UNTAMED CONTRACT

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: LION'S DEN

The silver Aston Martin cut through the rainy Manhattan traffic like a blade.

The serene, ocean-front warmth of Montauk felt a million miles away now. As the gleaming glass monolith of Vance Global Headquarters came into view, the streets were practically swarming with news vans, satellite trucks, and reporters huddled under umbrellas, eager for blood.

Julian pulled the car into the subterranean executive garage, avoiding the main entrance circus. The moment the engine cut out, the silence in the car became absolute, charged with a heavy, dangerous tension.

Julian unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to look at me. The relaxed, affectionate lover from the beach had vanished, replaced by the formidable, ice-cold CEO ready to go to war. But as his dark eyes locked onto mine, that harsh edge softened just a fraction.

"You don't have to come up to the boardroom, baby," Julian said quietly, reaching across the console to take my hand, his grip warm and steady. "Marcus can escort you up to the penthouse suite. You'll be safe there."

I looked down at our joined hands, then met his gaze with unyielding resolve. "I'm not hiding in the penthouse, Julian. Richard dragged my father's company and my name into the dirt today on national television. I'm going into that boardroom with you."

A slow, proud smirk tugged at the corner of Julian's lips. His fingers tightened around mine. "That's my girl. Just remember, babe... hold your head high. Let them see that they can't touch us."

"Let's go crush him," I said.

The 50th floor was a battlefield.

When the private executive elevator doors opened, Marcus was already waiting with a stack of black leather folders. Security guards lined the perimeter, and through the frosted glass walls of the main boardroom, I could see the shadowy silhouettes of the board of directors gathered around the massive mahogany table.

"Mr. Vance," Marcus said, stepping fall in line behind us as we walked toward the double doors. "Richard has gathered six key shareholders. They've already introduced the motion for temporary suspension pending the SEC audit."

"Has Richard spoken yet?" Julian asked smoothly, adjusting the cuffs of his dark grey suit jacket.

"He's giving his opening presentation right now, sir."

Julian stopped right outside the boardroom doors. He turned to me, offering his arm. I slid my hand through the crook of his elbow, taking a deep breath and standing tall.

Julian nodded to the security guard, who threw the heavy double doors open.

Inside, the chatter died instantly.

Uncle Richard was standing at the head of the long table, a laser pointer in hand, pointing at a projection screen displaying financial charts of Lin Logistics. Beside him, twelve of the most powerful investors in New York sat in high-backed leather chairs.

Every single eye in the room snapped toward the entrance.

Richard paused mid-sentence, his fake, sympathetic smile instantly faltering into a look of sharp irritation. "Julian. I see you've finally decided to return from your little getaway. Though I must say, bringing the subject of an active federal audit into a closed executive session is highly irregular."

Julian didn't even blink. He walked into the room with complete, effortless authority, leading me right up to the head of the table.

"This board meeting was called to discuss my judgment and the integrity of Vance Global," Julian said, his voice echoing through the silent room like a thunderclap. "Maya Lin is not just a guest in this room, Richard. She is my fiancée, the COO of Lin Logistics, and your future superior's wife. Take a seat."

A few of the older board members exchanged surprised, uneasy glances. Richard’s jaw twitched, but he slowly lowered his laser pointer and sat down, attempting to regain his smug composure.

"Julian, let's not let emotion cloud your judgment," Richard said smoothly, addressing the rest of the board. "The facts are clear. Ten million dollars of Vance Global capital was routed into a failing logistics firm owned by Ms. Lin’s father—a company facing imminent bankruptcy. The media is calling it a personal buyout. The SEC has received a formal petition. We cannot risk the company's stock plummeting further while you handle a personal affair."

"Are you finished?" Julian asked calmly.

Julian didn't wait for an answer. He motioned to Marcus, who stepped forward and handed black leather folders to every board member at the table, leaving one right in front of Richard.

"If you had bothered to check the official filings before staging a publicity stunt on the courthouse steps, Richard," Julian stated, leaning his hands flat on the mahogany table and glaring down at his uncle, "you would know that the ten million dollars was not a bailout. It was a strategic acquisition of Lin Logistics' proprietary deep-water shipping routes."

Richard frowned, hastily flipping open his folder. "What?"

"Page four," Julian said coldly. "Three weeks ago, Lin Logistics secured exclusive maritime shipping rights to the East Coast trade corridor. By integrating their routes with Vance Global’s supply chain, our quarterly logistics overhead drops by eighteen percent."

I stepped forward, finding my voice in front of the formidable room. "And as for the debt my father incurred," I added, looking straight at Richard, "it was a short-term bridging loan used to secure those exact maritime contracts. Every penny of that debt was cleared forty-eight hours ago. Vance Global didn't pay it off—Lin Logistics cleared it using our own projected revenue."

A sudden whisper broke out among the shareholders. One of the senior board members, a harsh elderly man named Mr. Sterling, leaned forward, scanning the documents.

"These numbers are bulletproof, Julian," Mr. Sterling muttered, raising an eyebrow at Richard. "If this acquisition goes through, Vance Global’s Q4 revenue will jump by over twelve percent."

Richard’s face flushed a deep, angry red. "This is a smoke screen! The SEC petition has already been filed! The press—"

"The SEC petition," Julian interrupted smoothly, dropping a single white piece of paper onto Richard's folder, "was dismissed twenty minutes ago. My legal team provided the commission with the full commercial valuation of the deal. They found zero grounds for fraud."

Richard stared down at the dismissal document, his hands visibly trembling with rage.

Julian stood up to his full height, looking down at his uncle with pure, lethal contempt.

"You called a press conference to destabilize this company for your own personal ambition," Julian said, his voice dropping into a low, terrifying register. "You lied to the board, you leaked false information to the media, and you attempted to slander my fiancée."

Julian turned his gaze to the rest of the board members.

"I am moving for an immediate vote," Julian announced firmly. "Effective today, Richard Vance is removed from the executive board for breach of fiduciary duty and corporate sabotage. All in favor?"

Before Richard could even open his mouth to protest, Mr. Sterling raised his hand. "Seconded."

One by one, every single hand around the table went up.

Richard sat frozen in his chair, completely isolated, his face drained of all color as his power vanished in a matter of seconds.

"Security will escort you from the premises, Richard," Julian said, not even looking back at him as two tall security officers stepped into the room. "Have your personal belongings packed by six."

Ten minutes later, the boardroom had cleared out.

The heavy doors were closed, leaving only Julian and me standing in the massive, quiet room overlooking the glowing skyline of rainy Manhattan.

The silence was deafening, but the suffocating weight that had hung over us since Montauk was completely gone.

I looked over at Julian. He was standing near the floor-to-ceiling glass, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt and loosening his tie. He looked exhausted, but triumph burned bright in his dark eyes.

I walked up behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my cheek against his back. "You completely destroyed him."

Julian turned around in my arms, pulling me up against his chest. He reached down, cupping my face in his warm hands, his thumb gently caressing my cheek.

"We destroyed him, baby," Julian corrected softly, his dark eyes melting with intense affection. "You stood your ground in there. You didn't back down for a single second."

"I learned from the best," I whispered, smiling up at him.

Julian leaned down, taking my lips in a deep, fierce kiss that tasted of victory and relief. I melted against him, tangling my fingers in his hair as he pulled me as close as humanly possible, holding me like I was the only precious thing in his entire empire.

When he finally pulled back, he rested his forehead against mine, his breath warm against my skin.

"It's over, babe," Julian murmured, his voice full of a quiet, unshakeable promise. "No more fake contracts. No more hiding. From now on, you're mine for real."

My heart soared. "I'm yours, Julian."