Page 144 of My Big, Fat, Hot Billionaire Enemy

Still, she knows my reputation. The Executioner doesn’t just bury the ax. People assume he’s simply waiting for the right moment to swing it again.

Wouldn’t blame her for a second if she thought this was some elaborate, twisted play, another Blackwell betrayal, maybe even orchestrated by me.

She searches my face for another second, then the tension drains from her shoulders. She believes me. Without hesitation.

A small, fierce part of me thrills at that absolute trust, even now, in the face of this disaster.

She reaches out, squeezes my hand briefly. A gesture of solidarity.

Us against them.

I exhale a breath I didn’t fucking realize I was holding.

The Hammond & Co. headquarters is chaos. Phones ringing off the hook. Staff looking panicked. Board members are already gathered in the main conference room, the air thick with fear and recrimination.

Lucy squares her shoulders, walkingin like she owns the place, even though internally she must be terrified.

I follow close behind.

Our respective security details remain outside.

“Lucy! Thank God!” Mr. Abernathy rushes forward. “What do we do? A hostile takeover by Blackwell Senior…”

“We fight,” Lucy says, her voice clear and steady, cutting through the panic. “We have a strong partnership agreement with BlackwellInnovations. We have resources. We need a strategy, now.”

They gather around the table, ready to dive into crisis mode.

Morgan Weiss is there, the snake, looking pale but with a predatory gleam in his eyes. He sees opportunity in this chaos.

Fucking parasite.

As Lucy takes her place at the head of the table,herplace now, Morgan clears his throat pointedly.

“Lucy,” he begins, his tone smooth but challenging. “While we appreciate Mr. Christopher Blackwell’s… support… perhaps his presence isn’t entirely appropriate during this particular strategy session? Given that the hostile partyishis father, representing the founding name of Blackwell interests…”

He lets the implication hang there.

Conflict of interest.

The room falls silent. All eyes turn to Lucy. It’s a test. Her first real test as permanent CEO. Can she command the room? Can she make the tough call, even if it involves me?

I see the conflict in her eyes. The hesitation. She looks at me, her expression torn. I give her nothing. No nod, no hint.

This has to be her decision.

Her authority to establish.

She takes a deep breath, her posture straightening, embodying the CEO title she just signed for.

“Morgan has a point,” she says, her voice firm, betraying none of the turmoil I know she feels.

She looks directly at me, her gaze steady, professional, but with an underlying sadness that cuts deeper than any anger could. “Christopher, thank you for coming, for your support. But this is a Hammond & Co. strategy meeting regarding a threat from… Blackwell interests. For legal and strategic clarity, perhaps it’s best if we proceed internally for now.”

A polite dismissal. A necessary boundary.

A fucking stake through my heart.

She’s right. Logically, professionally, she’s absolutely right.