Chapter 1: Introduction
Amelia Parker didn’t need to take the 47th floor conference room just to “talk” to the board members of her beloved corporation. She took it because she was CEO, and she was about to remind these corporate snakes exactly who sat at the tip of the food chain.
Her lush green eyes bored into those of the board chairman, Hank Wallace—they were the color of moldy two-week-old lettuce. Thin lips turned down, a deep crease pulled at the bridge of his bulbous nose.
“Amelia, we’ve been your colleagues for quite a while now,” he began, hands clasped together in submission. “The market is changing, and we’ve decided to take the company in a different direction.”
Amelia narrowed her gaze, senses on high alert at the stench of betrayal. “Right. And what does this new direction entail exactly? I’ve been here since the beginning—you know damn well my devotion to this company.”
Wallace glanced at his lap, fidgeting with the edges of his shirt cuffs.
His attempt to avoid eye contact only infuriated Amelia.
“Pardon me for being forthright,” she retorted sarcastically, “but I’d very much like to understand why you’re taking this company I built from scratch and flushing it down the toilet. I believe that’s the least you could do.” Amelia crossed her arms, pushing her full chest up, exposing a generous amount of cleavage. The tension in the room crackled. Pure fury filled her, fueled by the indignity of being canned.
Wallace cleared his throat. “Of course, Amelia. The thing is, we have decided to appoint your subordinate, Tom Johnson, as the new CEO.” He motioned to Tom, who stood stoically by the door.
A ripple of disbelief coursed through Amelia. Tom, a man she’d trained, mentored, and fostered, had turned into a backstabbing nemesis.
Every cell in her body vibrated with anger. This was what she had worked so hard for? To be chewed up and spat out by the very people she thought were on her side? Goddammit! She’d show them.
Amelia Parker swallowed her pride and spoke up, “Well, congratulations, Tom.
I never expected to train my own replacement.” She forced a tight smile, feeling every inch of her heartache reflected in her dark eyes.
Tom looked pained, but it was short-lived as Amelia swiftly moved on and continued her verbal assault. “You know, as the CEO of this company, I could have sworn that none of my so-called colleagues would ever think to betray me like this. It’s beyond the pale, frankly.”
The board members exchanged nervous glances around the conference room table. The blinds were shut, muffling any sounds from the nearby offices, but the tension in the air was unmistakable.
The urge to claw Tom's eyes out was powerful, yet Amelia had no plans for such a dramatic scene.
Instead, she'd unleash her wrath elsewhere, away from the office—and away from this rat bastard.
"I hope you rot in hell, Tom," she uttered as she brushed past him, feeling his presence just inches behind.
Her high heels echoed against the marble floor as she made her way towards the elevator.
Her mind reeled from the recent humiliation, thoughts of revenge fueling her every step. Once the elevator doors closed behind her, she let out a choked sob, the magnitude of the betrayal hitting her all at once.
Suddenly, the elevator came to a halt. The lights flickered once before everything went dark.
"Shit!" she cursed, slamming her fist against the elevator buttons.
But her attempts were in vain; the elevator wouldn’t budge.
Doubt, fear, and anger fought for dominance in Amelia's heart. The darkness only intensified her uncertainty. She was trapped, alone, and in a building full of corporate enemies, the last person she wanted to be with in the dead of night.
But as her eyes began to adjust to the absence of light, the outline of a tall figure emerged. Tom, standing there like a shadow from her past lurking in the present.
"What the fuck are you doing here, Tom?" Amelia demanded, tears rushing to her eyes. The angry heat that had consumed her moments before transformed into fear at the prospect of being stranded with the man who'd conspired against her.
Tom's face was cold as marble, revealing nothing.
"I could ask you the same question. Are you going to stand there all night?" he retorted, voice low and dangerously calm.
A cold shiver ran down Amelia's spine, but now, more than ever, she knew she couldn't back down.
"You coward," she spat, her voice quivering with anger. Tom stepped closer, filling the small space of the elevator. Amelia could feel the heat of his breath on her neck as she turned to face him. He reached for her, cupping her cheek with his hand. "You don't know the half of it, Amelia."
Amelia's confusion grew as Tom leaned in to whisper softly in her ear, "I didn't want it to come to this, but they left me no choice.