MR BILLIONAIRE, NOT YOUR WAY!

HOPE

|Helena|

Steve finally showed his face after two weeks of Michael’s press conference. He spent all that time granting interviews where he denounced all allegations and insisted that they were all false.

“Michael is just trying to drag me down because he was removed for his incompetence and greediness. I am waiting here, he should bring all the evidence that backs up all the allegations”, he once told a news agency when he was being interviewed at the airport.

The monthly shareholders’ meeting was slated for that day, and he marched into the boardroom after keeping everyone waiting for over thirty minutes.

“I am sorry for keeping you all waiting, but I had to be here with some evidence that was sent to me this morning. I found out that someone had been damaging the company under the guise of helping it. All these were done by Helena when she was working with the company. Actually, she did more harm than good.”

The air in the boardroom was thick with tension. All eyes darted between me, Michael, and the glossy stack of papers Steve had just slammed onto the table. He leaned back in his chair, a smug grin curling from his lips.

“I’ve always admired your audacity, Helena,” he began, feigning a tone of respect that made my skin crawl. “But stealing from the company you’re supposed to help save? That’s low, even for you.”

The murmurs started immediately, a ripple of doubt spreading through the room. I stayed calm, locking eyes with Steve, refusing to flinch.

“I suggest you explain yourself, Steve,” I said, my voice steady despite the anger bubbling beneath the surface.

Steve leaned forward, his grin widening as he tapped the top of the paper. “Gladly. These documents show unauthorized transfers from the company’s accounts to offshore entities. All of them linked back to you, Helena.”

Gasps erupted around the table. My heart raced, but my expression remained neutral. I had seen Steve’s dirty tactics before, but this was bold, even for someone like him.

“I’ll admit,” he continued, mockingly, “You’ve been a great asset to the Clintons. But clearly, you were in it for personal gain. What’s worse, you dragged Michael into this mess.”

Michael stiffened beside me, his jaw tightening.

“Where’s your proof?” I challenged, keeping my tone sharp.

Steve slid a USB drive across the table. “It’s all here. Bank statements, timestamps, digital signatures, you can never deny it.”

|Michael|

I could feel the room closing in as Steve continued his charade. The board members’ whispers grew louder, their doubt spreading like wildfire. I glanced at Helena, who hadn’t moved an inch. Her eyes were locked on Steve, her posture unyielding.

Something about her calm unnerved me and, clearly, Steve, too.

“Helena,” one of the senior members spoke up, his voice laced with disappointment, “this is serious. Do you deny these allegations?”

Helena finally stood, her movements deliberate. She walked to the end of the table where Steve sat, her heels clicking against the marble floor like a countdown.

“I deny everything,” she said firmly, turning to face the room. “And I’ll prove it.”

|Helena|

Steve’s arrogance would be his downfall. He was so desperate to frame me that he didn’t realize how sloppy his plan was. I had expected some foul play and also prepared hard for the meeting. It was the perfect spot to expose his ass that he wouldn’t be able to deny it. Even Michael, wasn’t aware of what I was about to do.

I grabbed the USB drive, holding it up for everyone to see. “Let’s review this so-called ‘evidence’ together, shall we?”

Steve’s smirk faltered, just for a second. He hadn’t expected me to be this bold.

Sliding the USB into the laptop connected to the boardroom’s projector, I took up the files. A series of transactions appeared on the screen, each one meticulously detailed. On the surface, it was convincing. But Steve underestimated me.

“This first transaction,” I said, pointing to a line on the screen, “claims I moved $2.5 million to an offshore account. Look at the timestamp—June 5th, 3:27 PM.”

I turned to the room, my voice steady. “On June 5th, I was in Switzerland attending a financial summit. I can provide my travel records and video footage as proof.”

The board members exchanged glances, their skepticism beginning to waver.

Steve leaned back, trying to recover. “Anyone can fake travel records.”

“Let’s move on,” I said, ignoring him. “This second transaction—$1.8 million, July 12th. Look closely at the bank details.”

I zoomed in on the screen, highlighting a routing number. “This bank account doesn’t exist. It’s a ghost account, and it’s a common trick for falsifying financial documents.”

Murmurs of doubt now turned toward Steve, who was shifting uncomfortably in his chair.

“I don’t have to drag this on for too long. This is all the information I gathered on the account. I also noticed the transfer but didn’t want to raise any alarm since I didn’t have enough evidence then.”

The screen was filled with every single piece of information linked to Steve. I proved all that I had uncovered to the point he didn’t know I had in hand. He had dug his pit by revealing the bank account in the first place. Whoever advised him to do that was dumb.

Steve’s eyes narrowed, but I didn’t care. I continued to pour out evidence nonstop to the point the members had to stop me.

|Michael|

I couldn’t hold back any longer. Standing, I moved to Helena’s side, addressing the board.

“Let me make one thing clear,” I said, my voice loud enough to cut through the chaos. “Helena has done nothing but save this company from the disaster Steve and his allies created. If you think for one second I’ll let her name be dragged through the mud, think again.”

“This isn’t just about Helena,” I continued. “It’s about uncovering the truth and ensuring this company isn’t run by people who only serve themselves. Steve, your tactics are transparent, and your desperation is showing.”

|Helena|

Michael’s words sent a wave of confidence through me. I wasn’t alone in this fight.

“Let’s finish this,” I said, pulling up the final document. It was an email that Steve had forged to make it look like I was corresponding with a shady financial group.

“This email is particularly amusing,” I said, scrolling down to the timestamp. “Steve, you really should’ve double-checked the metadata. This email was created on your office computer.”

The room erupted. Steve shot out of his chair, his face flushed. “That’s ridiculous!”

I turned to him, my voice ice-cold. “Is it? Because I had our IT team analyze this email before today’s meeting. They traced the IP address back to your account.”

“Also, the former accountant has been found half-dead. You had her poisoned in order to silence her, but guess what? She has been at the hospital where we hid her and she’s now alive. Do you want me to play her testimony for you? You despicable animal!” I was boiling hard from within

I didn’t even want to control my anger or my words. He had messed with everybody enough.

Silence filled the room. The weight of the revelation crushed the room as everyone focused on me.

|Michael|

Steve’s panic was glaring. He sputtered excuses, but it was over. The board members were already whispering amongst themselves, their earlier doubt now replaced with anger.

“Steve,” one of them finally said, “this is unacceptable. You’ve jeopardized the company with your actions.”

I stepped forward, delivering the final blow. “Effective immediately, I’m calling for a vote to suspend Steve and launch a full investigation into his activities.”

Hands shot up around the table, one after the other. Steve’s reign was crumbling before his very eyes and relief washed over me. I had longed and worked for this very day. I couldn’t believe it crept in just like that.

|Helena|

As security escorted Steve out of the room, he turned back, his eyes blazing with fury. “This isn’t over, Helena. You’ll regret this.”

I met his glare with unwavering confidence. “I doubt it.”

When the door closed behind him, the tension in the room finally lifted.

Michael turned to me, his expression softer now. “Helena, I’m sorry you had to go through this.”

I shook my head. “Don’t apologize. Just make sure we finish what we started.”

|Michael|

As the boardroom emptied, I found myself lingering, watching Helena as she gathered her things.

“Helena,” I called, and she looked up, her expression guarded.

“Thank you,” I said. “For everything.”

She paused for a moment, then nodded. “We’re not done yet, Michael. But you’re welcome.”

As she walked out, I couldn’t help but feel a shift between us. Whatever we had going was stronger. And for the first time in a long time, I felt hope.