Dove exhaled slowly, tilting her head slightly before offering him a small, knowing smile.
"And yet," she said smoothly, "the company is still standing, isn’t it?"
Noah tensed. "That’s not the point, CEO Dove."
Dove chuckled lightly, though there was no real humor in it. "No, Noah, that’s exactly the point. If I thought this move would truly jeopardize the company, I wouldn’t have done it."
Noah opened his mouth to argue, but Dove cut him off before he could get a word out.
"Trust —you and the other shareholders," she said, her tone calm but firm. "I know what I’m doing."
Noah sighed, pressing his fingers lightly against the bridge of his nose. He closed his eyes briefly before opening them again, his gaze settling on Dove, a trace of helplessness in his expression.
"CEO Dove, my trust in you is not the issue here," he said, his voice tinged with concern. "What matters more is the board of directors and the shareholders. If sothing goes wrong—if your decision backfires—the board won’t see you in a favorable light. And when that happens, things could get really bad."
Dove smirked, her lips curving slightly upward. "I know that very well, Director Noah. And that is precisely why I am confident. In fact, no one in this company cares more about its reputation, its future, and my position than I do. This company carries the blood and soul of my grandfather and my father."
At her words, Noah fell silent. He had nothing more to say—because she was right. No one could ever understand or cherish this company the way Dove did. She had been trained from a young age to take over Sterling Corporation. It was her second ho.
And no one would ever set fire to the ho they had painstakingly built, especially one filled with so many mories.
Noah took a deep breath before nodding. "Alright then, CEO Dove. We’ll hold you to that. My trust in you isn’t the problem—I do trust you. I was only worried about you."
Dove blinked, a familiar clenching pain settling in her chest. His trust? It had been years, yet she still couldn’t forget the pain of betrayal and abandonnt—the pain she had felt when Noah, the man she once regarded as an older brother, had cut ties with her.
Even now, every ti he suddenly approached her, every ti he initiated a conversation, Dove would find herself in sheer disbelief.
She had never expected him to start speaking to her again, not like before, not after all these years, not after she had returned from abroad. But he did. And it was more in a friendly tone that she noticed, not the formal way she had imagined it to be. And now... she wasn’t used to it.
"I trust you." "I believe in you."
Those were the very words Noah used to say to her when each ti he encouraged her to do sothing she wanted.
And to hear them again now? It struck a painful chord, sending her reeling into old mories.
Dante, who had been silently observing Dove, frowned in displeasure.
He could tell sothing Noah said had unsettled her, that her mind had wandered sowhere else. And he didn’t like it—not one bit.
Whether the mory was good or bad, the fact that she was thinking about another man irritated him.
His eyes darkened as he looked at her dazed expression.
Under the table, Dante slowly stretched his hand forward and tapped her leg—just a brief, subtle touch—making sure that neither Noah nor Grace, who stood a short distance away, noticed.
The light tap jolted Dove back to reality. She blinked, realizing she had zoned out.
Then, collecting herself, she turned back to Noah. "Is that all, Director Noah?"
Noah, who had been lost in his own thoughts, stared at her for a mont before shaking his head. "Also... CEO Davis has been calling ."
At this, Dove raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise crossing her face. "Oh? Has he?"
So, he had even tried to get in touch through Noah. How desperate.
Her gaze sharpened with interest as she looked at Noah. "And what did you tell him, Director Noah?"
Noah hesitated before shifting his eyes to the side. Pressing his lips together, he sighed. "I didn’t know what it was about—I only knew that you had made this decision. So, I told him I had no idea and that I’d let him know once I learned more."
Dove chuckled, nodding approvingly. "Well done, Director Noah. You handled it well this ti."
She smiled slightly, and for a brief mont, Noah found himself caught in a daze. Then, gulping, he forced himself to focus as she continued.
"If he calls you again, just tell him the sa thing—you don’t know anything. You haven’t heard a word from . Let them stew for now."
Noah could tell that Dove was deliberately creating chaos on their side—leaving them scrambling, unsure of their next move.
He had no idea what she was planning, but one thing was certain: whatever she was plotting, it wasn’t good for the Davis family.
Dove smirked, clearly enjoying the thought of panic unfolding at Davis Enterprises.
She could already imagine the anger-filled faces of Uncle Davis and his son, Noah Davis.
They must be seething in anger, and cursing her na.
She wondered how they would react if they knew the real reason behind all of this.
If they ever discovered that it was because of his wife...
None of this would have happened if that woman had simply backed off after multiple warnings.
But she hadn’t.
They had brought this upon themselves.
Dove let out a small chuckle.
Then, blinking, she suddenly rembered that Noah was still standing in front of her, studying her as if trying to decipher her thoughts.
She cleared her throat.
Her eyes flickered toward Dante, who was also watching her.
Though his expression remained unreadable, he wasn’t pleased.
Of course, he wasn’t pleased.
He had never liked it when she spent too much ti speaking with another man—especially not with this one who she had once held with a special regard in her life. Who was once a special and important family to her.
And more than that, with this man who clearly likes her!!
And given the look in Noah’s eyes earlier, Dante knew exactly what he was thinking.
Dove straightened, keeping her voice professional. "Do you have anything else to say, Director Noah?"
Noah hesitated before slowly shaking his head.
Truthfully, he wanted to stay longer—to remain in her company a little while more.
But what excuse did he have?
There was no reason for him to linger.
So, instead, he turned on his heel, preparing to leave.
He would have to return to the other directors and executives, who were far from pleased with Dove’s decision.
"Alright then, Director Noah," Dove said, her tone polite and businesslike. "I have work to attend to. See you around."
Noah nodded before exiting the office.
Grace, who had been standing quietly in the background since his arrival, followed him out.
Just before stepping through the door, Noah glanced back for a fleeting mont.
Inside, Dove and Dante were already deep in conversation again, their expressions friendly, their smiles easy.
Noah’s lips pressed into a tight line.
When would things go back to how they used to be?
When would Dove finally look at him the way she used to?
Not as a sister would...
But as sothing more.
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