Tom Cooper shifts in his seat, not meeting my eyes. "I vote he goes. We need stability right now, not controversy."
Two to two. I keep my face stoic, but they can probably hear my pounding heart.
"Patricia?"
Patricia Walsh looks directly at me, her expression apologetic. "His track record is excellent, but judgment is paramount in leadership. I vote he goes."
Three to two. My stomach drops.
"David?"
David Okonkwo clears his throat. "The numbers don't lie. He stays."
Three to three. The room has gone completely silent except for the whisper of Lillianna's pen against her notepad. She doodles to release nervous energy.
"Marcus?"
Marcus Reynolds, our outside legal counsel, adjusts his glasses. "From a corporate governance perspective, removing an effective executive over personal matters sets a dangerous precedent. He stays."
Four to three. So close. One more vote against me and—
"Robert?"
Robert Cooper, Tom's cousin and our distribution coordinator, folds his hands on the table. "I'm with Tom on this. The company can't afford more instability. He goes."
Four to four. And the last vote is Sebastian's. This is it. I'm finished.
The silence that follows is suffocating. Every eye in the room turns to my brother.
This is it. The moment my brother can finally have his revenge for every lie, every manipulation, every time I did my damnedest to make him pay for our father's choices. For the bet. For Rosalia. For everything.
Each inhale is like dragging air through concrete. I curl my fingers against my thighs beneath the table. Sebastian's the one person in this room who has every right to destroy me, and we both know it.
Hartwell leans back in his chair, licking his lips like he already tastes his victory.
"Sebastian?" Lillianna's voice is barely above a whisper.
His gaze locks with mine across the mahogany table. I see it all there. The scar over his left eye from the night I camehome drunk and swinging after Dad told me Sebastian would be CEO. The night I told him he'd never be good enough to run Blackstone. The board meeting where I undermined his presentation in front of investors. The years I let him believe the lies instead of just telling him the truth. He has every reason to want to destroy me.
The only sound is my grandfather’s analog clock hung on the opposite wall. It counts off the seconds of my fate. My heart hammers so hard I'm certain it will crack a rib.
"He stays."
His verdict slams into me. My lungs seize. Did I hear him right?
Hartwell lurches forward. "You can't be serious."
"The vote is five to four." Sebastian's words land with finality. "Thorne retains his position."
"This is a mistake." Hartwell’s face flushes deep red as he stands, chair dragging violently against the hardwood. "You're letting sentiment cloud your judgment. This family's inability to hold each other accountable will destroy everything your grandfather built."
Sebastian's expression doesn't change. "Since you've brought up accountability, Warren, I'll be conducting a comprehensive audit of our financial controls. Just to ensure everything is as it should be." His tone is pleasant, but his eyes are ice. "This meeting is adjourned."
Hartwell storms out, Robert and Tom Cooper trailing behind him like uncertain shadows.
I can't move. Can't breathe. Can't process that Sebastian—of all people—saved me.
"Thorne." Lillianna reaches across the table and squeezes my wrist. "Breathe."
