Damian's Pov
"Call an emergency board meeting," I said the second I walked into my office.
Mia looked up from her desk, startled. "Sir, the board just left half an hour ago….."
"Then call them back," I snapped. "They should be here within fifteen minutes. No excuses."
She hesitated only a second before nodding. "Yes, Mr. Cross."
I didn't sit or even take off my jacket. I stood by the window, watching the skyline bleed into gray, every muscle in my body wound tight. Clara's words still echoed in my head with every smug, manipulative syllable.
By the time the conference room filled, I was ready.
The chatter died the moment I walked in. Twelve pairs of eyes turned toward me. My father's old board men who thought they could still whisper behind my back and get away with it.
I didn't bother sitting. "Let's make this quick," I said flatly. "We're here because someone forgot who's in charge."
Murmurs rippled around the table.
"Mr. Cross," one of the older directors began carefully, "if this is about the Westline merger..."
"It is," I cut in. "And it's canceled."
The room went silent.
"You can't be serious," another said. "The paperwork's already been..."
"Unsigned," I corrected, holding up a folder. "By me, which means it's invalid."
Clara shifted in her seat at the far end of the table. Her face was calm, but I could see the tension in her jaw.
"Sir," said Mark, the head of finance, "that merger could've increased our market reach by thirty percent. It was a smart move."
"It was my decision to make," I said, voice low but sharp enough to cut through the air. "And no one in this room had the authority to override it."
No one spoke. That was good.
I dropped the folder onto the table. "Let me be very clear. From this point on, any deal, contract, or partnership that doesn't pass directly through my office dies before it reaches my desk. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," a few murmured, uneasy.
I turned my gaze to Clara. "That includes PR."
She met my eyes, unflinching. "Understood," she said smoothly, though her tone carried a hint of challenge.
"Good." I straightened. "I built this company from the ashes of my father's mess. I've earned the right to decide how it runs. If any of you have a problem with that, there's the door."
No one moved.
"Then we're done here," I said, heading for the door.
"Damian…..sorry, sir" Clara's voice stopped me.
I turned, slowly. "Yes?"
She rose from her chair, smiling just enough to hide the venom. "With all due respect, canceling a merger in front of the board makes you look impulsive. Investors might take it as instability."
"Then let them," I said simply. "I'd rather look impulsive than incompetent."
A low murmur swept through the room.
She tilted her head. "That's not fair to the team who worked for weeks preparing that deal."
"Then they should've remembered who signs their paychecks."
Her lips parted, but I didn't give her the chance to answer. "If you have something else to say, Clara, now's the time."
She hesitated, then forced a light laugh. "You're the boss."
"Finally, something we agree on."
I walked out before she could reply.
Mia was waiting outside, nervous. "Should I….uh...notify legal about the merger termination?"
"Yes," I said shortly. "And schedule a press statement for tomorrow morning. I'll handle it myself."
She nodded quickly. "Of course."
I went back into my office and shut the door behind me. The silence hit hard. For a few seconds, I just stood there, breathing, trying to keep my anger in check. Clara had gone too far. Co-signing a merger was one thing but inviting Victor Hale? That was deliberate. She knew exactly what she was doing.
I sat, elbows on my desk, staring at the city lights. I'd given Clara too much room for too long. I trusted her when I shouldn't have. Let her think she was indispensable. That ended today.
My phone buzzed. It was a message from Emma.
Emma: How did the meeting go?
I stared at the text for a long moment before replying
Me: It has been handled.
She didn't reply right away, but just seeing her name calmed me in a way nothing else could.
There was a soft knock on my door a few minutes later.
"Come in," I said.
Clara stepped in, her smile sharp but I could see past the fake smile. "I just wanted to clear the air," she began, closing the door behind her.
"There's nothing to clear," I said.
"Damian, I made a judgment call," she said, walking closer. "You hired me because I take initiative."
"I hired you to manage optics, not my signature."
She sighed. "You're making this personal."
"It is personal," I said, standing. "Because I trusted you and you used that to go behind my back."
"I didn't go behind your back," she argued. "I went around the red tape."
"Which is my back," I said flatly.
Her expression faltered, but she recovered quickly. "Look, we've always been a good team. You and I…..we get results. Don't let one misunderstanding ruin that."
"This isn't a misunderstanding."
She stepped closer again, voice softening. "Damian…"
"Don't," I warned.
Her eyes searched mine, calculating. When she realized I wasn't budging, she straightened. "Fine," she said quietly. "But you're making a mistake. People talk, Damian. They will say you've lost control."
I gave a small, humorless smile. "Then let them. I'm not here to look in control, Clara. I am in control."
For a moment, her mask slipped, just slightly. "You've changed," she said finally.
"Good," I replied. "That means I'm learning."
She opened her mouth, closed it, then turned for the door.
"Clara," I said just before she left.
She paused, hand on the handle.
"Next time you undermine me," I said evenly, "you won't get a meeting. You'll get security, who would throw you out of this building, understand?"
Her shoulders stiffened, but she didn't turn around. "Understood."
When she was gone, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
Mia peeked in a few minutes later. "Everything okay, sir?"
I glanced up at her. "It will be," I said. "Once everyone remembers who they work for."
She nodded and left quietly.
I turned back to the window. The city glowed beneath me. It was chaotic, alive, relentless and for the first time in weeks, I felt like I'd taken control back.
Clara wanted to play power games, fine but she'd just learned the first rule of mine– No one goes behind my back, not even her.