Disapproval
767 Words
Leah
For the first time since she walked into the building, Samantha Carter’s confidence was no longer the same.
It was small and barely noticeable. But I saw it.
Her smile faded slightly as she studied my face again, like she was trying to figure out whether I truly understood the weight of the offer she had just made.
“One hundred million dollars,” she repeated slowly.
Her voice was softer now. “You’re turning down a fortune.”
I shrugged lightly. “I’m not interested.”
Rebecca looked like she might faint. “Are you insane?” she burst out. “Do you even know how much money that is?”
I looked at her calmly. “Yes.”
Rebecca scoffed. “You lived in our house for three years like a servant, and now you’re pretending money doesn’t matter?”
Her words were meant to humiliate me. But strangely… they didn’t hurt anymore. “Money matters,” I said simply. “But control matters more.”
The lobby fell silent again.nEthan glanced at me with a small look of approval. Samantha, however, narrowed her eyes.
“You think you have control?” she asked quietly.
I held her gaze. “Don’t I?”
Her face changed again, but this time the smile felt colder. “Control in the corporate world is temporary,” she said.
“It shifts.”
Lucas finally spoke again. “That offer is off the table.”
Everyone looked at him. His expression had hardened.
“You don’t speak for her,” Samantha replied calmly.
Lucas didn’t look at Samantha. His eyes were still on me. “She’s not selling,” he said.
Something in his voice made Rebecca stare at him. “Lucas,” she hissed, “what are you doing?”
Lucas ignored her. Samantha studied him carefully, then she laughed softly. “Interesting.”
She crossed her arms slowly. “Lucas Miller… defending his ex-wife.”
Lucas felt ashamed. “This isn’t about that.”
“Isn’t it?” Samantha asked.
Her eyes moved between us. “I remember a time when you couldn’t stand being in the same room as her.”
Her words came as a shock. Lucas didn’t respond. But I saw the look of discomfort in his eyes.
Samantha turned back to me. “Well,” she said calmly. “If you’re not interested in selling today…”
She reached into her designer bag and pulled out a black card. “…you might reconsider later.”
She stepped forward and placed the card in my hand. Her fingers were cold. “Because the truth is,” she continued quietly,
“holding that much power makes you a target.”
A chill ran down my spine. Ethan stepped closer immediately. “That sounds like a threat.”
Samantha gave him an innocent smile. “Just a warning.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes dramatically. “This is such a waste of time.”
She looked at me with open hatred. “You think having money and shares suddenly makes you important?”
Her voice was filled with mockery. “You’re still the same pathetic woman my brother threw away this morning.”
The words echoed across the lobby. Lucas’s head turned sharply toward her. “Rebecca.”
His tone was dangerous. But Rebecca wasn’t finished.
“You cried and begged him to stay with you,” she continued cruelly. “And now you’re pretending to be some powerful businesswoman?”
For a moment, silence filled the room again. Three years ago… those words would have shattered me. But tonight…They didn’t.
I stepped closer to Rebecca slowly. Close enough that she had to look up slightly. “You’re right about one thing,” I said calmly.
Her eyes flashed with triumph. “I knew it.”
But then I finished the sentence. “Your brother did throw me away.”
Rebecca smirked.
But I leaned a little closer and said quietly. “And it was the biggest mistake of his life.”
The smirk disappeared. Behind her, Lucas went completely still. Samantha watched the exchange with intense interest.
Then she suddenly spoke again. “Well,” she said lightly. “This has been entertaining.”
She turned toward the exit. Rebecca followed immediately, still angry.
But just before Samantha reached the door, she stopped.
Then she turned slightly and looked back at Lucas. “Dinner tonight?” she asked casually.
The invitation hung in the air. Rebecca smiled immediately.
“Of course he will—”
But Lucas didn’t answer. His eyes were still on me.
- Writer
