Chapter 109: Fighting My Ex-Wife

Knox

My hand freezes on Emma’s soft thigh under the conference table.

My jaw tightens in rage.

Monica walks in.

Her red heels click softly as she sashay through the conference room as if she controls every part of it.

She raises her hand in a relaxed wave, diamonds sparkle on her wrist. “Please excuse my lateness,” she says with her silky voice which used to captivate me. “I had an emergency.”

My jaw locks so tight I feel my teeth grind.

“Monica, what the hell are you doing here?” I bark. My voice echoed through the glass walls of the building.

She avoids meeting my gaze as she walks to the vacant chair which faces me and takes a seat. She sits with her legs crossed and her back straight while showing a smug smile.

Mr. Carter clears his throat and gives her a polite nod. “Your apologies are accepted, Ms. Lewinsky.”

A few board members actually smile at her.

Rage climbs up my throat like acid. I lean forward, palms flat on the table. “That doesn't answer my question. What the hell is she doing in my boardroom?”

Mark, one of the younger board members, speaks up. “Monica Lewinsky is the new lead investor for the product launch.”

I laugh bitterly. This must be a joke. “Look, I do not give a damn. I want her out. Right now.”

The room erupted in chaos. The sound of chairs scratching filled the air, while someone let out a cough. They stared at me and Monica as if they were watching a tennis match.

“Order, everyone,” Mr. Carter says, raising both hands. “Let us continue our discussion in a civil manner.

My ex-wife who deceived me and took half of my initial fortune has entered my company as if she owns the right to join us. Civil is the last thing I feel.

“No. Someone explain how this happened without my knowledge.”

Mr. Carter sigh in frustration. “Knox, I understand there’s history—”

“History?” I cut him off. “She’s my ex-wife.”

He nods slowly. “Yes. But business is business. Monica met every requirement. She submitted the investment package, passed due diligence, and wired the funds yesterday afternoon. The board reviewed everything. We voted. She’s in.”

My blood roars in my ear which makes me unable to hear anything else. “And no one thought to tell me?”

Mark shifts in his seat. “The full investor summary report was sent to your email last week. Did you not see it?

I glare at him so hard he drops his eyes to the table. “Stop giving me that nonsense because you know I receive numerous emails. You should have flagged it. You should have called me. You should have done something.”

Silence stretches.

Monica finally speaks. Her voice is calm. Too calm. “Knox, darling, you always did hate surprises.”

I turn my head to face her. Our gazes meet. A smug smile on her face.

I stand up so quickly that my chair moves backward and crashes into the wall. "I won't accept this. Revoke her status. Immediately."

Mr. Carter touches his forehead while he speaks. "Knox, you can’t."

"I can," I growl. "And I will."She has to leave or I will stop everything.”

Some of them gasp in shock.

"We’ve spent millions," another board member, Linda, says. "The venue is booked. The press releases are out. The pre-orders—"

"I don’t care," I snap. "She doesn’t touch my project. She doesn’t touch my company. And she doesn’t get anywhere near me."

Monica tilts her head. That smile never leaves her face. She looks happy about everything happening around her.

Mr. Carter rise to his feet.  "Knox, the board has the authority here. Not just you. We accepted her investment because it’s good for the company. She’s bringing in twenty-five million. Cash. Up front. We need that capital to scale production."

"You need to locate another investor,” I growl.

"There is no one else. Not on this short notice. Not with this kind of money."

I glare around the table. Every face looks uncomfortable. The members of the table refuse to look at me except for Monica.

She reclines in her chair while she plays with the diamond bracelet on her wrist. She keeps watching and waiting.

I drop back into my seat. My hands curl into fists on my thighs. I curse myself silently. I should have read that damn report. I should have checked the investor list. I was too busy, too distracted, trying to get Emma's attention.

Mr. Carter exhales. "Let’s do this the proper way. We’ll take a vote. Right now. If the majority wants to revoke Monica’s investor status, we revoke it. Hands up if you want her out."

I lean back in my chair. Arms crossed. Waiting.

One by one, hands stay down.

Mark looks at his lap.

Linda stares at her notes.

Richard, the older man at the end of the table, raises his hand halfway before lowering it when he sees nobody else is raising their hand.

I am the only person who keeps their hand raised.

My chest burns.

Mr. Carter spreads his hands. "The board has spoken, Knox. Monica stays."

I stand still. I maintain silence. I continue to look at her.

She holds my gaze for a long time without showing any signs of blinking. The smug smile she wears deepens into a more intense expression.

She understands that she has achieved victory in this argument.

I push my chair back slowly, standing. "This isn’t over."

I storm out of the conference room. Slamming the door so hard behind me.

Monica isn’t just here for money.

She wants to pull me down.

I will do everything to prevent her from getting close to me.

I force my office door open so violently that it crashes against the wall.

Then I sit down, anger burning through me.

The door opens and Monica walks in. Her heels clicking against the floor. Her perfume lingers in the air.

Monica steps inside and shuts the door with a soft click.

She walks to my desk while swinging her hips. She seems confident as if she still controls every part of my life. She stands in front of the guest chair but does not sit down. Instead she leans one hip against my desk, crosses her arms under her chest, and flashes that bright, poisonous smile.

"Knox, darling." She speaks to me in a soft voice. "You should be happy. A powerful investor just joined your little project. Think of everything we can achieve together."

"Get out." I speak in a deep, rough voice.

She tilts her head. "I’ll leave when I want to. You don’t treat an investor so rudely."

"I’ll treat you however the hell I want."

She begins to laugh in Mockingly.

"You remember what happened at the hotel a few months back?" she says, voice dropping to something silky and dangerous.

I lean forward, palms flat on the desk. "What are you talking about?"

"You went to meet a prospective client. Woke up butt naked. No memory. No clothes on. Just you, the bed, and a massive headache."

I have locked my jaw so tight.

She smiles wider. "I did it, Knox. Slipped something in your drink. I took a few pictures for fun. And I’ll do worse if I don’t get what I want."

My fists tighten until my knuckles turn white. "You better not try anything stupid. Because I will come for you."

She steps closer to me while dropping her voice to a whisper. "I want you, Knox. I want you to fuck me hard like you used to. Pin me down. Make me scream your name. You know you still want it too."

Anger erupts in my chest. I stand up from my seat so forcefully that it causes the chair to roll back and crash against the wall. I get to her within two quick stride.

I grab her upper arms in anger.

"Knox!" she yells. "Let go of me!"

I disregard her request. My anger has reached a point where it prevents me from seeing correctly.

I pull her toward the door while her heels slide on the carpet. She tries to escape from my grip but she cannot.

I force the door open, shoving her into the hallway. She falls backward but manages to regain her footing against the wall.

Then I slam the door in her face.

I remain in my position while I struggle to breathe. My chest is moving up and down while my hands are still trembling with intense anger.

She believes she can force me to submit to her blackmails.

No.

I shift my gaze towards the desk.

I refuse to allow that woman to destroy everything I have built.

I'll find a way to put her down. Even if it means digging dirt on her to get her out of my way.

I'll use every connection in my capacity to deal with Monica.