Chapter 81 81
Andrew's POV
Now that Elliot is alone, it’s the moment.
Mrs. Martins is dead, the company has no visible head, Elliot is a young, inexperienced heir with the title but no real experience. It’s now or never. I don’t want to keep running a secondary branch in Lisbon. I want the headquarters. I want to be CEO. Not regional director, not operations manager. CEO. The one who makes the final decisions, who signs the multimillion-dollar contracts, who pulls the strings. And Elliot is the entry door.
That night Kate and I ate alone in the small guest dining room. The mansion was silent; the staff had already cleared everything and retired to their quarters. Elliot didn’t come down. He said he wasn’t hungry, that he needed to be alone. Perfect. The more vulnerable he is, the better.
Kate ate slowly, her fork moving without any real appetite. She looked beautiful in the simple black dress she had put on for the condolence visit, her hair tied back, her belly clearly visible under the fabric. But her eyes were distant. I knew something didn’t sit right with her. She’s always been like that: she smells something rotten before anyone else does.
We went up to the suite they had assigned us, in the east wing with views of the garden. I closed the door, took off my jacket, and sat on the edge of the bed. Kate stood there, removing her earrings with mechanical movements.
“Kate,” I said, keeping my voice low and calm. “Do you understand how important this situation is?”
She stopped, looked at me through the mirror.
“What situation?”
“The company. Elliot. His mother dead. Him alone, without experience. It’s a good moment for me… for us. I can climb. I can take control of headquarters. Be CEO. Not branch director. CEO.”
She set the earrings on the dresser. I saw her back tense.
“I don’t like the idea of taking advantage of Elliot’s vulnerability,” she said without turning around. “It’s not right.”
“I’m not taking advantage,” I replied, keeping my tone soft. “Elliot needs help. Before the vultures descend. There are partners, shareholders, executives who have been waiting years for this moment to get their hands on it. He’s young, still in university, he doesn’t know how to defend himself. If I don’t step in, someone else will. And when they do, they’ll bleed him dry. The company will collapse or end up in the hands of strangers. Do you want that for him? For his mother’s legacy?”
Kate turned slowly. Her eyes shone—not with tears, but with that contained anger she gets when she feels something isn’t clean.
“Andrew, no. We can’t use his grief to advance your career. It’s… immoral.”
I stood up and walked toward her slowly.
“It’s not using his grief. It’s protecting him. Elliot needs me. And you… you’re the person he trusts most right now. If you talk to him, if you tell him I’m willing to help, that I can handle the hard parts while he finishes university… he’ll accept it. He trusts you, Kate. I can see it.”
She shook her head.
“I’m not going to talk to him about work. Not now. He’s devastated. Let him grieve his mother.”
I moved closer, took her hands. I kissed them slowly, one after the other, looking into her eyes.
“I don’t want to take advantage of Elliot,” I lied with perfect calm. “I just want to make sure no one else deceives him. The vultures are already circling. If we don’t act fast, he’ll be left with nothing. And we… we can help him. You can help him. Go now, before bed. Go to his room, ask him if anyone is taking care of the company. Tell him it’s crucial he knows what’s happening in his businesses. That he’s young, inexperienced, that he needs trusted people. Tell him I’m willing. That I’ll do it for him. For his mother. For the legacy.”
Kate slowly pulled her hands away.
“No. I’m not going to be your messenger.”
I felt the anger rise, but I held it back. I stepped closer, took her face in both hands, gently, as if she were something fragile.
“Kate, please,” I whispered, looking straight into her eyes. “Remember we’re expecting a baby. I want the best for our family. For our son. If I get headquarters, if I become CEO, everything changes. Security, money, future. I’m not doing this out of empty ambition. I’m doing it for us. For him.” I placed my hand on her belly, feeling the warmth through the fabric. “For our child.”
I saw her eyes fill. She hesitated. She always hesitates when I mention the baby. It’s her weak spot.
“Just talk to him,” I insisted. “Ask him if someone is handling the company. Tell him I’m worried about him. Nothing more. Don’t ask him for anything. Just… open the door. For me. For us.”
Kate closed her eyes for a second. She took a deep breath.
“All right,” she said finally, her voice low. “But I’ll only ask. I’m not promising anything.”
I smiled and kissed her forehead.
“Thank you, love. That’s all I need.”
I watched her leave the room, the black dress moving with each step. She closed the door carefully.
I was alone now, looking at my reflection in the wardrobe mirror. I smiled. Everything was going according to plan.
Elliot was broken. Kate was the key. And I… I was going to be CEO.