The boardroom was in silence, even the drop of a needle could be heard. Alexander tapped the table once. "Thank you, Miss Emily. Go and have your seat."
His voice was cold. Measured. Almost detached. The kind that made even confident men unsure of what he truly felt. Emily gave a small nod and returned to her seat, her hands clenched lightly around her file.
Alexander rose. "We'll take a ten-minute recess. When we return, there will be a vote. Each one of you will state clearly — does she stay, or does she go?"
No one said a word. No one dared.
He gave a quick glance at Emily before leaving — and for a moment, their eyes locked. A moment suspended in time. Intense and quiet.
Then he turned and walked out.
Andrew followed.
As soon as they were gone, Mrs. Velmonte stood up, not sparing Emily even a glance. "Miss Emily, please excuse us for the moment."
Emily bowed her head politely and exited the room.
Inside, a hum of chatter burst to life.
Mr. Velmonte chuckled as he turned to a group of nearby executives. "She's really something, that girl. Sharp. Elegant. You should've seen how she held her own — if I were a little younger, maybe I would've claimed her before Alexander."
A few men laughed, low and sleazy.
"She isn't your daughter-in-law yet, right?" one of them asked.
"Not yet," Mr. Velmonte replied with a disgusting smirk, sipping from his glass. "But maybe not ever."
Across the room, Mrs. Velmonte turned away in disgust. That man had no tact. No loyalty. Her eyes caught a figure moving swiftly toward her.
It was Erica.
She almost bumped into her but quickly straightened, flashing a charming smile. "Mrs. Velmonte," she greeted. "You are indeed… very, very beautiful. Such grace. Such elegance. I've always admired the way you carry yourself — truly, you are what the Velmonte name stands for."
Flattery.
And it worked — at least a little. Mrs. Velmonte said nothing at first, but her brows eased just slightly.
After a moment, she turned. "Erica… from the Halverson family, yes? I've heard the name. How long have you been in this company? And how come I've never noticed you?"
Erica leaned in just slightly, her voice soft but deliberate. "I've been here for a while. Quietly. But I've had my eyes on your son for even longer."
Mrs. Velmonte blinked.
"And I believe a union between the Halversons and Velmontes would be… not just powerful. It would be untouchable. Greatness merging with greatness."
She smiled. "I hope Emily gets out of the way. Kindly."
With that, she bowed gently. "Have a wonderful day, Mrs. Velmonte," and turned away, leaving the older woman in deep thought.
Mrs. Velmonte looked toward a few female executives nearby. A word here. A whisper there. The kind that could plant seeds of persuasion in the right ears.
Exactly ten minutes later, Emily re-entered the boardroom. Her steps were light. Calm. Confident — but still playing the same helpless role.
She took her seat.
A few seconds later, Alexander returned with Andrew behind him. He went straight to the head of the table and sat, fingers interlocked.
Andrew remained standing to his side, alert.
Alexander scanned the room once.
"Shall we begin?"
At his signal, Andrew stepped forward, carrying a stack of printed papers. Each sheet had two boxes: Stay or Not Stay. Andrew spoke briskly, "Please tick your choice clearly. Use the marker provided."
The executives nodded stiffly. One by one, they took the papers and markers Andrew handed out. Sixteen executives in total — not counting Alexander and Andrew.
Emily sat quietly on a small sofa not far from the table, her hands resting tensely on her skirt. Erica, seated near her but at a noticeable distance, didn't bother hiding the looks of disgust she kept shooting Emily's way.
Minutes dragged by. Some executives hesitated before ticking, others marked quickly without second-guessing.
After three minutes, Alexander gave a small nod. Andrew brought forward a black box, moving to each executive. One by one, they dropped their folded papers inside, placing their markers back onto the table.
Damian was the first to submit, followed by the others, their faces unreadable. When it was done, Andrew returned to Alexander's side and opened the box carefully.
The room held its breath.
Andrew counted swiftly, his movements trained and efficient. Then he bent down and whispered the result into Alexander's ear.
Alexander didn't flinch. His eyes, however, found Emily immediately. She was still staring down, her fingers tightly clutching the hem of her skirt. She looked small. Fragile. Nervous.
And yet, when she finally lifted her head to meet his gaze, something shifted.
Her pale green eyes locked onto his, wide with a quiet kind of betrayal.
Alexander's heart — cold, disciplined — skipped. He caught the sensation quickly, masking it under years of control. Probably pity, he told himself. Nothing more.
Without looking away from her, his voice came out merciless and detached, leaving no room for questions.
"Emily," he said, "thank you for what you have done for Velmonte Technologies so far… but your time ends here."
Erica's face immediately lit up with a victorious smile. She turned her head just slightly, enough for Emily to see it. Watching Emily's broken look only fueled her satisfaction.
Mrs. Velmonte, sitting across the table, didn't bother hiding her delight either. A sharp, pleased laugh escaped her lips as she turned to those near her.
"This is some good news," she said aloud, loud enough for the whole room to hear.
A few others chuckled or nodded quietly, murmuring in agreement. Some congratulated Mrs. Velmonte softly.
Damian, standing by the side, only sighed heavily at his mother-in-law's behavior, keeping his thoughts to himself.
Alexander, as if unaffected by any of it, stood up from his seat, breaking the heavy eye contact he shared with Emily, and without a word, left the room. Andrew followed after him swiftly.
Emily remained seated for a moment longer, her hands lightly trembling.
Erica leaned closer, just enough for Emily to hear her whisper with a venomous smile, "I have nothing to say to you, Miss Emily. For now, it's just the company you were kicked out of. Soon… it will be that stupid relationship with my Alexander that'll be broken off too."
With a smug toss of her hair, Erica left the room.
Damian approached Emily next. His voice was low, almost apologetic. "I'll pack up your things and send them to you. That's the least I can do," he said, not waiting for a reply before turning and walking out.
Left alone, Emily slowly gathered the file she had brought to the boardroom. She could feel the burning gazes of Mr. and Mrs. Velmonte behind her, sharp and heavy like daggers.
But as she stepped out of the boardroom, a subtle smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.
This is exactly what I wanted, she thought, her helpless expression still plastered perfectly on her face.
Now I can focus on better things.
Still carrying the look of defeat, Emily made her way to Alexander's office. She knocked once, and without waiting long for a response, she opened the door.
Alexander was inside, seated at his desk, his head buried in paperwork.
She walked forward slowly, standing across from him.
"I came for my file," she said, her voice low but steady.
Without even lifting his head, Alexander responded coldly, "Check the shelf."
The shelf he mentioned was a tall, sleek black one tucked against the far wall, barely noticeable at first glance.
Emily spotted her file but realized it was placed too high for her reach. She struggled silently, stretching her arm, standing on tiptoe.
From the corner of his eye, Alexander noticed her struggling. He finally looked up and, seeing her strain, stood and approached.
"You could have just asked for help, Miss Emily," he said, his voice still cold, mechanical.
Emily turned to face him fully.
Her eyes — red, glassy, and wounded — stared right into his.
Alexander froze for a second, a small crack appearing in his frozen armor. He hadn't realized… she had been crying all this time.
Emily's lips trembled slightly, but she held his gaze with a newfound fire.
"Wow, Mr. Alexander," she said quietly, voice shaking. "Wow."
"I just lost my job because of you… and this is what you have to say?" she asked, her voice rising slightly, thick with unshed tears.
"Of course you don't care," she continued bitterly, laughing under her breath. "How does it matter to you? You selfish, self-centered beast. You still have your perfect life… your perfect work… your endless money."
Alexander said nothing, just stood there, watching her, something unreadable flickering in his cold gaze.
Emily swallowed hard, her hands tightening into fists at her sides.
"You have no idea what it's like… to take care of yourself completely alone. This job—" she broke off, her voice hitching. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second, steadying herself. "This job was everything to me."
Her voice cracked as she finished, "Now, who will ever employ me… knowing I was kicked out of Velmonte Technologies?"
Alexander's eyes fixed on hers, the two of them standing there in silence, with only Emily's soft sobbing filling the room. Without breaking eye contact, Alexander reached for the file and handed it to her.
"Emily, that will be all. Leave these grounds. You no longer work here," he said coldly.
Emily took the file, her hands trembling slightly, and turned to walk away. The last thing he saw in her eyes was pure, raw disappointment.
At the door, she bumped into Andrew, their eyes meeting briefly before she continued on without a word, shutting the door behind her.
As she took the lift down, she could feel the weight of people's stares, their whispers crawling after her. Still, she kept her composure, acting broken when in truth, none of this touched her spirit. She walked out of Velmonte Technologies without even sparing the building a second glance, the whispers fading behind her like a dying echo.
The air outside felt colder than it was. Emily walked, her footsteps slow but steady, her fingers clenching the file Alexander had handed her. Each step away from the building was a silent victory wrapped in the appearance of defeat. She didn't look back. Not once.
A black car drove past her. She didn't flinch.
At the corner of the street, she stopped, leaned against a lamppost, and finally let her shoulders drop. The helpless expression melted from her face. Her back straightened. Her lips tightened into a faint smirk.
Good. They bought it.
She took her phone from her coat and dialed. It rang once before a soft voice answered.
"Phase one is complete," Emily said, her voice calm, calculating now.
"You're out?" the voice asked.
"Thrown out," she replied. "By popular vote."
A chuckle came from the other end. "You're playing your part well."
She glanced back one final time—not at the building, but at the top floor where she knew Alexander's office stood.
"They won't see me coming next time," she murmured, before ending the call and walking into the busy city crowd.