Page 14 of The Alpha's Crimson Vow (Eternal Oath Saga #2)

Katherine

I’ve always been the one to arrive last to these board meetings. It’s become kind of my thing—waiting until everyone else is settled in. Sometimes, it’s because I’ve got a mountain of work to power through, other times, I just need a minute to get myself centered before walking in. I prefer knowing they’re all in their seats, locked in, before I show up.

But today is different.

I’m the first one here. I’m early. I lean back slightly in the oversized leather chair, my mind buzzing with a million thoughts from last night. I almost feel like I’m watching this whole thing unfold from the outside. Everything’s surreal, like I’m caught in some strange haze.

Alex came back. Out of nowhere, like he’d been hiding in the shadows this whole time. And when he stepped up onto that stage last night, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I thought I was hallucinating for a second. I swear, I blinked just to make sure I wasn’t losing it.

There he was, standing tall in front of everyone at the gala, declaring that he was going to save Pinnacle Group. He said he’d provide the investment we needed to keep the business afloat, to pull us back from the brink of bankruptcy.

I couldn’t stick around after that. I had to leave. It was too much to take in. How could he just show up like that? The guy who had played me for a damn fool for months.

One by one, the other board members trickle in, each one taking their seats. They don’t comment on me being here early, though I can see the surprise written all over their faces.

Uncle Lawrence walks in with that usual air of authority he carries around like it’s his birthright. He doesn’t acknowledge me. I don’t acknowledge him. There’s a tension between us now, one that’s practically palpable. He sits a few chairs down from me, keeping his distance.

Frank slides in a minute later, all sharp eyes and tight-lipped energy. I know what’s going on behind that calm face of his, though—he wants me out. Uncle Lawrence has made it crystal clear that he plans to lead a vote of no confidence against me today, and I can’t imagine a single person in this room won’t back him up. They’ve never been on my side.

But even Lawrence? Even Frank? They both seem… uncertain. Everyone’s uneasy. No one knows what’s going to happen. Hell, I don’t even know how this is going to play out.

And then, just like that, the doors swing open.

Alex enters the room with an unmistakable confidence. His hair’s perfectly styled, his black suit looking sharp enough to cut glass. Two massive guys—bodyguards, I’m guessing—flank him on either side.

Both of them are practically as tall as Alex, wearing matching black suits and sunglasses. They don’t look friendly. Hell, they look like they could tear you apart without breaking a sweat. I know what they are, though. I’m the only one in the room who does. Wolf shifters, just like Alex.

I look at him as he takes the seat at the opposite end of the long board table, and I can’t help the feelings that bubble inside me.That raw, unspoken anger, the betrayal. I can feel it crawling up my spine, and my chest tightens, but I don’t look at him long enough to let it consume me. I pull my gaze away and try to focus on something—anything—else.

And then his voice rings out, low and commanding, filling the space. “Well then, everyone’s present. Let’s begin.”

Alex gestures to the two towering bodyguards standing beside him, and without a word, they start moving around the room, passing out thick files to each of the board members. They walk slowly, methodically, like they’re on a mission, making sure each person gets a neat stack of papers.

“You’ll find everything you need in there,” Alex’s voice cuts through the silence, carrying a steady, authoritative edge. “The details of my plan, along with a white paper on some of the companies I own, my properties, and a bank statement. To assure you, I’m fully capable of making the investment necessary.”

His words linger in the air, and there’s a change in the atmosphere in the room. Everyone starts flipping through the papers. A few eyebrows raise. Some of the more seasoned board members exchange glances.

The bodyguard finally reaches me, and with a slight bow of his head, places a file in front of me. I take a quick look around, watching the others skimming through the documents, some looking impressed, others a bit more skeptical. I pick it up slowly, keeping my face neutral.

I freeze for a moment, my breath hitching.

He’s a billionaire.

My mind is trying to process the figures I’m seeing in this file, but Alex’s voice breaks through again, smooth and unfazed. “It’s all verifiable, in case anyone has doubts,” he adds, scanning the room with that cool, piercing gaze.

Andrew, always the techie, has already opened his laptop, his fingers tapping furiously at the keys. He glances up a moment later, his expression morphing from focused to surprised. “It all checks out,” he mutters, eyes wide. “The properties are all registered under his name.”

The energy in the room changes immediately. The board members start whispering to each other, low murmurs rising and falling like a growing wave. The spark of enthusiasm is palpable now. Their eyes—once skeptical—are starting to light up.

Frank’s face is still locked in confusion, his green eyes narrowing like he’s trying to figure out a puzzle that’s one piece away from completion. Lawrence, on the other hand, just stares at the document in front of him, his fingers slowly tracing the lines as though he’s weighing the stakes of everything.

I keep my expression as neutral as possible, though I feel my pulse quicken.

Alex lets the murmurs settle before speaking again, his tone growing even more commanding now that the proof is in front of everyone. “Now, about the plan.” He leans forward slightly, his voice cutting through the air.

“As you’ll see, I’m proposing that Pinnacle Group move the assets needed for the intended Asian expansion to my properties in Europe. You can establish your infrastructure there until your relations with the Asian partners are repaired and the expansion can be resumed.” He pauses for a beat before continuing, each word heavy with authority. “As for the financial investment, the figure I’m willing to commit is in that file. And it is more than enough to stave off bankruptcy. This won’t just keep the company alive, it will help it thrive.”

My eyes flick back down to the numbers, scanning the page again. The figures here… they’re beyond anything I could’ve hoped for from the combined input of everyone I invited for that gala. He’s not just offering cash, but access to his real estate—properties in Europe, at no cost. That’s… huge.

Whispers explode around the room again. Eyes dart back and forth. People are talking, exchanging glances, but Frank cuts through the noise. His voice is sharp, cutting. “And… why are you doing this?” His question hangs in the room. “The file doesn’t state what you stand to benefit from all of this.”

Alex turns his head, locking eyes with Frank, and for a moment, I see the faintest flicker of amusement on his face. “All I require,” he says slowly, his tone cool, “is a role as a director, and a seat on the board. At least until the company stabilizes.”

There’s a beat of silence, and then one of the other board members speaks up immediately, his voice dripping with approval. “That sounds like a more than fair deal.”

Frank’s head whips around, his eyes narrowing to slits, sending daggers across the room. He glares at the board member who spoke, but the moment passes.

His attention snaps back to Alex, and now there’s an edge in his voice. “For months, you worked here as a janitor. A janitor. And then out of nowhere, you show up with deep pockets, properties, connections… Care to explain why you were posing as a janitor for so long?”

Alex doesn’t flinch. He barely reacts. He gives a small shrug, that same cocky smirk curling on his lips. “I was working on my acting skills,” he says with a casual tilt of his head.

A modest chuckle comes from one of the board members, though Frank’s glare intensifies, if anything. Alex leans back slightly, his expression turning to something colder, more serious.

“You can keep asking me questions about things that aren’t relevant, Frank. Or we can focus on what is relevant.” His voice is firm now, like an iron rod. “My terms have been stated. The real question is: What does the board decide?”

And then, just like that, he moves his gaze, fixing it straight on me.

“What does the CEO decide. Katherine?” Hearing him say my name again sends a fresh wave of angst through me. My jaw tightens, and I feel my nails dig into the table as I rest my hands there, trying to ground myself.

The memory of the last time he looked at me, that coldness in his eyes as he told me I was nothing but a pawn in his plan—it comes rushing back, and this time, the fury mixes with something I don’t quite understand.

Before I can even form a response, Lawrence speaks up. His voice is deep, filled with that aged, practiced authority that never fails to command attention. “The deal you’ve proposed looks good,” he says, eyes narrowing slightly.

“But we may have a change of leadership after today.” He turns slowly, almost dramatically, to me. “I intend to move forward with a vote of no confidence against the current CEO for leading the company to this position in the first place.”

My heart races. But I keep my face steady. I knew this was coming.

Alex’s brow lifts slightly, like he’s intrigued, but there’s no panic in his voice when he responds. “Oh,” he says with a calmness that could freeze ice. He turns in his seat, resting his hands on the table as he looks at Lawrence. “Well, then I’d like to add something at this juncture.” His voice doesn’t rise, but it carries significance. “I will only move forward with my offer under the current leadership. If Katherine is not CEO of Pinnacle Group, then my offer is off the table.”

A gasp ripples through the room, and my eyes widen despite myself.

What is he doing? Why is he doing this? Is this part of his plan? Another mission of his that I still don’t understand?

I quickly shove down the surprise, trying to mask it. I force my expression back into neutrality.

The entire atmosphere in the boardroom changes again. The tension, thick enough to choke on, coils around the air like a live wire. The board members—those same men who had spent months doubting me, challenging me, waiting for me to fail—are now all looking at Lawrence, their eyes wide with expectation.

Lawrence doesn’t speak. Not immediately. But I can see it—the wheels turning in his head, the calculations being made behind that unreadable expression of his. He’s always been a sharp old bastard, and right now, he’s putting the pieces together, seeing exactly what’s happening here.

He knows the board wants Alex’s deal.

They might not like me. Hell, they’ve made that clear more times than I can count. But if there’s one thing they dislike even more, it’s losing money. And if Pinnacle Group goes bankrupt, every single one of them takes a hit where it hurts the most—their pockets.

Alex is offering the only way out.

And Lawrence, ever the survivor, has seen which way the tide is turning.

“Well then,” he finally says, his voice measured, deliberate. “In the interest of the company, I officially withdraw my motion for a vote of no confidence.”

There’s a moment of stunned silence—then, a collective exhale from the room. It’s subtle, but it’s there. A ripple of relief passing through the board like a current.

Across the table, Alex smiles.“Excellent,” he says smoothly, leaning back in his seat, his fingers drumming lightly against the armrest. “Now, since that’s out of the way, can—”

“Bullshit!”

Frank’s voice slices through the moment like a blade, shattering the fragile air of resolution that had just settled.

The entire room stills.

Every head turns toward him.

His face is flushed with anger, jaw tight, hands gripping the table so hard his knuckles have gone white.

“The vote must go ahead,” he snaps, his voice rising.

Lawrence moves slightly in his seat, his expression turning wary. “Frank—”

“No,” Frank cuts him off, his voice sharp, almost frantic. “This farce has to stop. She has almost run this company into the ground, and today is the day it ends.”

My brow lifts slightly. Almost run the company into the ground? As if he isn’t the reason we’re in this mess to begin with?

But I say nothing.

Lawrence sighs, the kind of sigh that says he’s trying to keep his patience intact. “Frank, calm down.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Frank shouts, his voice booming through the room.

The other board members move uncomfortably, casting nervous glances at one another. Some of them look shocked, others wary, as if unsure whether to intervene or let Frank dig his own grave.

Across from me, Alex is still sitting back, arms crossed, looking thoroughly entertained by the entire spectacle. Like he’s watching a particularly amusing play unfold.

Frank exhales hard through his nose, eyes burning with frustration. “If you don’t have the stones to go through with it, I will,” he spits, shoving back his chair as he stands. “I am officially moving a motion of no confidence against the CEO.”

His gaze tilts then, snapping toward Alex like a venomous strike. “And you—” he jabs a finger toward him “—can’t just waltz in here and dictate how we run this company just because you’re throwing money at it.”

Alex raises an eyebrow, looking genuinely amused now. “I haven’t dictated anything,” he says, voice calm, almost lazy. “I’ve simply stated that if Katherine is removed as CEO, my offer is off the table. You’re more than welcome to carry on with your vote.”

Silence.

The tenseness is a living, breathing thing, curling around the room, pressing in from all sides.

I take a steady breath, then clear my throat.

All eyes snap to me now.

“Gentlemen,” I begin, keeping my tone even, steady, unbothered even as my pulse kicks up a notch. “In line with company policy, in the event of a no-confidence vote at board level, we will carry out the vote simply and immediately.”

I pause, let that settle. Then, with my back straight and my gaze unwavering, I say, “All in support of the vote of no confidence in my leadership, please make a show of hands.”

I brace myself.

Frank’s hand shoots up immediately. His is the only hand up.

Even Lawrence—who had been the one to initiate this whole thing—doesn’t raise his hand.

Frank’s face visibly darkens, a flush creeping up his neck, his breathing going shallow with barely contained rage.

“Well,” I start, my voice light, almost indifferent, “I guess that settles tha—”

“Cowards!”

The word explodes from Frank like a bomb, cutting through the air, echoing against the walls.

Every muscle in his body is coiled tight, his fists clenching at his sides as he glares around the room. “Every single last one of you is a damn coward,” he hisses, his voice shaking with anger.

“That’s enough!”

Lawrence’s voice rises, sharp, authoritative, cutting through Frank’s tirade like a whip.

For the first time, the other board members actually flinch.

Even I’m a little surprised.

Frank whirls on him, eyes blazing, his chest rising and falling like he’s barely holding himself together.

And then Lawrence, cool and unshaken, adds, “You’d do well to remember that you had a hand in getting the company into this situation.” His voice dips lower, sharper. “Among your other offenses.”

A beat of silence.

Frank breathes hard, staring Lawrence down, his green eyes glistening with pure, unfiltered rage.

Alex leans back in his chair, fingers tapping lazily against the table, watching the chaos he’s just ignited spread like wildfire. His expression is completely unbothered, his voice as smooth as silk.

“That reminds me,” he muses, his tone carrying the same casual indifference as someone commenting on the weather. “I’ve done my due diligence, and I’m aware that there’s been some… theft going on in this company.”

The words land like a hammer, cracking through the already fragile tension in the room.

Frank’s head turns toward him slowly, too slowly, like he’s just realized he’s been walking straight into a trap and is only now noticing the jaws closing around him. His entire body stiffens, and the caution in his movement is almost palpable.

Alex continues, as if he doesn’t notice—or more likely, as if he does and is enjoying every second of it.

“Matter of fact, Frank here was suspended after it was discovered that he’d been skimming company funds.” He pauses, tilting his head slightly. “If my memory serves.”

There’s a smugness creeping into his tone now, an almost lazy kind of amusement. He’s stretching it out, letting every single word settle, twisting the knife ever so carefully, just enough to send Frank’s fraying nerves into free fall.

“I don’t think I’d be a very smart businessman if I made the kind of investments I intend to make into this company while knowing that the CFO is a thief.”

His gaze locks onto Frank now, no longer lazy, no longer amused—just steady, sharp, and unrelenting.

Frank stares back at him, and for the first time all morning, it looks his bravado is evaporating. His face is a mess of emotions—anger, embarrassment, the slow-burning horror of realizing he’s losing control of the room.

And then, it really hits him.

The silence stretches, and when he dares to glance around, he sees it—every single board member is looking at him.

And not just looking. Assessing. Calculating.

They doing the math.

If there’s even the slightest chance that Frank’s presence could jeopardize the deal with Alex, they’ll throw him overboard without hesitation.

He sees it in their faces.

His jaw slacks slightly, his lips parting like he wants to argue, but the words don’t come immediately. His confidence—so solid just minutes ago—is slipping fast.

“You… you people are not thinking…” he splutters, looking around as if waiting for someone to come to his defense.

No one does.

In fact—

“He does make a fair point,” Andrew says, his voice the first to break the silence.

“Yes, quite reasonable indeed,” another board member echoes, nodding slightly.

“I was never in agreement with him returning,” someone else murmurs, their voice edged with newfound conviction.

“It will be in the interest of the company if he were to step away for a while,” another adds, and this time, the conviction in their tone makes it clear—Frank is done.

Frank visibly tenses, his breathing coming quicker now. His eyes dart from face to face, searching for some kind of lifeline, but all he finds is indifference.

He swallows hard.

And then, with forced composure, he lifts his hands slightly. “Wait… hold on a minute. Let’s all just calm down for a minute.”

His voice is calmer now, softer, almost pleading.

But it’s too late.

The tide has already turned.

Lawrence, of all people, adds his voice now, ever the opportunist, ever the one to swim with the tide. He leans forward slightly, his tone carrying the edge of finality.

“Ms. CEO, I think, given the importance of the deal at hand and how vital it is that it runs smoothly, a decision has to be made regarding the CFO. And I think the board agrees.”

A murmur of approval ripples through the room. Heads nodding, the change in their stance so blatant it’s almost laughable. Amazing, really, what money can do.

A few hours ago, this same board was all too eager to see me stripped of my position, willing to blame me for a crisis that Frank himself created. And now? Now that Alex has come in with a lifeline, they’ve suddenly rediscovered their principles.

I almost laugh.

Frank’s eyes widen in shock at Lawrence’s words, as if he genuinely thought the man would stand by him. He stares at him like he’s waiting for some kind of retraction, but Lawrence doesn’t even flinch.

He’s on the losing side now. And he knows it.

Slowly, Frank turns to me, and the look on his face is almost comical.

Silent pleading. A desperate, wordless bid for mercy.

It’s insane.

A moment ago, he was practically salivating at the thought of me being thrown out of my own company. And now? Now he’s looking at me like I’m the only person who can save him.

I straighten, keeping my expression cold, my voice firm. “Frank, effective immediately, your suspension from your role will resume indefinitely, pending a full review.”

He doesn’t even argue. No clapbacks, no self-righteous tantrum. He just stands there, his face crumbling, the reality sinking in.

He’s done.

I tilt my gaze to the rest of the board. “Given that we are all in agreement with the deal that’s been tabled, we at Pinnacle Group officially accept these terms.”

My eyes land on Alex now, meeting his gaze across the room.

He smiles.

I don’t return it.

“This meeting is over,” I declare.

Lawrence is the first to rise. He buttons his suit jacket and strides out, not sparing Frank so much as a glance. But Frank watches him leave, watches as the man he clearly thought would back him up turns his back on him completely.

The other board members follow, filing out, talking among themselves in hushed voices.

Frank stays put.

He stands there for a long, pathetic moment, his expression a mixture of disbelief and quiet defeat. And then, finally, he walks out too, shoulders slumped, looking smaller than he did when he walked in.

And then—silence.

The boardroom is empty now, except for me.

And Alex.

I sit at the head of the table. He remains at the other end, his guards flanking him, but otherwise, the room feels cavernous, like there’s too much space between us and not enough at the same time.

I don’t know why I don’t move.

A storm of emotions churns in my chest, emotions I don’t want to name. Because the truth is—today was supposed to be a disaster.

We should have declared bankruptcy.I should have been voted out. Frank should have taken over.

But none of that happened. Because of Alex.

And yet—what? Am I supposed to thank him for this? Am I supposed to run over, throw my arms around him, forget everything he did to me because he swooped in at the last second with his money and his bod guards and saved the day?

Anger simmers beneath my ribs, mixing with something heavier.

Because I remember.

I remember how I felt that day—how I let myself feel, how I was already crumbling only for him to shatter me completely. I remember how stupid it was to be vulnerable with him.

And I will never make that mistake again.

A long beat passes. And then I rise, gathering my files with steady hands and making my way to the door.

Halfway there, I hear the twist of fabric, the scrape of a chair against the floor.

Alex stands. I don’t stop.

As I pass him, he moves closer, lowering his voice. “Katherine, please. Let me explain—”

“No.”

The word is quiet but firm. I don’t look at him. I don’t give him the satisfaction.

I just keep walking, past him, past his guards, past the door.

Alex Valkov may have saved Pinnacle Group.

May have saved my job.

But I can never forget what he did to me.