All Chapters of The Billionaire's Reluctant Bride : Chapter 131 - Chapter 140

"Fix it."Alexander’s voice was low but sharp, slicing through the charged air like a blade.The boardroom was silent. Tension wrapped around every executive seated at the long table. The air smelled like expensive coffee and nerves.All eyes were on me.I squared my shoulders, my pulse steady.I had spent the past year proving myself. Fighting for my place at this table. And now?Now, it was time to show them why I belonged here.I placed my hands flat on the table, letting the weight of my presence settle over the room before I spoke."Let’s go over the facts," I said evenly. "Langley, walk me through it."Langley, one of our most seasoned board members, cleared his throat. "The Calloway situation escalated faster than we anticipated. He leveraged media connections to leak false reports about Steele Industries’ financial instability. Investors are rattled. Stock is down six per cent as of this morning."A ripple of unease passed through the room.I nodded, absorbing the information.

"Do you ever miss it?"Alexander’s voice was quieter than usual, almost careful.I turned my head, catching the way the golden hues of the setting sun framed his features. The strong lines of his jaw, the slight crease in his brow, the look in his eyes that was always calculating, always watching. But this time?This time, there was something else. Something unspoken.I shifted in the lounge chair beside him, the warmth of the ocean breeze dancing across my skin. "Miss what?"His gaze flickered toward the horizon. "Before all of this. Before Steele Industries. Before—" A pause. "Before me."I frowned, sitting up slightly. "Why do you ask?"His fingers traced the rim of his whiskey glass, slow and deliberate. "Because I don’t remember what it feels like."Something in my chest tightened.Alexander Hawke was many things—powerful, ruthless, the kind of man who could command an entire room with a glance. But right now?Right now, he looked lost.I turned to face him fully, folding my legs

"If you say no, we lose everything."Langley’s voice cut through the silence, pressing against my chest like a vice.I stared at the contract in front of me, the black ink standing out against the pristine white paper. The words blurred together, but I already knew what they said.A buyout.A strategic move disguised as a partnership.A trap.I inhaled slowly, my fingers curling against the edge of the table. "If I say yes?"Langley exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. "Then we’re in bed with the devil."A sharp silence filled the boardroom.Alexander leaned back in his chair, eyes dark and unyielding. He hadn’t spoken in the past five minutes, which meant he was watching. Calculating. Waiting to see what I’d do.Every executive at the table was waiting, too.For me.Not for Alexander.Not for anyone else.Me.I let that realization settle before speaking. "Break it down for me again."Langley cleared his throat. "Atlas Corp is offering a partnership in exchange for a thirty-percent

"We need to talk about boundaries."Alexander’s voice cut through the quiet hum of the penthouse.I glanced up from my laptop, arching a brow. "That’s ironic coming from you."His lips twitched, but his expression remained unreadable as he leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed. "I’m serious, Leila."I sighed, rubbing my temples. "If this is about the Atlas situation, we agreed—""This isn’t about Atlas," he interrupted. "This is about us."The shift in his tone made me pause.I closed my laptop, studying him. "Okay. Say what you need to say."His jaw flexed, something unreadable flickering behind his eyes. "We’ve spent the past year fighting. For control. For respect. For the company. And now that we have it, we need to figure out how to keep it from becoming us."A slow burn settled in my chest.I exhaled. "You’re worried that we don’t know how to exist outside of Steele Industries."His gaze held mine. "Do we?"Silence stretched between us.I opened my mouth—then shut it.

"I didn’t think you had it in you."The words slithered across the air, smooth and biting, laced with the kind of arrogance only a man who once held power over me could wield.I stared at the man sitting across from me, my former mentor, Michael Stanton. The man who had once been the gatekeeper to my ambitions. The man who, years ago, had looked me in the eye and dismissed me as nothing more than a supporting role in someone else’s success story.I folded my hands on the table, ignoring the simmering irritation crawling up my spine. "And yet, here we are."His smirk deepened. "Here we are."We sat in one of the private lounges of the Callahan Club, a place reserved for the kind of men who thought power was their birthright. Stanton fit in perfectly here.Once upon a time, I might have shrunk under his scrutiny.Now?Now, I was the threat.He leaned back, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. "I was surprised to hear from you, Leila."I tilted my head. "I doubt that."He chuckled, th