Page 45 of The Alpha's Crimson Vow

James’s advice rings in my ears.Be careful. Don’t get comfortable. Change up your routines. Sleep in hotels. Take a cab instead of driving. Make sure they can’t predict your movements.It’s exhausting living like this—always looking over my shoulder, always second guessing everything. But what choice do I have?

I shake my head, trying to shove the thoughts aside. Right now, none of that matters. All that matters is finding a way to save Pinnacle Group. This gala on the weekend—it’s a long shot, but it’s the only shot we’ve got. I have to make it work.

The soft clacking of my keyboard fills the room, a steady rhythm that almost soothes me. Almost. Until it’s interrupted by the sound of my office doorknob turning.

My fingers freeze mid-type, and my eyes dart to the door. My heart skips a beat as it swings open. There’s no knock. Nowarning. And then Uncle Lawrence strides in like he owns the place.

“Uncle Lawrence,” I say evenly, masking my surprise. “Forgot to knock?”

He doesn’t answer right away. He crosses the room with purposeful steps.. Without waiting for an invitation, he sinks into the chair across from me, his hands resting casually on the armrests.

For a moment, he just stares at me.

“I wanted to skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point, Katherine,” he finally says.

“Perfect,” I reply, leaning back slightly, keeping my tone neutral.

His eyes stay on me, unblinking. “If you can’t save Pinnacle Group from bankruptcy—if you don’t secure the investments we need at the gala—I will be leading a vote of no confidence against you.”

The words hit like a bomb going off in my chest. My vision blurs for a second as I try to process what he’s just said.

He doesn’t stop there. “You’ve seen the board. I think it’s fair to say your chances of surviving a no-confidence vote are… next to none.”

My teeth clench so tightly my jaw aches.

“And,” he continues, as if twisting the knife isn’t enough, “I can assure you there will be no objection from the family elders either.” He pauses, letting that sink in before delivering the final blow. “So, I came to let you know that if you fail to stave off bankruptcy by the end of the gala, it would be in your best interest to resign. At least that way, you can leave with some dignity intact. Frank will take over as CEO when you leave.”

My breathing quickens, and my temples throb with the force of the blood pounding through my veins. He’s going to push meout and hand everything over to Frank, the man who caused this disaster in the first place.

Lawrence stands, his message delivered. He turns and starts toward the door, his back to me.

And something in me snaps.

I shoot to my feet, my chair scraping against the floor as I call out, “This situation was brought on by Frank! Frank stole from this company, and you know it. The board knows it. And you’d let him lead the company through the mess he created?”

Lawrence stops in his tracks but doesn’t turn to face me. His voice is calm, almost patronizing, as he says, “The board tolerated you because you made them very wealthy. But now, under your leadership, they’re staring down a financial disaster. The threat of bankruptcy is a failure on your part.”

He starts walking again, his footsteps echoing in the room.

My heart thunders in my chest, my composure unraveling completely. “You’ve always hated me!” The words burst out before I can stop them, my voice shaking with frustration and hurt. Lawrence halts again, this time slowly, and I keep going, my words tumbling out in a rush. “Why? What did I ever do to you?”

He turns now, his eyes scanning me with an expression I can barely describe. There’s no sympathy, no remorse—just cold nothingness..

“Good luck this weekend, Katherine,” he says, his voice dripping with finality.

And then he’s gone, the door clicking shut behind him.

My chest rises and falls quickly, my breath short and shallow. The sheer meaning of his words sits heavy in the room, pressing down on me like an unbearable force. My mind races, spinning out of control as the full gravity of the situation crashes over me.

The gala this weekend—it was already important. It was already a desperate, last-ditch effort to keep Pinnacle Group afloat. But now? Now it’s everything. It’s the tipping point between survival and ruin, not just for the company, but for me.

The stakes aren’t just high; they’re colossal.

This company isn’t just some name on a building to me. It’s my father’s legacy. And now it’s my legacy. I’ve poured every ounce of myself into Pinnacle Group—my time, my energy, my ambition. Everything.

And I’ll be damned if I let Lawrence—or anyone else—rip it out of my hands.

The gala isn’t just a lifeline anymore—it’s my battlefield. And I’ll fight like hell to win.

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