Fires of the Heart
Valenticias POV~
I felt my heart beat increase rapidly as I faced the board, their gazes penetrating me, cold and hard. The leaked audio — my voice, contorted, admitting to having bribed them — had turned me into a fraud, and their resistance loomed large, my hands sweaty. I clutched the edge of the podium, trying to make my knees stop shaking. Larson, leaned forward, curling his thin excuse for lips.
“And now,” he drawled, “Miss Clawford, this audio is evidence of your deceit. Resign, or we vote you out.”
Whispers erupted in the room as some members nodded, there was a movement of restlessness. I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders, recalling Grandmother Rosanna’s voice, “Command the room, Valenticia. You’re Clawford’s blood.”
“Mr. Larson,” I said, my voice
