UNTIL SHE'S MINE AGAIN

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 11

ATLAS

I drew in a deep breath as I walked out of the police station that morning.

Finally.

I couldn't believe I literally spent all my night in that cold cell for a crime that shouldn't be as serious as they were making it to be. Aggravated assault? It had only been a single punch. Staying in the cell made me cold and all I could think about was that I wasn't really at fault like they claim it to be.

Yeah, I was guilty for punching him, but he had punched me first. And it just doesn't make any sense that all that had happened due to a single punch. It was his fault for not being able to take a punch. I just found it so odd that he almost broke his skull because of my punch.

His family definitely wanted to pursue the case. My lawyer had arrived that morning, even though he was a bit late, I was still thankful that I was able to get bailed out, though they were still pursuing a criminal suit but at least, I had the chance to fight back.

"We need to hurry. I have to attend a meeting this morning," I said to my executive assistant who was scrolling through his iPad beside me.

"The meeting has been cancelled," he announced, and I stopped in my tracks.

"What!"

"They don't want to work with us anymore," he revealed and my jaw tensed. It wasn't enough that my reputation was slowly going down the drain, and now, we had to lose deals.

Fuck Oliver!

"Mr. Belmont," a voice called behind me and as I turned back, I was faced with different faces pointing their camera and microphones at me.

"Is it true that you assaulted him because he's involved with your ex-wife?" One of them questioned, almost pushing her microphone into my mouth.

"Are you jealous of Oliver and Heaven's relationship?" Another questioned and I tightened my fist.

The hell!

"He's not taking any questions. Please, excuse us," My EA said, trying to block them from moving closer to me. I hurried off to the waiting car with my lawyer and they chased after me, but I was able to slam the door in their faces.

"What the hell was that?" I asked no one in particular, my chest heaving.

"How did they know?" I turned to my lawyer who glanced at me.

"I have no idea."

The door opened before I could respond and my EA quickly rushed into the car.

"I'm so sorry, sir," he apologised and I shook my head before tapping the driver's seat.

He started the car, and soon drove out of the station.

"Run it down," I said to Brad, my executive assistant.

"The media has been going crazy. Different incriminating pictures keep coming up and the criticisms keep growing," he briefed and I shook my head.

"It's getting messier. What's the PR team doing?"

"They are trying to handle things," he replied. That wasn't the answer I wanted. I needed everything to fall back in place.

"And how is Oliver?" I asked, not out of concern but out of necessity. I really didn't care if he was fine or not, but at this point, I had to do damage control.

"He's fine. It's nothing major," he replied, and my brows furrowed.

"So, they are just blowing the whole thing out of proportion?" I asked in a tone of disbelief. Did he fake everything? But, you can't fake blood gushing out of your head. I made a mental note to go visit him later in the day. I wasn't the type to kiss ass but this fight wasn't worth fighting. An additional suit to the divorce fraud was far from what I wanted.

My phone buzzed, and I glanced down at it. Amanda's name popped on the screen, but I only turned off my phone. I wasn't interested in entertaining her or any one for that matter that morning. I had to deal with the whole issue first.

"There's an emergency board meeting in an hour," Brad announced, and my brows shot up. Of course, there would be. The board never lets anything slide. They never fail to act first.

"Let's hurry," I announced to my driver before turning back to Brad who explained everything I had missed. And just as expected, the stock prices had plummeted and many investors were threatening to pull out. Just a little issue and they've started losing faith in me and the company. Not like I've been convicted already, but people would always be cowards.

We arrived at my house a few minutes later and I quickly rushed into the bathroom. It didn't take me long before I got dressed in my black suit and set for work.

A couple of minutes later, we arrived at the company and I could sense the shift in the air. The employees were scampering around but it was obvious they were gossiping, but that wasn't the main issue. I had to get ready for whatever was to come in the boardroom, but nothing prepared me for their request.

As I stepped into the boardroom, silence fell. They were already seated, waiting for me. Eyes that once looked at me with admiration now stared with masked disappointment and restrained judgment.

I apologized for arriving late before approaching my seat at the end of the table. As I settled down, my eyes met with my father who was sitting at the far end, stoic with disappointment evident in his eyes. I guess that was my first warning.

He never joked with his company and would do anything to put it in the right order. Maybe he loved his business more than his son, and yeah, there wouldn't be an excuse for me that morning.

My father cleared his throat. "Let’s begin," he announced.

"I'll start the brief," the secretary announced, his eyes falling on me.

" As of this morning, we have lost three brand endorsements, two major retailers have pulled out of pending deals, and social media sentiment is... irredeemable," he said and my jaw tensed.

He continued, "The damage to the company is undeniable, clients are pulling contracts, shares dipped 12% this morning, investors are threatening to pull out and the state of the business is not looking good overall. Our company is at a pitfall."

My jaw tightened. The business hadn't been going well all this while due to the competition from Vallore and now, we had to face this. Could this be Heaven's plan all along?

"And what do you have to say, Atlas?" My father questioned sharply.

“I’m handling it,” I said. “The PR team is already...”

“We’re not here for a PR update,” one of the board members cut in coldly. “We’re here to discuss a temporary or permanent change in leadership.”

"What!"

My fist clenched. The cameras at the gala, the blood, the articles. One mistake, and they were ready to gut me like I was disposable.

“You’re all making decisions based on emotional backlash,” I said, trying to sound composed.

"No, we are not. You've been ruining the reputation of the company all this while and at this rate, we might end up going bankrupt," another board member added and my brows puckered together.

"Bankrupt is far-fetched," I pointed out and he let out a scoff.

"You assaulted a man at a high-profile event. Add to that a fraud lawsuit from your ex-wife… we cannot afford the fallout,” another board member said and my face scrunched up.

"I'm handling it," I countered as calmly as I could.

"We are not going to wait till another scandal comes up. I think it would be best to have someone who can restore faith, hold investor meetings, and control this narrative before we’re bled dry," another board member said and I raised my brows.

"What are you saying?"

"For the sake of the company, we propose an immediate suspension of Mr. Atlas Belmont as CEO," another added.

A few murmurs of agreement. Actually not few, practically everyone, except my father. I glanced at him, but all he did was avoid my gaze.

"You can't just think about replacing me," I countered as anger coursed through me. Why would they even think of dismissing me when I haven't been found guilty yet? It doesn't work that way.

"You’re a liability, and we can't afford any more,” someone muttered.

"Rather than permanent dismissal, I think suspension would be best until you get past all this," my father suggested, and my eyes widened. Did he just call for my suspension?

"That's fair," someone supported him. This can't be happening. It really can't. My father was meant to be on my side and not against me.

“All in favor of the motion to suspend Atlas Belmont pending the outcome of the criminal and civil suits?” the secretary asked, and I looked around.

Hands begin to rise slowly.

Six, seven, eight votes.

Eight members had voted.

Four for my suspension.

Four against.

At least, I still had people who believed in me.

"There appears to be a tie,” the secretary announced.

Then came the knock.

The door creaked open before anyone could say anything.

And she walked in.

Every breath in the room paused. My blood ran cold.

Heaven.

She stepped in like she owned the room. The sharp click of her heels on marble echoed louder than my thoughts. Sleek black suit. Minimalist makeup. Ruthless poise. The board members looked between her and me like watching the storm roll in.

What the hell was she doing in my company?

She looked at the board and said, with maddening calm, “I’m here to vote." She glanced at me. “On the motion to suspend the current CEO.”