Chapter 86 The Final Strike
Briar's POV
The satisfaction of watching Sienna's face drain of color should have been enough, but I wasn't finished. Not even close. Henry was still standing there between the security guards, his face red with impotent rage, and I could feel the weight of everyone's eyes on me, waiting to see what I would do next.
I walked over to Henry and grabbed his arm, my fingers digging into his sleeve as I dragged him toward where Devon stood. He tried to pull away, his feet stumbling as he fought against my grip, but I held on tight and shoved him forward until he was standing directly in front of the Montgomery team.
"These pieces of evidence are enough for me to sue you for theft of trade secrets, defamation, and unfair competition," I said, my voice cold and clear as I looked directly at Devon. "Get your legal team ready, Mr. Montgomery. I hope they're good."
Devon's face turned an ugly shade of red, the careful composure he had maintained throughout the entire confrontation finally cracking. His jaw clenched so tight I could see the muscles jumping beneath his skin, and his hands were balled into fists at his sides. Sienna grabbed his sleeve, her eyes red-rimmed as she leaned close and whispered something urgent in his ear, her voice too low for anyone else to hear but the desperation clear in every line of her body.
He jerked his arm away from her, his voice sharp and cutting as he pointed a finger at me. "You're playing with fire, Ms. Vance. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."
I turned away from him without responding and looked at Kai instead, keeping my expression neutral even though my heart was pounding in my chest. I said calmly, "I'm just biting back."
Then I turned back to Devon, and I let my eyes shift just slightly, feeling the familiar burn as gold flickered through my irises for just a moment before I forced it back down.
"Tell your legal team to prepare themselves," I said quietly. "My game with the Montgomery family is just beginning."
Sienna's voice rose in a shrill protest, her hands gesturing wildly as she tried to defend herself, but Devon cut her off with a sharp command that made her flinch. "Enough! Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough already?"
The other members of the Montgomery team all dropped their eyes to the floor, their faces red with secondhand shame. Sienna's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, but no sound came out. Devon grabbed her arm and started pulling her toward the door, his movements jerky and angry.
Before they could leave, there was a knock on the conference room door. One of Kai's assistants poked her head in, her expression apologetic as she caught his attention. "Mr. Stone, we're ready to announce the results whenever you are."
The room fell silent. I felt my stomach drop, all the adrenaline that had been carrying me through the confrontation suddenly draining away and leaving nothing but cold anxiety in its wake. This was it. Everything I had worked for, everything I had sacrificed, came down to this moment.
Kai stood, his expression serious as he looked around the room. "The bidding results are based on a comprehensive evaluation of product quality, business plans, and corporate integrity. No external factors will influence this decision."
I saw Devon's face tighten, a flash of something ugly crossing his features before he schooled his expression back into neutrality. He had been counting on his family's influence to tip the scales in his favor, I realized. He had thought that even if everything went wrong, he could still pull strings behind the scenes to secure the contract.
My hands were clenched so tight my nails were digging into my palms. I wanted this so badly it hurt, but I was also terrified of hoping too much, of letting myself believe we could actually win only to have that hope crushed.
Kai opened the folder in front of him and pulled out a single sheet of paper. The silence in the room was absolute, everyone holding their breath as he looked down at the results.
"Congratulations," he said, looking up with a small smile. "Vance Botanicals."
For a moment, I couldn't process the words. They seemed to hang in the air, disconnected from reality, and I just stood there frozen as Owen let out a choked sound beside me and Eric's face broke into a rare, genuine smile. Then it hit me all at once, the weight of victory settling over my shoulders, and instead of the wild joy I had expected to feel, there was just this overwhelming sense of relief.
We had done it. We had actually done it.
Devon's face went rigid, his hands clenching at his sides as he forced himself to walk forward. He was clapping, but the sound was hollow and mechanical, and his eyes were cold with barely suppressed fury. "Congratulations, Ms. Vance," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Today must be your lucky day."
I met his gaze steadily, refusing to let him see how much his words stung. "We earned this with our own abilities, Mr. Montgomery. Luck had nothing to do with it."
Sienna couldn't hold it in anymore. She stepped forward, her face blotchy and red, her voice shaking with rage. "What are you so proud of? It's just one stupid contract! You think we even care? Montgomery Medical Group has resources you'll never be able to touch in your entire pathetic life!"
Devon's face went white, then red, his expression twisting with fury as he whirled on his sister. "Shut up! Get out! Right now! Haven't you humiliated us enough?"
Sienna's mouth snapped shut, tears spilling down her cheeks as she turned and fled from the room. The rest of the Montgomery team followed in her wake, their heads down and their shoulders hunched with shame. The door closed behind them with a soft click that sounded deafening in the sudden silence.
Kai walked over with the contract in his hands, his expression warm as he held it out to me. "Congratulations again, Ms. Vance. I look forward to working with you."
I took the contract with shaking hands and forced myself to read through every clause and condition carefully, even though my eyes were blurring with exhaustion and relief. When I was satisfied that everything was in order, I signed my name at the bottom and handed it back to Kai.
Owen was standing beside me, his eyes suspiciously bright as he stared at the signed contract. "Boss," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I can't believe we actually made it this far."
I pulled the contract out of Kai's hands and shoved it into Owen's arms, unable to stop the smile that tugged at my lips despite everything. "Sleep with it tonight if you want."
My phone rang before Owen could respond, Emily's name flashing on the screen. I answered it and heard the buzz of excited voices in the background, everyone in the office clearly waiting for news.
I took a deep breath and said, "We won. Plan a celebration party for tonight. Everyone's hard work paid off."
The cheer that erupted from the other end of the line was so loud I had to hold the phone away from my ear. I could hear people shouting questions about raises and bonuses, and someone yelling about how the coworkers who had jumped ship early could go to hell.
I opened the company group chat and typed out a quick message confirming the raises and double bonuses for everyone. Within seconds, the chat exploded with thank you messages and celebration GIFs, the notifications coming so fast my phone started to lag.
Owen suddenly cursed under his breath, slapping his forehead. "I left the backup copy of the contract on the conference table. I need to go get it."
I looked at him and Eric, both of them exhausted and worn out from the stress of the past few days, and shook my head. "You two have been through enough today. I'll go get it."
Owen started to protest, but I was already heading for the door. The walk back to the conference building felt surreal, the midday sun streaming through the windows and painting everything in warm golden light. My footsteps echoed in the empty hallway as I made my way back to the conference room, my mind still trying to process everything that had happened.
As I approached the conference room, I heard voices coming from inside. I slowed my steps, frowning as I recognized the sound of a business discussion. They were talking about tracking promotional effectiveness, fixing bugs, storyline design, things that had nothing to do with medical contracts or botanical products.
I stopped outside the door, my hand hovering over the handle as I listened.
A male voice spoke up, sounding amused and slightly embarrassed. "Why do you say that? Oh, because I'm in love right now, so I'm more sensitive to these things."
The room erupted in laughter and teasing comments, and then I heard Kai's voice, exasperated and sharp. "Get lost! Why don't you drown in your river of love!"
My entire body went rigid. That voice. That laugh. The cadence of his speech, the frequency of his laughter, it was almost identical to Lucian's voice.