Chapter 6

Nick slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet. "Emily, this is a company, not some place for you to throw a tantrum," he snapped.

"Perfect," I said, dropping the file bag onto the table. "Since we're at work, let's talk business."

I shot a look at the execs around the table.

"As someone holding thirty percent of the shares, I'm officially asking to see the company's financial reports, funding records, major contracts, shareholder and board meeting minutes, plus anything about recent changes in equity from the past three years," Emily said.

Nick's face turned even darker. "Don't mess around."

I let out a laugh. "Messing around again? Nick, is that all you ever say?"

Someone in the corner of the conference room couldn't help but lower their head.

Nick glared at me, his stare could cut through steel. "Company secrets aren't something I can just hand over to you."

"I'm not just anyone," I shot back, meeting his gaze. "I'm a shareholder."

"You think you can threaten me with those shares?"

"You've got it backwards," I said, stepping closer. "You're the one who tried to take over my shares first."

Claire suddenly spoke up. "Emily, the company's at a critical stage right now. If you keep this up, you'll destroy everything Nick poured his heart into."

I turned to her. "His hard work?"

I pointed at the company's founding plaque hanging on the wall. "Before the first product even launched, I was the one who led the team through a thirty-six-hour all-nighter to make it happen.

"When we couldn't close the first deal, I was the one who drank with the client until I ended up in the hospital with a bleeding stomach.

"And when the company was down to just 450 dollars, I sold the gold bracelet my mom gave me just so everyone could get paid.

"Claire, you've only been here for a day, and you think you can talk to me about his dedication?"

Her face went pale.

Nick's assistant suddenly whispered, "Emily, Mr. Rivers is here."

Nick frowned. "Mr. Rivers? Who's that?"

Right then, Alex walked in.

He carried a stack of documents, with two assistants following close behind. "Mr. Sawyer, I'm Emily's attorney. From this moment on, I'll be representing her in all matters regarding shareholder information rights, equity disputes, and any potential infringement issues."

He set the legal letter down in front of Nick. "Please provide the requested documents within the legal timeframe."

Nick glanced at the letter, his face turning ashen. "Emily, are you really going this far?"

I met his gaze. "This is just the beginning."

He finally looked rattled.

As I walked out of the company with Alex, I heard someone whisper behind me, "Emily's really ruthless."

I didn't slow down. 'Am I ruthless? Maybe.

'But after eight years, I finally learned that a woman can't just rely on being soft-hearted.

'Kindness should only be shown to those who deserve it. Given to the wrong person, it's just self-destruction.'

At noon, Mrs. Sawyer was waiting for me right outside the building.

As soon as she saw me, she came running. "Emily, please, I'm begging you. Don't destroy Nick's company. He's been through so much, and you've watched him fight for this every step of the way."

I took a step back.

Sophie stepped in front of me. "Mrs. Sawyer, didn't you say last night that a woman having shares is pointless?"

Mrs. Sawyer's expression froze. "I didn't really mean it."

I looked at her. "Are you here today to plead for Nick, or to make sure Claire's son gets recognized as his child?"

She avoided my gaze. "The child is already here. He can't grow up without a father."

"Then let him have one," I said. "I'm not stopping Nick from being his dad."

Mrs. Sawyer's eyes lit up. "So you're really saying yes?"

"I'm calling off the engagement, so Nick, Claire, and their kid can finally be together as a real family."

Mrs. Sawyer's face dropped in an instant. "Emily, don't go too far. You're almost thirty. Who do you think will want you after you call off the engagement? Nick's even willing to make you Mrs. Sawyer. You should be grateful."

I started recording on my phone. "Please, keep going, Ma'am."

She froze for a second. "Are you recording this?"

"Yep," I laughed, "Just in case you try to deny it later."

She was so mad her face turned red. "How did you become like this?"

Nick had said those exact words to me before. "How did you become like this?"

Just because I used to be easy to walk all over, everyone thought I'd stay that way forever.

I looked her in the eye and said slowly, "I didn't change. I just finally got my brain back."

With that, I stepped around her and left.