Chapter 13: The Board Vote
953 Words
8AM. Cole Tower. 50th floor.
This time the boardroom was packed.
Cameras outside. Lawyers inside.
And Vivienne, standing at the head of the table in white.
Like she was the CEO already.
"Thank you all for coming," she said, smiling. "Today we vote on the future of Cole Corp."
Damien sat beside me. Suit. Tie. No wedding ring.
He took it off this morning. "So they can’t use it against you," he’d said.
My hand rested on my stomach. 13 weeks.
Selena sat behind us. With 3 lawyers.
"Motion on the floor," Vivienne said. "To remove Damien Cole as CEO, effective immediately.
Due to breach of fiduciary duty, failure to protect company assets, and conduct unbecoming a CEO."
She looked at me.
"And due to the liability his personal life has become."
Gasps.
Damien didn’t move.
"Second?" Vivienne asked.
11 hands went up.
"All in favor?"
10 hands.
Damien’s jaw ticked.
One board member abstained. The older woman from last time.
"10 to 1," Vivienne said, grinning. "Motion passes. Damien Cole, you are—"
"Wait," I said.
The room went silent.
12 heads turned to me. Again.
Damien looked at me. "Ava, no."
"I have to," I whispered. "Please."
He closed his eyes. Nodded once.
I stood up. Navy dress. Flat shoes. Hands shaking.
"Mrs. Hart," I said. "Before you vote me out too, can I say something?"
Vivienne laughed. "You? What could you possibly—"
"Let her speak," the older board member cut in. "I want to hear it."
I took a breath.
"3 months ago I married Damien Cole in Vegas," I said. "It was a mistake.
Then it wasn’t. Then we found out about Cole."
I put my hand on my stomach.
"Since then, my medical records were leaked. My dead mother was dragged into this.
My husband was arrested on TV. And I collapsed in a hospital."
Silence.
"You want to fire him for not protecting company assets?" I asked. "
He’s been protecting me. Protecting our son. While running a 2.4 billion dollar company."
I looked at Damien.
"He’s not the man your files say he is. He’s the man who made me pancakes and burned them.
Who set up a studio for me. Who talks to our baby every night."
Tears were falling now. I didn’t wipe them.
"So vote him out," I said. "But know what you’re losing.
You’re not losing a CEO. You’re losing a man who finally has something worth being a good man for."
I sat down.
The room was dead quiet.
Then the older board member stood.
"I change my vote," she said. "To no."
Vivienne’s face fell.
"You can’t—"
"I just did," she said. "10 to 2."
Murmurs.
Another hand went up. "I change mine too."
"And mine."
"And mine."
One by one.
Until it was 6 to 6.
A tie.
Vivienne slammed her hands on the table. "You don’t get to do this!"
"The bylaws say in a tie, the CEO casts the deciding vote," Selena said calmly. "Mr. Cole?"
All eyes on Damien.
He stood up slowly.
Looked at Vivienne.
Looked at me.
"I vote no," he said. "To my own removal."
Vivienne’s face went red.
"You arrogant—"
"Meeting adjourned," Damien said. "Selena, file the lawsuit against Mrs. Hart. Today."
He held out his hand to me.
"Come on, Ava."
---
We didn’t speak in the elevator.
Until the doors closed.
Then Damien pulled me into him.
Buried his face in my neck.
"God, Ava," he breathed. "You did it. Again."
"I was terrified," I admitted.
"I know," he said. "But you saved me."
He pulled back. Cupped my face.
"You saved me."
The elevator dinged. 53rd floor.
Back in the penthouse, we collapsed on the couch.
"It’s not over," Damien said. "She’ll appeal. She’ll fight."
"I know," I said. "But today we won."
He nodded. Then did something I didn’t expect.
He laid his head in my lap.
Like he was exhausted.
"Damien?"
"Hmm?"
"You okay?"
"No," he said honestly. "But I will be. With you."
He closed his eyes.
"Can we just... not talk about it for 1 hour?"
"Yeah," I said, running my fingers through his hair. "1 hour."
---
At 10AM, the news broke.
"DAMIEN COLE SURVIVES BOARD COUP"
"WIFE AVA COLE SAVES CEO"
"VIVIENNE HART SUED FOR HIPAA VIOLATION"
#TeamAva was trending again.
#QueenAva
People posted clips of my speech.
"She’s not a gold digger"
"She’s a queen"
Damien slept through all of it.
On my lap.
Hand on my stomach.
I watched him.
This man who ran the world.
Sleeping like he was safe.
Because he was. With me.
---
That evening, we got a package.
No return address.
Inside: A sonogram photo.
Not ours.
And a note.
"This could have been you. If you’d kept your mouth shut. -V"
Damien saw it and went rigid.
"She’s threatening us," he said. "The baby."
"No," I said. "She’s scared. Because we won."
He pulled me close.
"Security is doubled. Starting now."
"Good," I said.
He kissed me. Soft. Desperate.
Like he needed to know I was real.
When we pulled apart, he rested his forehead on mine.
"Ava," he said.
"Yeah?"
"Marry me. For real."
"What?"
"Not the Vegas thing. Not the contract. For real. Legal. Church. Whatever you want."
I stared at him.
"You want to marry me?"
"I’ve wanted to since the boardroom," he said. "Since you stood up and chose me."
Tears again. Always tears.
"Yes," I whispered. "Yes."
He smiled. That real smile.
"Good," he said. "Because I’m not letting you go. Not to her. Not to anyone."
He kissed me.
Outside, Vivienne was plotting.
Inside, Damien Cole just proposed.
For real this time.
- Writer
