his entire world upside down to keep me safe. Willow could look at him with all the longing in the world and it wouldn't change a single thing.
I turned the ring on my finger and watched Elias's hand shift on the desk, fingers spreading and then curling back in. I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his jaw worked once before he spoke.
"Thank you all for making time on short notice," he said, his voice even and professional and completely stripped of the rough edge it carried when we were alone in the dark. "I appreciate it."
Sarah's scowl deepened. "You've been gone for months, Elias, abandoning your duties for heaven knows what reasons. And now you call an emergency board meeting with less than twelve hours' notice and expect us to simply accommodate you?"
"I do," Elias said flatly. "Because what I have to say can't wait."
Elliot shifted in his seat, leaning forward slightly. "Is this about the stock drop? Because we've been managing the fallout from Margaret’s attempts to seize control, but the market is still reacting poorly to the instability and—"
"Margaret is in police custody," Elias cut him off, his tone hard and final. "She was arrested two days ago on multiple charges as well as her financial backer. The FBI has enough evidence to keep her locked up for a good long time.”
He paused and leaned forward, folding his arms on the table. “So, she is no longer a threat to this company or anyone in it."
Complete, stunned silence reigned for a minute then chaos took over.
Elliot slammed a hand on the table and let out a loud "fuck yeah!”, closely followed by a victory dance that would have been funny if it was so cringe.
The room erupted in applause and cheers though of course, it was impossible to miss the dismay clearly written on some faces. I took note of those people then shifted my attention to the family members.
Sophia's mouth fell open slightly and her expression was a mix of shock and relief as she ran fingers through her hair. Evan had stopped drumming his fingers and sat up straighter, eyes narrowing as he stared at the screen.
And Sarah…she sat quietly, nodding her head, mouth set in a thin line as she stared at Elias with something bordering on approval.
When the chaos settled a bit, she leaned forward, "You're certain?" She asked, her voice clipped. "The charges will hold?"
"They'll hold," Elias said. "Margaret isn't walking away from this anytime soon."
Sarah's fingers tapped once against the table, a sharp staccato sound. "Good. Then you can return to New York immediately and we can begin damage control. The board needs to see strong leadership right now, Elias. The company needs you here, visible and in control."
"No," Elias said.
The single word dropped into the room like a stone into still water.
Sarah's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"
"I'm not coming back, not as the CEO." Elias said, his voice steady and unyielding. "I'm stepping down, effective immediately."
The silence that followed was a masked contrast from the cheers of just moments before.
"You can't be serious," Elliot said, his voice rising slightly. "You can't just quit again just because you feel like it. Not now. Not while the company is still hemorrhaging money from Margaret's power play."
"I can and I am," Elias replied. "Remember, I only agreed to take the position on a temporary basis, until Margaret's schemes were dealt with. They have been. My obligation is fulfilled."
"Your obligation?" Sarah's voice was razor-sharp now, cutting through the room with the precision of a scalpel. "Your obligation is to this family, Elias. To this company. Your father built Ashtree from the ground up and sacrificed so much to build a legacy for his children and you're going to walk away from it?”
Elias's jaw tightened and I could see the muscle jump beneath his skin. "I'm not walking away. I'm handing it off to someone better suited to the position than me."
"And who exactly is that?" Sarah demanded, her eyes blazing. "Because if you think I'm going to stand by and watch you install some outsider to run this company—"
"She's not an outsider," Elias said, his voice dropping lower, softer, but no less dangerous.
Sophia had been silent but now she piped up."She? Who are you talking about, Elias?"
I took that as my cue.
I rolled my chair into view, the wheels smooth and silent against the hardwood floor, and watched the screen as every single face in that conference room turned
toward the camera.
"That would be me.”
For a moment, nobody moved. Nobody breathed.
Then Willow made a sound, small and choked, like something vital had just been ripped out of her chest.
"Hello, everyone," I said, keeping my voice level and calm. "I'm sure you're all very surprised to see me."
Sophia's hand flew to her mouth. Evan swore, loud and sharp. Elliot just stared, his face going from pale to flushed in the span of three seconds.
"M...Maya?" Willow's voice was a broken whisper, her face deathly pale like she was staring at a ghost. "How...how are..."
"What the hell kind of sick joke is this?" Elliot exploded, finding his own voice. "Is this fucking AI?"
I smiled despite the terse situation. Beside me, Elias chuckled under his breath and reached over to cover my hand resting on the table with his.
"It's got to be AI." Evan had left his seat and was now standing directly in front of the screen. "Elias...bro...I know you miss Maya, but this..."
"Move out of the way!" Sarah ordered, her tone frosty and Evan hurriedly jumped back.