CHAPTER NINE:THE BOARD MEETING
1054 Words
The Sterling Corp boardroom was glass and steel. Cold.
12 men in suits. One woman. All of them staring at Emily like she was dirt on their shoes.
She stood behind Damian’s chair, laptop in hand, heart in her throat.
This was her first board meeting.
Damian sat at the head of the table. Calm. Deadly calm.
"Let’s begin," he said. "Q3 projections."
But no one opened their files.
Marcus, the oldest board member, cleared his throat. "Damian. Before we start. We need to discuss... distractions."
Emily froze.
Damian didn’t even look at him. "Continue."
"Distractions like bringing personal assistants to New York. Distractions like photos in the tabloids." Marcus slid his phone across the table.
It was the photo. Her asleep on the couch. Damian kneeling, holding her hand.
Taken through her apartment window.
Gasps around the table.
"Is this true?" A woman asked. "Is she in your apartment?"
Emily wanted to disappear.
Damian finally looked up. His gray eyes were ice.
"Yes."
Silence.
"She was sick," he continued. Voice even. "I went to check on my employee. That’s called being a responsible CEO."
Marcus laughed. "Responsible? You’ve had her for 3 weeks and you’re already compromised. This is exactly what happened with Victoria."
Don’t say her name.
But he did.
"Victoria was never an employee," Damian said. "She was a mistake. This is different."
"How?" Marcus leaned forward. "Because she’s pretty? Because she’s young? Damian, the board has concerns. About your judgment. About the company image."
Emily’s hands were shaking. She gripped the laptop tighter.
Damian stood. Slowly.
"My judgment built this company from 2 million to 2 billion."
He walked around the table. Stopped behind Emily’s chair.
"And my judgment tells me she’s the best assistant I’ve ever had."
He put his hand on her shoulder. Public. Firm.
"So if you have a problem with her, you have a problem with me."
The room went dead.
Marcus’s face turned red. "You can’t be serious. She’s nobody, Damian. A girl from nowhere. What happens when you get bored in 2 weeks like you always do?"
Emily flinched.
Damian’s hand tightened on her shoulder.
"I don’t get bored," he said quietly. But everyone heard it. "I get obsessed. And I’m not letting her go."
He looked down at her. Just for a second.
"Are you okay?"
Emily nodded. Even though she wasn’t.
"Good." He turned back to the board. "Meeting adjourned. Q3 can wait. My priority is protecting my people."
He walked out. Emily had to jog to keep up.
---
In the elevator, it was just them.
Emily finally breathed. "You didn’t have to do that."
"Yes I did." Damian was still tense. Jaw clenched.
"They’ll make your life hell now."
"Let them try."
The elevator dinged. His office.
Damian shut the door and immediately went to the window. Hands in pockets.
"You should quit."
Emily stopped. "What?"
"It would be easier. For you. If you quit now before this gets worse."
Emily put her laptop down. "Is that what you want?"
Damian turned. "No."
The word was raw.
"I don’t want you to quit," he said. "I want you to stay. Even though it’s dangerous. Even though my board hates you. Even though V is watching us."
"V sent that photo." Emily said it out loud for the first time. "She was in my apartment."
Damian’s expression darkened. "I know. Security is checking the cameras now. She’ll be arrested for trespassing."
"Damian..."
"Come here."
Emily walked to him. Hesitantly.
He didn’t touch her. Just looked at her. Really looked.
"You’re shaking."
"I’m scared."
"Of me?"
"Of losing this." She whispered. "Of losing you."
Damian closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them, something had changed.
"Then don’t."
He stepped closer. One hand came up. Brushed her hair behind her ear.
"Stay, Emily. With me. At work. In New York. In my bed if you want to."
Emily’s breath caught.
"Damian, I—"
"Don’t answer now." He cut her off. Dropped his hand. "Just think about it. But know this: I’m not playing games. Not with you."
His phone buzzed. He glanced at it. Cursed.
"The board called an emergency vote. They want to remove me as CEO if I don’t fire you."
Emily’s stomach dropped. "What?"
"They’re voting in 2 hours." Damian grabbed his jacket. "So we have 2 hours to change their minds. Or I lose everything."
He held out his hand.
"Come on. We’re going to fight."
---
Two hours later, Emily stood in the back of the boardroom again.
But this time she wasn’t hiding.
Damian was presenting. Charts. Numbers. Proof.
"Since hiring Emily Carter 3 weeks ago, employee productivity in my department is up 22%. Client complaints are down 40%. She’s saved the company 3 million in her first month alone."
The board looked bored.
Until Damian played the last video.
It was from yesterday. Security footage.
Victoria, sneaking into Emily’s apartment building. With a camera.
"That," Damian said, "is corporate espionage. That’s what you want to protect? Or do you want to protect the woman who reported it to me and kept the company safe?"
Marcus was pale.
Damian turned to the board. "Vote. Fire me. Or keep me. But if you fire me, you fire her too. And you lose both of us."
He walked out. Didn’t look back.
Pulled Emily with him.
In the hallway, he leaned against the wall. Exhausted.
"Now we wait."
Emily stood next to him. Their shoulders touched.
"Damian?"
"Hmm?"
"My answer is yes."
He looked at her.
"To what?"
"To staying. With you. In your bed. In your world. All of it."
Damian stared at her for a long second.
Then he pulled her into a hug. Tight. Like he’d been holding back for weeks.
His phone buzzed.
He pulled back. Looked at the screen.
VOTE PASSED:DAMIAN STERLING REMAINS CEO.8-4.
He laughed. Actually laughed. And picked Emily up. Spun her once.
"Looks like we won," he whispered against her hair.
"Looks like it," Emily whispered back.
His phone buzzed again.
Unknown number: “V”
‘You think you won?
This is just round 1.
I will take everything from you.
Starting with her.’
A photo attached.
It was Emily. Leaving the building 5 minutes ago.
And a man in a black hoodie, following her.
***********
- Writer
