Married to My Ex-Husband's Ruthless Uncle

Chapter 4: The Board Meeting

Elena barely slept again that night. But this time, it wasn't heartbreak keeping her awake—it was anticipation.

She'd returned to her suite around midnight, leaving Damien's penthouse before the tension between them could combust into something that would complicate their arrangement. But even alone in her bed, she could still feel the ghost of his touch on her cheek, the heat in his eyes when he'd admitted he wanted to break their rules.

Focus, she told herself. This is about revenge, not romance.

At seven AM, there was a knock on her door. Elena opened it to find a hotel attendant holding several garment bags and boxes.

"Delivery from Mr. Blackwood, ma'am," the young woman said with a knowing smile.

Inside were three designer outfits, each more stunning than the last, along with shoes, jewelry, and a handwritten note in bold, masculine script:

Dress for war. - D

Elena chose a crimson dress by Valentino—fitted, elegant, and the color of blood. She paired it with black Louboutin heels and diamond earrings that caught the light like shards of ice. When she looked in the mirror, she barely recognized herself.

Gone was Marcus's docile wife. In her place stood a woman who looked like she could burn the world down and not lose a moment of sleep over it.

Perfect.

Damien was waiting in the lobby, and the way his eyes darkened when he saw her made Elena's pulse quicken.

"Red," he murmured, moving to her side. "Bold choice."

"I want Marcus to see exactly what he lost."

"He will." Damien's hand settled possessively on her waist as they walked toward his waiting car. "But more importantly, the board will see what I've gained."

In the back of the Bentley, Damien pulled out a small velvet box. Elena's breath caught.

"We need to make this convincing," he said, opening it to reveal a stunning engagement ring—a flawless five-carat diamond surrounded by smaller stones, set in platinum. It was breathtaking and probably cost more than most people's houses.

"Damien, this is—"

"Necessary," he interrupted, taking her left hand. Marcus's wedding ring was already gone; she'd thrown it in the hotel trash last night. "May I?"

Elena nodded, unable to speak as he slid the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly, of course. Damien struck her as the type of man who paid attention to every detail.

"There," he said softly, his thumb stroking over the ring. "Now you're mine."

The possessiveness in his tone should have alarmed her. Instead, it sent heat pooling low in her belly.

"For one year," she reminded him, trying to maintain some semblance of control.

Damien's smile was dangerous. "Of course. One year."

But the way he was looking at her suggested he was already thinking beyond their contract.

Blackwood Industries headquarters was a gleaming tower of steel and glass in the heart of the financial district. Elena had been here dozens of times as Marcus's wife, always playing the supportive spouse at company events.

Today, she walked in as Damien Blackwood's fiancée, and the difference was staggering.

Heads turned. Whispers followed them through the marble lobby. Security guards straightened. Assistants stumbled over their words.

This was what real power looked like.

The executive boardroom was on the forty-fifth floor, all dark wood and leather chairs surrounding a massive table. When Damien and Elena entered, the room fell silent.

Twelve board members sat around the table, including Marcus, who was at the head. His face went white when he saw them, his eyes dropping to the ring on Elena's finger.

"What the hell is this?" Marcus demanded, shooting to his feet.

"Sit down, Marcus," Damien said calmly, pulling out a chair for Elena before taking his own seat. "We have business to discuss."

"She can't be here! She's not a board member!"

"No," Damien agreed. "But she's my fiancée. And as the largest shareholder of this company, I can bring whomever I choose to board meetings."

The other board members exchanged glances. Richard Chen, the CFO, cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should discuss this privately—"

"There's nothing to discuss," Elena said, her voice clear and strong. She met Marcus's furious gaze without flinching. "I'm here as a courtesy, to make sure everyone understands the situation clearly."

"The situation?" Marcus's laugh was bitter. "You mean your pathetic attempt at revenge? Elena, this is insane. We can work through our problems—"

"Our problems?" Elena's voice could have cut glass. "You mean your six-month affair with my half-sister? That problem?"

The room erupted in murmurs. Several board members looked genuinely shocked, while others—the ones who'd clearly known or suspected—had the grace to look uncomfortable.

"That's a private matter," Marcus hissed.

"Not anymore," Damien said coldly. "Not when you've been using your marriage to Elena to secure business deals and board support. You made it a business matter the moment you decided to leverage her family's connections for your own gain."

Marcus's jaw clenched. "This is about the merger, isn't it? You're trying to sabotage it because you can't stand that I'm finally going to surpass you—"

"The merger is dead," Elena interrupted. "My father pulled out this morning. He's entering a new partnership instead." She paused, letting that sink in. "With Damien."

The color drained from Marcus's face. "You can't—that's my deal—"

"It was never your deal," Damien said, his voice deadly quiet. "It was Elena's family's deal. And they've chosen to do business with someone they can actually trust."

Richard Chen leaned forward. "Marcus, is this true? About the affair?"

"It's complicated—"

"It's not complicated at all," Elena said, pulling out her phone. She'd loaded several of the photos Catherine had given her. "Would you like to see the evidence? Paris, three months ago. The Hamptons, two months ago. Your office, last week."

She slid the phone across the table. Richard picked it up, his expression darkening as he scrolled through the images. He passed it to the next board member, who did the same.

Marcus looked like he might be sick.

"This is a witch hunt," he said desperately. "You're all going to believe her over me? I've worked for this company for ten years—"

"And you've been coasting on your family name for all ten of them," Damien said. "The board has been patient, Marcus. We've overlooked your mediocre performance because of your father's legacy. But this?" He gestured to the phone making its way around the table. "This shows a complete lack of judgment and integrity."

"I move to remove Marcus Blackwood from his position as VP of Operations," said Margaret Torres, the head of HR. "Effective immediately."

"Seconded," Richard said without hesitation.

"All in favor?" Damien asked.

Every hand went up except Marcus's.

Elena watched her ex-husband's world crumble in real-time. His face went from white to red, his hands clenching into fists on the table.

"This isn't over," Marcus said, his voice shaking with rage. "You think you've won, but you haven't. I'll fight this. I'll—"

"You'll do nothing," Damien said, standing. His presence filled the room, making Marcus look small and pathetic by comparison. "You'll clean out your office, sign the termination papers, and disappear. Because if you don't, I'll make sure every company in this city knows exactly what kind of man you are. You'll never work in this industry again."

Marcus's eyes darted around the table, looking for support. He found none.

"Elena," he said, his voice breaking. "Please. Don't do this. I love you—"

"No, you don't," Elena said, standing as well. She moved to Damien's side, and his arm immediately came around her waist. "You never did. But that's okay, Marcus. Because I've found someone who actually deserves me."

She tilted her face up to Damien, a silent question in her eyes. His answer was to lower his head and capture her lips in a kiss that was anything but businesslike.

It was possessive, claiming, and absolutely devastating. Elena's hands fisted in his suit jacket as she kissed him back, forgetting for a moment that they had an audience, that this was supposed to be an act.

When they finally broke apart, Damien's eyes were molten silver.

"Mine," he murmured against her lips, just loud enough for Marcus to hear.

Elena smiled. "Yours."

Behind them, Marcus made a sound like a wounded animal. But Elena didn't turn around. She didn't need to see his pain.

She'd already won.

In the elevator going down, Elena's hands were shaking. The adrenaline was wearing off, leaving her feeling simultaneously exhilarated and terrified.

"That kiss," she said quietly. "That wasn't part of the plan."

Damien's jaw tightened. "No. It wasn't."

"Damien—"

"I know." He turned to her, and the raw hunger in his eyes made her breath catch. "I know this is supposed to be business. I know we have rules. But Elena, when you looked at me like that, when you called yourself mine—" He broke off, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not sure I can keep pretending this is just an arrangement."

Elena's heart pounded. "What are you saying?"

The elevator doors opened before he could answer. But as they walked out into the lobby, Damien's hand found hers, their fingers intertwining.

"I'm saying," he murmured, "that this just got a lot more complicated."

Elena squeezed his hand, a smile playing at her lips.

"Good," she whispered. "I like complicated."