Page 82 of No Ordinary Love

Last year, I went to New York to be with my dad while Lucas stayed in Charleston. For Christmas, Lucas and I had Christmas Eve at my old place and Christmas Day at Lucas's family home. Dad had been more than uncomfortable with the Covington setup, though he had liked Rena very much. I was glad that this year he would enjoy some warm weather, the beach, and no stuffy Covingtons around the table for Christmas.

I looked at the time and felt tension seep back into me. Lucas's board meeting had begun.

I got ready quickly, determined to be in his office when he came out of the boardroom, no matter how the vote on his leadership at LPC turned out. Rena had told me not to worry, but I couldn't help it. I didn't want Lucas to lose the job he'd workedso hard for. A part of me couldn't shake the feeling that this was happening because of me. He blamed Hugh and Kath, but I still felt responsible, and that made me even more determined to be there to support him.

Chapter 30

Lucas

The LPC boardroom was a grand, imposing chamberanda constant reminder of the weight of the family name that bore down on my shoulders. The walls, paneled in rich, dark oak, seemed to have absorbed the echoes of decades—each conversation, every decision carved into the very essence of the company, shaping it into the powerhouse it was today.

A long, polished mahogany table commanded the room, its surface gleaming under the muted light. High-backed leather chairs encircled it, creaking under the strain of the legacy they supported. At the far end, tall windows stood sentinel over Charleston's historic district.

The tension in the air was thicker than the humidity outside. It clung to the edges of the room, curling around the corners like smoke. This wasn't just youreverydayboard meeting—it was a battlefield. And everyone in the room knew it.

Gene Lombardi, our General Counsel, sat to my left. I knew his expression was neutral as he reviewed his notes. We'd worked to make sure legally Hugh would not be able to pull a rabbit out of his hat or anywhere else.

The man of the hour whousedto be like a father to me sat across from me with a confident smirk, his fingers drumming lightly, revealing his impatience, on the table. Kath sat next to him, she tried to look like she was under control, but she was nervous as fuck. You just had to see how she gripped the edge of the table just a little too tightly. As the CFO, she didn't have a vote but was present at board meetings.

Grandma was seated to my right and was reading through some documents, her reading glasses perched on her nose.

The other three board members—Arthur Jenkins, Marjorie Kane, and Michael Donovan—were seated around the table, their expressions going from anxious to unreadable.

Diedra, my Executive Assistant, sat at the far end of the room. She was the only one with an open laptop as she would be taking the minutes. I had warned her that there may be fireworks today and she told me it washightime. She never liked Hugh or Kath. When I'd asked her once why she disliked Kath, she'd simply said, "She's not authentic."

As the meeting's owner, I looked around the room and kicked us off. "Let's get started. We have a full agenda today. Diedra, can you walk us through it?"

Diedra spoke without inflection. "We have three agenda items. First, we have a motion that Mr. Bellamy wants to propose; after that, Kath will run us through the year-to-date financials; and finally, we will discuss the annual kickoff meetings in January."

"The floor is yours, Hugh," I remarked.

Hugh straightened, his sneer growing into a full-blown smile as he glanced around the table. He clearly thought he had this in the bag, that today would be the day he finally ousted me fromthe company. He probably spent the entire morning imagining Kath in my chair, but what he didn't know—what he couldn't have known—was that his scheme was already dead in the water. Hugh underestimated Grandma and me—and worse than that, he overestimated himself.

"Yes, thank you, Lucas," Hugh began, his voice dripping with false politeness. "I'd like to propose a motion to remove Lucas Covington from his position as CEO of LPC, effective immediately."

Diedra's fingers flew over the keyboard, recording every word.

I leaned back in my chair as I watched Hugh with cold, calculated detachment. "And your reasoning for this motion, Hugh?"

Hugh beamed with malicious delight. "Lucas, while you've made contributions to LPC, it's clear that your leadership has been compromised by personal distractions and a lack of focus on what truly matters—profitability and company growth. Under your direction, we've seen a shift toward burdensome initiatives like sustainability, which, though noble in intent, do not align with LPC's core business interests."

He shot a glance at Kath, who gave him a slight, almost imperceptible nod of encouragement.

Hugh continued, his tone growing more confident. "I've spoken with several board members, and it's clear that a change in leadership is necessary to steer LPC back on course. Therefore, I propose that Lucas step down and we appoint someone with a clearer vision and a focus on driving our profits. Kath has, as you all have seen, demonstrated her commitment and capability as CFO, and I believe she will make a fine CEO."

The room was silent, the tension ratcheting up as everyone waited for the vote. I could feel the eyes of the other board members on me, gauging my reaction. But I wasn't rattled. I'd known this was coming. And what even they didn't realize wasthat I didn't care—if I were kicked out, I'd be disappointed, but life would go on, and I'd live it fully with Amara.

I calmly glanced around the table. "Let's put the motion to a vote."

Hugh's confidence wavered slightly because he wasn't getting the response from me that he'd imagined. "Yes, let's," he snapped.

I kept my eyes on Hugh, making him squirm with discomfort.

"Those in favor of removing Lucas Covington as CEO, please raise your hands," Diedra said and looked around the room as if counting.

Hugh's hand shot up immediately. But as the seconds ticked by, none of the other board members moved. Arthur, who had been on the board longer than I'd been alive, kept his hands firmly on the table. Marjorie and Michael exchanged a brief look before faintly shaking their heads in what could only be perceived as disgust.

Hugh's face twisted in confusion as he glanced around the table, realization dawning on him like a cold, hard slap. "Arthur? Marjorie? Michael? What the hell is going on?"

---