I reached the wooden door, memories flashing back from the last time I stormed in after the kidnapping. What would happen this time? Were there enough people on the board still on my side? Or would they allow Gideon to take over, despite the evidence we had? “Wait here until my signal.” I said to the three alphas behind me. I felt them murmur in agreement. We were as ready as we’d ever be.
I didn’t have much time to think. I braced myself, placing my hand on the door, and pushed.
When I walked in, six faces looked up at me with varying degrees of shock. The most shocked of all was my uncle. His facedropped, then showed a flicker of rage for only a microsecond before switching to a mask of concern.
“Celeste!” He said as he stood, his hands on the long table. “It’s about time! You’ve been missing throughout all of this, and now you finally choose to show up?” His voice was admonishing, disappointed. “This is serious business, and you need to act like it!”
I had to hand it to him, he was an incredible actor and manipulator. He thought I was dead this whole time, and was somehow able to pivot and come up with his lines on the spot. The rest of the board looked at me with disapproval, disappointment, or in some cases, smug satisfaction. I was sure those were the ones that secretly backed my uncle.
I looked over to see Sterling seated behind him, and felt a small relief when he gave me the slightest nod. I straightened my back and looked out at the board.
“Gideon,” I said, my voice steady even as my pulse hammered in my ears, “I’m here before you and the rest of the board to tell the truth. About the documents, and about everything else. About how we can still save Harringday.”
One member at the far end of the table adjusted his glasses, lips twisted in disapproval. “The truth? The media has already shown us what the truth is, Celeste. We’ve all seen the documents. You’ve been going behind our backs and making shady deals this whole time.”
I lifted my chin. “You haven’t seen anything yet. It’s convenient how old and relatively insignificant those deals were compared to what’s been going on. That’s because the real corruption hasn’t been revealed yet. The kind of deals Gideon has been making in my name.”
Gasps rippled through the room. My uncle’s jaw tightened for a fraction of a second, but then he laughed - actually laughed - as if I’d just told the most absurd joke.
“Really, Celeste?” he said smoothly. “You disappear for days, you return without explanation, and now you accuse me? Your own uncle? The man who’s held this company together while you’ve been off playing games and stealing under Harringday's name?”
“Held it together?” I shot back, my hand curling into a fist at my side. “You nearly destroyed it! You used my name,my signature, to cover your tracks. And when that wasn’t enough, you tried to get rid of me. Tired to murder me, just like you murdered my parents. Isn’t that right?” Gasps and a few shouts rang out through the room. The board members looked around, some perplexed, others looking angry.
For a heartbeat, my uncle’s mask faltered - just long enough for me to see the rage flicker in his eyes again. Then he spread his hands, feigning innocence.
“This is nonsense,” he said with a practiced sigh. “She’s clearly not well. Trauma, stress… perhaps even manipulation by outsiders. You must see that.”
“I have proof. Pack Lockwood can attest to everything I’m saying.” I stepped aside, as Liam, Vigo, and Dante entered, their presence immediately shifting the air. A ripple of shock cut through the boardroom.
“They cannot be allowed in a board meeting!” one member shouted, his voice high with indignation.
“This is outrageous!” another snapped. “Get them out at once!”
Liam stepped up, his sheer height and alpha presence hit the room like a tidal wave, silencing more than a few murmurs.
“We have proof of what Celeste is saying,” he declared, his deep voice reverberating off the paneled walls. “The documents that were leaked? That was not us. We’ve lived alongside Celeste long enough to see what’s really happening, that we’ve all been manipulated.”
His gaze swept the table. “And the evidence we carry doesn’t just touch Harringday. It involves Manticore Tech. Gideon has been working with someone high up within our company, conspiring to remove Celeste from her rightful position and, ultimately, to strip Pack Lockwood from Manticore altogether as part of a larger, ongoing plan.”
He slammed down a stack of papers on the table, his green eyes blazing as he dared anyone to challenge him.
One of the board members, a silver-haired man with a pinched expression, frowned down at the papers. “A board memberworking with someone at Manticore Tech? That’s a bold claim, Mr. Lockwood. Where is your evidence of this?”
Vigo stepped forward, his voice edged with a growl. “Think about it. Why would we leak documents condemning Celeste only to stand here defending her? It wasn’t us. This was an inside job, designed to remove her and clear the way for Gideon. He wants to control the company, he always has. And he conspired with our employee to trade insider information in order to get us out of the way as well.”
A board member who I was certain backed my uncle, leaned forward. “Convenient, isn’t it? Celeste returns from hiding with… fans, I suppose, and suddenly she has evidence that just happens to exonerate her while condemning Gideon? Forgive me, but this is desperate. Celeste, it is becoming increasingly obvious that you cannot control the narrative, your own hormones, and certainly not this company!” His words burned into me. How dare he use my designation against me! I wanted to scream, but I clenched my jaw, refusing to give him the satisfaction.
Just then, Sterling stood up, his measured calm contrasting with the storm brewing in the room. He had been waiting, watching. The instant Gideon noticed, his face lit up in smug relief.
“Ah, Sterling. Perfect timing.” My uncle said, spreading his arms. “He can attest to Celeste’s manipulations. Sterling came to me with concern once the news broke. As I was saying earlier, his job was threatened unless he complied with Celeste’s demands to be the beta witness. Tell them, Sterling. Tell them the truth.”
Gideon waved his hand forward for Sterling’s testimony. The plan, as Sterling had told us earlier, was that Gideon would call him as a witness once the documents were leaked. Sterling was supposed to back the story, and though he would face some legal ramifications, he was promised huge rewards for his loyalty.
Yes,” Sterling said evenly, reaching into his jacket. Then he held up a small flash drive, his expression smooth and unreadable. “I do have evidence.” He moved toward the podium, his attitude that of the ultimate professional. “I’ll just need the laptop to show everyone the truth. Please be patient.”
Gideon’s smile faltered. This was not part of the plan.
“Sterling, I’m sure your word is fine. No need for a demo. And please, call in security to remove Pack Lockwood. Their presence here is a distraction, not to mention a nuisance.” Some of the members nodded in agreement, but a few looked quizzical.
