My Contract Husband

Chapter 12: CEO

The Alexander Corporation headquarters was a glass tower in the center of Abuja. Fifty floors. Black and gold. A building that looked more like a fortress than an office. It reflected the sky and the city like a mirror.

Emma stood across the street and stared at it.

Her reflection stared back. Black blazer. White shirt. Hair pulled back in a tight bun. She looked nothing like the girl who had signed a marriage contract six months ago. She looked like someone who was about to walk into a war.

“You look like a CEO,” Alexander said beside her.

Emma glanced at him. “I feel like I am going to throw up.”

“That is normal,” Alexander said. “My first day I threw up twice. In the CEO bathroom. On the 50th floor. My father found me.”

“Comforting.”

They walked in together.

The moment the glass doors opened, everything stopped. Phones went down. Conversations died. Two hundred pairs of eyes turned to her.

Emma Carter. The girl from the news. The girl who took down Daniel Alexander. The girl who leaked the files.

She kept her back straight and walked to the reception desk.

“Floor 50,” she said to the receptionist. Her voice did not shake. “Boardroom.”

The receptionist nodded quickly. “Yes, Ms. Carter. The board is waiting. Elevator is on standby.”

---

The boardroom was cold. Glass table. Twelve chairs. Twelve men in suits. All of them older than her father. All of them with 20+ years in this company.

All of them staring.

“Ms. Carter,” said the man at the head. Richard Hale. Daniel’s right hand for fifteen years. “What a surprise.”

“It is not a surprise,” Emma said. She walked to the head of the table and sat down. Alexander stood behind her, but did not sit. “The board voted. I am interim CEO.”

Richard smiled. It did not reach his eyes. “Interim. Right. For how long? Until you get bored and go back to modeling? Until the next scandal? Until you realize you are in over your head?”

Emma placed a folder on the table. It landed with a soft thud. “Until we find a permanent CEO. Or until the board decides I am permanent.”

A few men shifted in their seats.

“You are too young,” said Mr. Benson. Head of Finance. “You do not have experience running a company this size. This is not a small business. This is a billion dollar corporation.”

“I have fifteen years of my father’s notes,” Emma said. “I have the USB. I have the evidence that sent Daniel to prison. And I have this.”

She opened the folder. Bank statements. Contracts. Emails. Photos. Everything.

“I know exactly how you have been moving money for the last five years,” Emma said. “I know about the shell companies in Dubai. I know about the fake vendors in Singapore. I know about the accounts in Switzerland. I know about the payments to politicians.”

Silence. Heavy silence.

Mr. Cole from Legal cleared his throat. “With all due respect Ms. Carter, those documents could be forged.”

“They are not,” Emma said. “And we will prove it in court. Along with your signatures.”

Richard leaned back in his chair. “You think because you slept with the boss you can run this company?”

The room went still.

Alexander took a step forward. Emma raised one hand. Stop.

She looked at Richard. Directly in the eyes. “No. I can run this company because I am not corrupt. Because I am not a criminal. And because unlike you, I do not need to insult people to feel powerful.”

She pressed a button on the table.

“Security,” she said. “Escort Mr. Hale out. His access is revoked. Effective immediately. Freeze all his accounts and company cards. Escort him to HR to collect his things.”

Two guards entered from the side door.

Richard’s face turned red. “You cannot do this! I have been here for fifteen years! I built this company with Daniel! You are making a mistake!”

“I just did,” Emma said. “Get out.”

They dragged him out. He was still shouting about lawsuits and wrongful termination and calling her ungrateful.

The remaining board members stared at her.

*FLASHBACK*

Her father in this same room 10 years ago. “Emma, one day this will be yours. You will do better than me. You will be honest.”

She had nodded. She was 15.

Emma stood. “Meeting adjourned. We will reconvene tomorrow at 9 AM. I expect a full report on all active projects by then. And a full audit of all accounts. No exceptions. Anyone who has something to hide should resign now.”

She walked out.

Alexander followed.

In the hallway, he said nothing for a full minute.

Then: “That was reckless.”

“That was necessary,” Emma said.

“They will try to remove you at the next board meeting. They have the votes. They are scared.”

“Let them try,” Emma said. “I have the evidence. And I have the truth.”

Alexander looked at her. Really looked. “You did good.”

Emma exhaled. “I think I am going to be sick.”

“Come on,” Alexander said. “Let’s get you out of here before you collapse.”

---

It was 11 PM.

The office was empty. Only Emma’s light was on the 50th floor. The city lights stretched out below her like stars. It was beautiful and lonely.

She was surrounded by papers. Reports. Financials. Her laptop had twelve tabs open. Coffee cups were everywhere. Three of them. Cold.

There was a knock.

Alexander walked in with two bags of food. “Dinner.”

“I did not ask for dinner.”

“I know,” Alexander said. He set it down on her desk. “You looked hungry. And tired. And like you have not slept in two days. You look like my father did before he died.”

Emma rubbed her eyes. “I am overwhelmed. There is so much to fix. So many lies to clean up. So many people to fire.”

“Eat first.”

They ate in silence. Pasta. Bread. Water.

Finally Emma pushed her plate away. “What if I fail?”

Alexander looked up.

“What if I am just my father’s daughter?” Emma continued. “What if I make the wrong choice and the whole company collapses? What if I ruin everything he built? What if I am not good enough? What if they were right about me?”

“You will not,” Alexander said.

“How do you know?”

“Because you chose to do the right thing when no one was watching,” Alexander said. “Your father did not. Daniel did not. You did. That is the difference. That is why you are here. That is why you deserve this.”

Emma looked down. “I do not know how to be a CEO.”

“You learn,” Alexander said. “And you do not do it alone. I am here. Dane is here. The people who are honest are here.”

He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Emma’s breath caught.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Alexander was close. Close enough that she could see the gold flecks in his eyes. Close enough that she could smell his cologne. Close enough to kiss.

“I do not need you to save me, Alexander,” Emma whispered. “I need you to stand beside me.”

“I can do that,” Alexander said. “I want to.”

He leaned in.

The phone rang.

Both of them jumped.

Emma grabbed it. Unknown number.

She answered. “Hello?”

A voice. Smooth. Familiar. “Congratulations on the promotion, Ms. Carter.”

Emma froze. Her blood went cold.

“Daniel says hello from prison,” the voice continued. “Round 5 starts now. And you are not ready.”

Click.

Dial tone.

Emma lowered the phone slowly. Her hand was shaking.

Alexander was already on his feet. “What? What did he say? Who was it? Was it Daniel?”

Emma looked at him. “We are not done.”

---

The next morning.

News alert on every phone in the building:

`ALEXANDER CORP STOCK DROPS 20% OVERNIGHT. ANONYMOUS HACKERS LEAK FAKE EMAILS CLAIMING NEW CEO IS FRAUD.`

Emma read it in her office. Her office now. The CEO office. Her father’s old desk.

Alexander stood in front of her desk. “It is Daniel. From prison. He has people on the outside. Hackers. He planned this months ago. As a backup.”

Emma closed her eyes. “Round 5.”

“Yeah,” Alexander said. “Round 5.”

Emma stood. She was not scared. She was angry.

“Then let us end it,” Emma said. “For good. Call Dane. Call Martins. Call the cybersecurity team. I want every leak traced by tonight. I want the IP addresses. I want names.”

Alexander nodded. “We will. And Emma—”

She turned to him.

“You do not have to do this alone,” Alexander said.

Emma walked to the window. The city was below her. Her company. Her responsibility now. Her father’s legacy.

She turned back to Alexander. “I am not backing down.”

“I know,” Alexander said. “And I am right here. Beside you. Always.”

Her phone buzzed again.

Unknown number.

`Round 5. Move 1.`