Page 151 of My Big, Fat, Hot Billionaire Enemy

The vote is surprisingly decisive. They side with me. A formal resolution blocking the allocation of any further resources towards the Hammond takeover attempt. It doesn’t kill the bid entirely. Mark has personal wealth, other avenues, but it cripples his primary engine.

This is a major victory and another nail in the coffin of his influence overmycompany.

This move weakens his standing, adds ammunition to the case I’m building to eventually force him off the Blackwell Innovations board altogether.

But one step at a time.

Back in my office, adrenaline still humming, Tatiana enters with a data slate.

“The resolution from the Blackwell Holdings board has been formally logged, sir. A strategically effective maneuver.”

“Neutralizing a threat, Tatiana.Nothing more.”

She places the slate on my desk. “And Ms. Hammond?” she asks quietly. “You’ve crippled your father’s primary attack vector against her company. But the professional distance remains.”

“That was her decision,” I state curtly. “I respect it.”

Tatiana tilts her head slightly, regarding me with that unnervingly perceptive gaze. “Perhaps respect isn’t all that’s required now, Mr. Blackwell. You sent the defense analysis. A valuable asset, professionally delivered. But the silence since then…” She pauses. “Forgive me if I’m overstepping, but in these types of dynamics… are you not the dominant partner?”

The question startles me. “What the hell does that have to do with anything?”

“Dominant partners typically initiate,” she says simply. “They lead. They don’t wait passively. You told her you’d be there when she was ready. Perhaps she needs a reasontobe ready. A push. An indication that you have a plan not just to defend her company, but to navigate the complexitiesbetweenyou. Waiting for her to bridge the gap first, given her new position and the pressures she’s under… it might be misinterpreted.”

“Since when do you give relationship advice, Tatiana?” I grumble, though her words hit a nerve. Waiting passivelyisn’tmy style. But I thought respecting her boundary required it.

A rare, fleeting smile touches Tatiana’s lips. “I don’t give relationship advice, Mr. Blackwell. But after years of managing your schedule and observing your interactions… I know how billionaires think. And how they operate when they truly want something.” She picks up the data slate. “Sometimes, taking control requires making the first move towards reconciliation, not just waiting for surrender.” She leaves me alone with the unsettling accuracy of her observation.

Fuck. Is she right?

Have I been so focused on respecting Lucy’s professional boundaries that I’ve inadvertently reinforced the separation on a personal level?

Waited passively when I should have been strategizing a solution forus?

Fuck.

My mind races. The takeover attempt, while crippled, isn’t dead. The SPE issue still needs careful handling. Lucy is still under immense pressure. But maybe… maybe there is a way. A structure. A set of protocols that allows us professional separation where necessary, but doesn’t demand complete personal amputation. A way for me to support her,bewith her, without compromising her hard-won authority as CEO.

I spend the next hour sketching out ideas. Not just deeper defense tactics against Mark, but frameworks for communication. Firewalls between certain business aspects. Clear lines that protect both Hammond’s independence and our personal connection.

It’s complex. Requires trust. But it’s possible.

I won’t just send her another plan. Tatiana is right about that. She needs to meet me. To talk. To see that I’m not just waiting, but actively working on a solution forus.

I pick up my phone, pulling up her contact. My thumb hovers over the screen. Taking the first step. Initiating. Reasserting… not dominance in the way I did in her office, but leadership in bridging the gap she felt forced tocreate.

My message is carefully worded. Professional, yet implicitly personal.

Lucy. Strategic considerations regarding Project Nightingale and external pressures require discussion. Propose a private meeting at your earliest convenience to discuss a potential solution to our current situation. -C.

I hit send, the simple action feeling weighted with significance.

The ball is in her court, but I’ve just given it a firm push back towards her side of the net.

Now… I wait.

And hope like hell she’s willing to return the serve.

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