Chapter 7
"Effective immediately, she is our Director of Strategic Development," Finn said.
He announced it like he was tossing me a bone, his tone reeking of arrogant condescension.
Then, he turned to Selena, his voice instantly softening. "As for Vice President Vance, I expect everyone to judge her solely on her merits, not my personal life."
He was trying to pivot the conversation away from his affair and back to business.
He announced loudly, "Miss Vance is a top-tier business school graduate with extensive multinational experience.
"She brings a fresh, global perspective that will take Crestwood to the next level. Under her leadership, our—"
"Excuse me," I interrupted.
My voice wasn't loud, but it shattered his impassioned speech like a sledgehammer.
Finn stopped dead in his tracks, glaring at me like he wanted to swallow me whole.
Ignoring his venomous glare, I walked up the steps and took the stage.
I bypassed Finn entirely, stopping right in front of Selena.
She instinctively took a step back, sheer terror written all over her face.
I smiled. A light, effortless smile.
"Miss Selena Vance, is it?" I smiled.
Like a startled rabbit, she nodded, then quickly shook her head.
I continued, "I just have a few questions for our new EVP."
I turned my gaze to the front row, where the board of directors was seated. "As Director of Strategic Development, it's my responsibility to evaluate the strategic value of any major executive hire."
My words carried weight.
The board members in the front row immediately sobered up and started whispering among themselves.
Finn looked ready to murder me.
"Lydia, stop this nonsense right now!" he shouted.
He lunged to grab my arm, but I stepped aside.
"I'm just doing my job, Mr. Grayson. Or are executive appointments just a joke to you, requiring zero oversight?" I said.
Checkmate.
In front of all the executives and board members, did he have the guts to say yes?
He didn't dare.
Finn's chest heaved.
He glared at me so fiercely I thought his eyes might catch fire.
I acted like I didn't notice, turning my attention back to Selena. "Miss Vance, Mr. Grayson just praised your impressive track record at multinational corporations.
"Would you mind telling us which companies you worked for, your exact titles, and the key projects you led?"
I delivered the questions with the cool, systematic precision that had made me a senior partner at a top-tier firm.
Selena's face drained of all color.
She opened her mouth, but not a single sound came out.
She looked at Finn in utter panic, silently begging for help.
Finn's knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists.
He knew I'd backed her into a corner she couldn't lie her way out of.
The entire audience realized it, too.
Their eyes darted between Selena's ghostly pale face and my ice-cold composure.
The air in the room felt thick enough to cut with a knife.
"Hard question, Miss Vance?" I tilted my head, looking entirely innocent. "Or is that brilliant resume our Mr. Grayson just bragged about actually... completely made up?"
I said the last two words quietly, but they hit the room like a bomb
Selena began to tremble violently.
Her eyes turned red in a split second, and massive tears rolled down her cheeks.
She was playing the fragile, bullied victim.
What a stellar performance.
"That is enough!" Finn finally snapped.
He let out a furious roar and pulled the trembling Selena into his arms, shielding her in a hyper-protective stance.
Then, he looked at me with a bone-chilling hatred I had never seen before. "Lydia, that's enough.
"Your stunt today is actively damaging this company.
"As CEO, I am ordering you to leave this room immediately!"
His voice boomed through the hall, dripping with absolute authority.
The sheer force of his outburst stunned the entire room into silence.
I looked at him.
I looked at the sobbing woman in his arms.
I looked at the utter disgust written all over his face.
The last bit of warmth in my heart completely vanished.
I smiled. An empty smile.
Tears stubbornly blurred my vision.
Beautiful. Just beautiful, Finn.
This was the man I'd loved for a decade. The husband I'd sacrificed everything for.
And here he was, throwing me to the wolves to shield his mistress.
Fine. If he was going to rip up our marriage vows so ruthlessly, then I wasn't going to leave him a single shred of dignity.
I reached up, wiped the tear from my eye, and let a cold, unyielding smile settle on my face.
"Mr. Grayson," I said, my voice cutting through the silence. "You don't have the authority to kick me out.
"I own this place just as much as you do.
"Exactly half of the seed money for Crestwood Group came from my personal accounts. If anyone is leaving today..."
I looked at Selena. "It's her."