Chapter 255 255
Chapter 255 255
Elias's POV
I watched Maya tear into Sarah and felt something primal and possessive unfurl in my chest.
This was the woman who'd spent years making Maya feel small. The woman who'd looked at my wife across dinner tables with thinly veiled contempt, who'd made pointed comments about breeding and family legacy, who'd smiled politely while delivering insults wrapped in silk. Sarah had perfected the art of making Maya feel unworthy without ever saying the words outright, and Maya had absorbed every blow because she'd believed, on some level, that Sarah was right.
Not anymore.
"Don't I?" Maya said, leaning forward to match Sarah's aggressive posture. "Let's talk numbers, Sarah. In the last five years, Ashtree's growth has stagnated. Your expansion into the Asian market failed because you refused to adapt to local business practices. Your product development timeline is eighteen months behind your competitors because you insist on micromanaging every decision. And your executive team has a turnover rate of forty percent because working here is unbearable for anyone who doesn't kiss the ring."
Sophia made a small sound but Maya's eyes never left Sarah's face.
"You want to know what this company needs?" Maya continued, her voice sharp and unwavering. "It needs fresh leadership. It needs innovation. It needs someone who's willing to take risks instead of clinging to the way things have always been done. And whether you like it or not, Sarah, that person is me."
Heat crawled up my spine and settled low in my gut. I'd known Maya was capable of this, had seen glimpses of her strength over the months we'd spent in Los Angeles, but watching her dismantle Sarah's arguments with cold precision and absolute confidence was something else entirely.
Sarah's hands curled into fists on the table and I could see the rage building in her expression, the way her face went white and then red. "I will fight you every step of the way. Every decision you make, every policy you implement, every hire you bring in, I will oppose it. I will make running this company a living hell for you."
"You can try," Maya said, and there was steel in her voice now, unbreakable and utterly fearless. "But it won't change anything. I'm still going to be CEO and you're still going to have to deal with it."
"This is insanity," Sarah snapped, her voice climbing higher. "You've been gone for months. You have no idea what the current state of the company is, what deals are in progress, what obligations we have—"
"Then brief me," Maya interrupted smoothly. "Send me the financial reports, the contract summaries, the strategic plans. I'll read them tonight and we can discuss them tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Sarah's laugh was bitter and mocking. "You think you can absorb six months of company operations in one night?"
"I think I can absorb enough to know where to start," Maya said. "And I think you're stalling because you don't want to admit that I'm right."
She glanced at me then, just a quick flicker of her eyes, and I kept my expression neutral and my body relaxed. I could feel her reading me, looking for confirmation or support or some sign that she should back down.
I gave her nothing.
Not because I didn't support her. Not because I wasn't ready to burn the entire board to the ground if they pushed her too far. But because Maya needed this. She needed to prove to herself, to Sarah, to everyone watching that she could hold her own without me stepping in to fight her battles.
And god, she was doing it beautifully.
I saw the moment she understood what I was doing. Saw the way her shoulders straightened and her chin lifted and something fierce and determined settled into her expression. She turned back to Sarah and I watched her transform into something unstoppable.
"Here's what's going to happen," Maya said, her voice dropping into something quieter but infinitely more dangerous. "I'm taking over as CEO. Elias is stepping down. The board will convene next week to formalize the transition and in the meantime, I want full access to all company files, all financial records, all ongoing projects. You can cooperate or you can obstruct, but either way, I'm moving forward."
"You can't just—"
"I can," Maya cut her off. "And I am. You've had your say, Sarah. You've made your objections clear. And I'm rejecting them. All of them."
Sarah's face went from white to red and her mouth opened, clearly preparing to launch into another tirade, another attempt to intimidate Maya into backing down.
Maya reached over and closed the laptop.
The screen went black and the room fell into sudden, absolute silence.
I stared at her, my pulse hammering and heat flooding through my veins. She'd just hung up on Sarah Sinclair. Mid-sentence. Without hesitation or apology or a single second of doubt.
Maya sat back in her chair and let out a slow breath, her hands steady and her expression calm despite the adrenaline I could see thrumming beneath her skin.
"You just hung up on Sarah Sinclair mid-sentence," I said, my voice coming out rougher than I'd intended.
"I did," she confirmed, and there was satisfaction in her tone, quiet and absolute.
Something snapped loose in my chest.
I reached for her and pulled her into my lap, my hands finding her waist and gripping tight. She came willingly, her body fitting against mine with the kind of perfect familiarity that came from months of learning each other in the dark.
"God, I love you," I said, the words tumbling out before I could stop them.
Her smile was slow and knowing. "I know."
I kissed her.
Not gentle. Not careful. I kissed her hard and deep and possessive, pouring everything I felt into the press of my mouth against hers. Pride and hunger and fierce, overwhelming satisfaction. She'd stood up to Sarah. She'd claimed what was hers. She'd been magnificent and terrifying and absolutely unstoppable.
Maya made a soft sound against my lips and her hands came up to grip my shoulders, fingers digging in as she kissed me back with equal intensity. Her mouth opened under mine and I tasted her, exploring and claiming and losing myself in the heat building between us.
I pulled back just enough to look at her, my breathing uneven and my heart pounding against my ribs. Her lips were swollen and her eyes were dark and she was looking at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.
"You were magnificent," I said, my voice rough and raw.
"I'm just getting started," she said, and the promise in those words sent another rush of heat through me.
I kissed her again, slower this time but no less intense. My hands slid up her sides and into her hair, tilting her head back so I could deepen the kiss, and she melted into me with a soft sigh that made my chest ache.
When I finally pulled away, we were both breathing hard and the air between us was charged with something electric and dangerous.
"I wanted to step in," I admitted quietly, my forehead resting against hers. "When Sarah started pushing back. I wanted to tear her apart for every insult she's ever thrown at you."
"I know," Maya said. "But you didn't."
"No," I agreed. "Because you didn't need me to."
Her smile was fierce and beautiful. "No. I didn't."
I kissed her once more, soft and lingering, then reluctantly let her slide off my lap. She stood and straightened her clothes, running her fingers through her hair to smooth it back into place.
"Sarah's going to call you," she said, already moving toward the door. "Probably in the next ten minutes. She'll want you to talk some sense into me."
"What should I tell her?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.
Maya looked back at me over her shoulder and her smile was all teeth.
"Tell her to get used to disappointment," she said.
And then she was gone, leaving me alone in the study with the closed laptop and the lingering taste of her on my lips.
I sat there for a moment, letting the pride and satisfaction settle into something deeper and more permanent.
Maya was going to be extraordinary. And I was going to be right there beside her, watching her burn the world down and rebuild it in her image.
I couldn't wait.