Diane’s POV
The shrill ring of my phone pierced through the morning quiet, jolting from the peaceful mont I’d been savoring with my cup of herbal tea. One week had passed since the court appearance and that strange dinner with Liam—a week of careful planning and quiet anticipation. Now, seeing Guerrero’s na on my caller ID made my pulse quicken.
"Diane," his familiar voice ca through the speaker, warm but businesslike. "I hope I’m not calling too early. I need you to co by the office for a very important eting this morning. Can you be here by ten?"
"Of course," I replied, trying to keep the tremor of excitent from my voice. "Is there anything specific I should prepare for?"
There was a pause, and when he spoke again, his tone had shifted to sothing more personal, more emotional. "Actually, Diane, before we discuss business, I want to thank you again. What you did for Natasha and at your birthday party... I can never express how grateful I am."
My heart ward at the mory. "Mr. Guerrero, you don’t need to—"
"Please, let finish," he interrupted gently. "Natasha moved in with her stepmother and 2 weeks ago. For the first ti in years, my daughter is ho. She’s laughing again, talking to us, being part of our family. That’s because of you, Diane. Because of your incredible capacity for forgiveness and your wisdom about family. I owe you more than I can ever repay."
Tears pricked at my eyes. "I’m so happy for you both. Family is everything."
"Indeed it is. I’ll see you at ten, then."
As I hung up, a surge of emotions washed over . The eting could only an one thing—the board was ready to make their decision about Synergy Sphere’s future. My future.
I imdiately dialed my father’s number, needing to hear his voice, to draw strength from his support.
"Dad," I said as soon as he answered, "I think this is it. Guerrero just called to the office. I think... I think they’re going to announce as CEO today."
"Oh, sweetheart," his voice was filled with pride and warmth. "I’m so proud of you. You’ve worked so hard for this, fought for what you deserve."
"I need your support today, Dad. I know it’s a lot to ask, but could you—"
"I’ll be there," he said without hesitation. "Wild horses couldn’t keep away from seeing my daughter reap what she had laboured for."
There was a pause, and then his voice took on a different quality—excited, almost mischievous. "But Diane, even if Synergy Sphere doesn’t give you the position, though I’m certain they will, you should know that you have other options."
"What do you an?"
"Elite Group, sweetheart. You and Sophie are taking over Elite Group. That was always the plan—my daughters inheriting what I’ve built."
The words hit like a physical blow. I sat down heavily in the nearest chair, my free hand instinctively going to my belly where the twins were stirring.
"Dad... are you serious? Are you actually serious right now?"
"Completely serious," he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "I’ve been preparing for this transition for years. Elite Group is yours and Sophie’s. It always has been."
The weight of what he was saying crashed over in waves. Elite Group—one of the most powerful investnt firms in the city. My father had built an empire, and he was handing it to us.
"But I..." I struggled to find words through the sudden rush of emotions. "I had no idea. Why didn’t you tell ?"
"Because I wanted you to fight for what you believed in first. I wanted you to prove to yourself that you could stand on your own, that you didn’t need anyone’s charity or pity. And you have, Diane. You’ve proven yourself beyond any doubt."
"I don’t know what to say."
"You don’t have to say anything. Just know that whether Synergy Sphere recognizes your worth or not, you have a place where you belong. But honestly, sweetheart, after everything you’ve been through, after how you’ve handled this entire situation with grace and intelligence, I believe they’d be fools not to make you CEO."
I was crying now, overwheld by the love and support in his voice, by the magnitude of what he was offering. "Dad, I—"
"I love you, Diane. I’m so proud of the woman you’ve beco. Now go show them what an Evans woman can do."
As I hung up the phone, the full weight of the morning’s revelations hit . I let out a sound that was part laugh, part sob, part shout of joy. The twins kicked vigorously in response to my emotional outburst, as if they too could feel the montous nature of this day.
I called Noah imdiately, needing his steadying presence.
"Good morning, beautiful," his warm voice imdiately cald my racing heart. "How are you feeling?"
"Overwheld, excited, terrified," I admitted. "Noah, I need you. Can you pick up for the eting with Guerrero? I think... I think today is the day."
"I’ll be right there," he said without hesitation. "We’re going to face this together."
Being the early bird I’d always been, I arrived at Synergy Sphere at 9:00, giving myself ti to settle and center myself before the eting. The familiar weight of the building seed different today—not oppressive, but welcoming. Like it was finally ready to acknowledge .
I made my way to the boardroom, walking with a confidence I hadn’t felt in months. When I entered, several board mbers were already seated, their faces carefully neutral but their eyes showing unmistakable curiosity.
I took my seat at the table, my 10% shareholding giving the right to be here as more than just a guest. The weight of that ownership felt heavier today, more significant.
The door opened, and my breath caught. Liam walked in, his expensive suit immaculate as always, but I could see the tension in his shoulders, the tight set of his jaw. His eyes imdiately found mine across the table, and I saw sothing there that made my stomach clench—rage, yes, but also a desperate kind of fear.
"Gentlen," he said, his voice carrying its usual authority but with an underlying strain. "Ladies. This is... unexpected."
I kept my expression neutral, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing any reaction. I simply looked at him with the cool indifference I’d perfected over the past months, then turned my attention to the docunts in front of .
Liam took his seat, his hands clasped tightly on the table. I noticed the white of his knuckles, the slight tremor in his fingers. He knew. Sohow, he knew this wasn’t going to go his way.
Guerrero stood at the head of the table, his commanding presence imdiately drawing everyone’s attention. "Thank you all for being here. I know this is an unusual eting, but recent events have made it necessary."
He paused, his eyes sweeping the room. "As you know, we took a preliminary vote regarding Mr. Liam Ashton’s position as CEO. However, since Mr. Hemsworth was not present for that vote, and given the gravity of the situation, I believe we need to address this matter properly, with all board mbers present."
Noah sat quietly, his expression professional but cold as he looked at Liam. I could feel the tension radiating from him, his protective instincts on high alert.
Liam suddenly stood, his chair scraping against the floor. "I won’t let you take this company from ," he said, his voice rising with desperation. "I built this company. I made it what it is today. You can’t just—"
"Sit down, Liam," Guerrero’s voice cut through the room like a blade. "You’re lucky to still be sitting at this table."
Liam remained standing, his chest heaving with emotion. "You don’t understand what I’ve sacrificed—"
"Sit. Down." Guerrero’s tone brooked no argunt.
Reluctantly, Liam sank back into his chair, but his eyes were wild, desperate. I watched as his hand moved toward his briefcase, fumbling with the zipper. He was looking for sothing, and the frantic way he was searching made my pulse quicken.
"Your personal life has affected this company countless tis," Guerrero continued, his voice steady and authoritative.
"We’ve given you warnings. We’ve attempted to cover up your mistakes, to help you get your act together. But you’ve consistently failed to et even the most basic standards of professional conduct."
As Guerrero spoke, I noticed Liam’s hand freeze on his briefcase. His face went pale, and his eyes snapped to attention with sudden, terrible understanding.
"Furthermore," Guerrero continued, reaching for a manila folder, "we have docunted evidence of financial misconduct." He placed the folder on the table with deliberate precision.
"Diane was the one who brought these docunts to our attention, showing that you’ve been systematically siphoning money from company accounts into personal offshore account."
The effect on Liam was imdiate and devastating. His hand fell away from his briefcase as if it had burned him. The color drained completely from his face, and I watched as the realization hit him like a physical blow.
The docunt containing damming evidence against him he’d been desperately trying to find by now—it was all here, in this room, being used against him and I was the one who’d lit the fuse.
Liam’s head dropped into his hands, his shoulders shaking. For a mont, he looked like a broken man, soone whose entire world had just crumbled around him.
"At first, I doubted the authenticity of these docunts," Guerrero continued remorselessly. "But after conducting our own investigation, we confird that Mr. Ashton has indeed been stealing from this company, moving funds to personal accounts in Panama. Money that should have been reinvested in Synergy Sphere or distributed to shareholders."
The room erupted in whispers. Board mbers leaned toward each other, their faces shocked and appalled. Even those who had supported Liam in the past looked betrayed, disgusted.
"Legal action will be taken," Guerrero announced. "You’ll be hearing from our attorneys."
Liam sat motionless, like a statue. The man who had once commanded this room with his charisma and confidence was now reduced to silence, caught in a web of his own making.
Noah stood, his face a mask of cold fury. "What do you have to say for yourself, Liam?"
But no words ca. Liam just sat there, staring at the table, his world collapsing around him.
"I call for a vote," Guerrero announced. "All in favor of removing Liam Ashton now as CEO of Synergy Sphere?"
One by one, every hand in the room went up. Even the board mbers who had previously supported Liam turned against him. When failure beca obvious, when scandal threatened their own reputations, loyalty disappeared like smoke.
Eight votes. Unanimous.
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