Chapter 107: Confidence Is Good

Elizabeth’s POV:

Next time I chose to stand up for myself, I would make sure I held the upper hand from the very beginning. Since the moment I woke up, I had been forcing myself not to dwell on Cruella—on the memory of her hands on my back and the terrifying sensation of being pushed into the abyss. Jaxon had already handled her, and I simply wanted to focus on the gift of being alive.

We arrived at Voltex and stepped into the sleek, modern lobby. As usual, my eyes went straight to the reception desk, where I spotted Bella looking buried under a mountain of work.

Her face lit up the second she saw me, and she gave me an exciting wave. I waved back, smiling, before following Aunt Camille and Tina into the elevator. “This place is incredible,” Tina admitted as we moved down the polished corridor leading toward Jaxon’s office. She watched with fascination as the small service robots zipped past, performing their programmed tasks with silent efficiency.

“It’s my first time here, too,” Aunt Camille confessed. Tina and I both turned to her with raised brows, unable to believe this was her first visit to her own son’s company. “Complicated relationship, remember?” she added with a small, sad chuckle.

I sighed; it was impossible to predict if Jaxon would ever truly reconcile with his family.

“There he is,” Tina whispered. I looked up to see Jaxon walking toward us, flanked by Caleb, who was reading figures off an iPad with intense focus.

Jaxon’s brow furrowed initially at the sight of us, but his expression softened the moment his eyes landed on me. My heart…well, my entire body—wanted to run to him and throw my arms around his neck, but with so many witnesses watching, I had to keep my composure.

“Mrs. Sinclair,” Caleb greeted me. I noticed a genuine, soft smile on his face and felt a pang of surprise. I hadn't expected him to be so happy to see me, given that our past interactions hadn't exactly been smooth.

“Jax, are you heading out?” Aunt Camille asked. Jaxon didn't offer a verbal reply. He looked at me instead, and I gave him a silent, pleading look. Aunt Camille had come all this way just to bring him his favorite biscuits; surely he wasn't going to just ignore her?

“There’s a poaching event we need to attend immediately,” Caleb answered in Jaxon's place. Tina arched a brow at the news.

“Is that the one where Talon is presenting his project?”

My stomach did a nervous flip. Was that today? Suddenly, a wave of anxiety washed over me. I wanted this project to be a success for him so badly. Even though Jaxon had made it clear he thought the venture was doomed, I desperately wanted Talon to prove him wrong.

“We’re coming too!” I said excitedly. Jaxon’s gaze snapped to me, his brow darkening.

“Stop jumping,” he muttered. I hadn't even realized I was bouncing on the balls of my feet. I let out a nervous chuckle and moved to his side, clinging to his arm.

“Can I come with you? Please?”

“I want to go as well,” Tina added. We all turned to Jaxon. It felt like he held the final say, but I knew deep down that even if he left me behind, I’d find a way to get to that auditorium. I had to be there for Talon.

“Sure, why not. Just invite everyone. Great,” Jaxon sneered sarcastically. He brushed past his mother without a word, and I hurried along beside him, my hand still tucked firmly in the crook of his arm.

“You wouldn't happen to know where my snacks went, would you?” I whispered. He let out a subtle smirk. I had woken up craving a bag of savory chips, only to find my stash completely gone.

“No idea,” he lied with a perfectly straight face. I clicked my tongue in annoyance. I should have known that sharing a bedroom with him wasn't safe—not even my snacks were safe.

When we got downstairs, he pulled the car door open for me. I couldn't help but giggle like a child on Christmas morning; I lived for these small, chivalrous gestures. Yesterday, for the first time, he had actually carried my shopping bag after the clerk finished packing it, he doesn’t know it but it warmed my heart.

He slid into the driver’s seat, but as he reached for the ignition, I grabbed his arm. “Wait… Aunt Camille!” I pointed toward the entrance, where his mother stood watching us with a pained, unreadable expression, Tina standing by her side.

“Caleb will bring them,” he said shortly, pulling away before I could argue.

“There’s plenty of room in the car, Jaxon. Why couldn't we all just drive together?” I pouted. Instead of answering, he reached over and turned up the radio. I let out a long sigh. It felt as though since I’d woken up, his relationship with his parents had deteriorated even further. He wouldn't even offer his own mother a ride.

The rest of the thirty-minute trip was filled with nothing but the sound of the radio until we parked in front of a massive building.

Jaxon and I walked into the auditorium, which was already packed with serious-looking businessmen in tailored suits. Even the women in attendance looked incredibly sharp and sophisticated. I suddenly felt very self-conscious in my black pants and casual hoodie. Jaxon, however, looked perfectly at home, even though he wore just his dress shirt and trousers rather than a full suit.

As we made our way to the front row, several older men nodded in greeting before we made it to our seat. One man with a shock of white hair approached us and Jaxon stood up and offered the man a rare, genuine smile.

“Mr. Richmond, I’m glad you could make it.”

The man laughed heartily. “You know me, Jaxon. Wherever there’s an opportunity to fatten my bank account, I’ll be there. I’m very interested in investing in the project your company is presenting today. We’ll talk more after the presentation.”

Jaxon nodded in professional agreement. “Of course.”

He sat back down and immediately pulled out his phone. I leaned in close to him, whispering, “Will he really invest in Talon’s project if he’s impressed?”

Jaxon nodded. “Everyone in this room is ready to invest. It all depends on who manages to impress them.”

I realized then that I was getting a crash course in the business world. It was a room full of men with deep pockets, all waiting to take a calculated risk on someone else’s dream.

“I bet Talon is nervous as hell,” I murmured. I pulled out my phone and sent him a quick "good luck" message. I waited for a reply, but when none came, I tucked the phone back into my hoodie pocket. I looked up to find Jaxon watching me intently.

“What?”

“Some lessons in life have to be learned the hard way, Beth. Don't feel too bad for him if this doesn't go the way you hope.”

I looked at him, my brow furrowing in confusion. What did he mean by that? I knew he didn't believe in the project, but would he really allow Talon to walk out onto that stage and fail in front of all these people?

“Talon is confident, Jaxon…”

“Confidence is a good,” he replied, his eyes returning to his phone screen. “But confidence doesn't always equal success.”