Page 142 of The Christmas Trap

He leans back in his chair, fingers steepled, voice smooth as glass. “Stellar projections,” he says. A smirk plays at the corners of his mouth. “Though one might argue, optimism comes easily when your grandfather-in-law chairs the board.”

The air thickens. Ursula goes still. Tension ripples around the room.

“An interesting observation, Julian.” I flip to the next page of my report. “Thoughyou,of all people, should know that projections are approved by the oversight committee and not by marital consensus."

A few quiet chuckles break the silence.

I glance up, meeting his gaze head-on. “Every figure in this report was reviewed by Finance, verified by Audit, and ratified by Strategy. The same committees you sit on. So, if you’re questioning my objectivity, you might want to extend that doubt to your own minutes.”

A beat. Then Arthur’s low chuckle rumbles through the room. "And that’s why she got my vote to be CEO."

I turn around to find Arthur walking into the room, with Tiny at his side.

The Great Dane ignores the rest of the board members, and with his head held high and his tail higher, he ambles across the carpet until he reaches me. He bumps me with his big head.

Love bursts inside my chest. I scratch him behind his ear. He huffs, then plants himself on the floor next to me.

It’s not that I was nervous facing those around the table—okay,so maybe I was a little—but having Tiny by my side definitely bolsters my courage.

Arthur walks over to one of the two empty seats at the table. One is Brody’s; the other belongs to him. He takes the one closest to me, then gestures. "Proceed."

I clear my throat, picking up my train of thought.

“Now, unless there are further personal theories to discuss, I suggest we turn our attention back to performance, which is, after all, the only thing that pays dividends.”

"Hear, hear." Ursula claps her hands.

Arthur's features are wreathed in a smile.

Julian’s smirk fades. He looks down at his notes.

Tiny shifts beside me, tail thumping once against the floor.

I turn another page. “As I was saying, projected revenue growth for next year is eleven percent, with continued margin expansion from operational efficiencies. And unlike gossip, that’s substantiated by data.”

"You fucking aced it." My husband strides into my office, which used to be his, andpulls out his phone.

With a quick tap,the walls of the office turn opaque. I may have taken over his office, but he has access to the privacy settings. For moments like this.

He holds out his arms. I break into a run. He catches me and whirls me around.

"I am so proud of you." He grins up at me.

My heart is so full, it feels like it’s going to burst out of my chest. To have my husband look at me like I’m the most important thing in the entire world, and to know that hemeansit, is a feeling I never thought I would hold.

"You heard," I say breathlessly.

"Arthur called me on his way home and gave me the low down. He couldn’t stop gushing about how you eviscerated Julian Reed."

I wince. "He was asking questions which I’d already asked of myself."

"But you had all the answers," he growls.

"I did." I wrap my arms around his neck. "Not gonna lie. It was difficult, but I held my own."

"I knew you would. I had every confidence that you’d more than hold your own."

"If it weren’t for you, I never would have dreamed of coming this far so quickly."