A barista appears at my window with the coffees I ordered via app ten minutes ago. I take them, hand one to Eve, and watch her wrap her hands around the cup like it's an anchor.
"The meeting starts in fifteen minutes," I say. "Time to go save your company."
***
The conference room at Sinclair Designs is chaos when we walk in. Voices overlap, panic thick in the air. Fred Greyhound sits at the head of the table—my table, the one I'll be taking from him in approximately three minutes—looking smug and satisfied.
Lucy sees Eve first. Her face floods with relief and confusion. "Eve! Thank God, I've been trying to reach you all morning. We're—"
"I know," Eve says quietly, moving to stand beside me. Her composure is perfect, regal. My queen, learning her role.
All conversation stops as every eye in the room turns to me.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Fred demands, standing.
I smile, calm and cold. "You're sitting in my chair, Mr. Greyhound."
He barks a laugh. "Your chair? I have a controlling interest in this company as of thirty minutes ago. Security—"
"You have nothing." I pull a tablet from my briefcase and set it on the table, tapping the screen once. "What you have is a documented history of securities fraud, insider trading, and embezzlement that I will personally deliver to the SEC if you don't leave this building in the next sixty seconds."
The color drains from his face.
"That's—you can't—"
"Forty-five seconds," I say pleasantly.
Lucy stares at the tablet screen, her eyes widening. "This is... how did you..."
Fred snatches up his briefcase, his face purple with rage. "This isn't over—"
"Yes," I say softly, "it is. Thirty seconds."
He storms out, and the room falls into stunned silence.
I turn to the remaining board members, my expression neutral and authoritative. "The shares Mr. Greyhound purchased have been transferred to Hale Industries as of this morning. I now hold a controlling interest in Sinclair Designs. Miss Sinclair will remain as CEO and creative director, with full autonomy over design and public operations."
Lucy finds her voice first. "I don't understand. How did you—who are you?"
I glance at Eve, whose face reveals nothing. Perfect.
"I'm someone who doesn't let valuable assets fall into the wrong hands," I say simply. "The company is secure. Your jobs are secure. We're done here."
I take Eve's hand and lead her from the room, leaving a wake of shocked silence behind us.
***
The car pulls smoothly into traffic, and I finally allow myself to relax into the leather seat. Eve sits beside me, staring out the window at the city passing by.
"You acquired my company," she says quietly.
"I saved your company," I correct gently. "There's a difference."
She turns to look at me, and I meet her gaze steadily.
"The controlling interest is held through a shell corporation," I explain. "On paper, you're still the majority owner. But the shell company answers to me. Which means—"
"Which means you own it," she finishes. "You own everything."
