Page 62 of The Alpha's Crimson Vow

He pauses, letting the weight of that sink in before he finally adds, “None of this would have been possible without the financial support, real estate access, and invaluable contacts provided by Mr. Alex Valkov. So, I’d like to personally thank him, and I believe I speak for all of us when I do.”

He sits back down, still grinning. They’re all smiling now, all looking toward Alex with what I can only describe as gratitude.

Alex, in turn, offers a small nod. Nothing over the top. Just a quiet, controlled acknowledgment of their thanks. There’s a faint trace of satisfaction on his face, but nothing that gives away any real emotion.

I clear my throat, and just like that, every pair of eyes in the room turns to me. Their expressions haven’t changed yet—still bright, still pleased with the glowing update they’ve just received.

I turn to Alex, keeping my posture composed, my face unreadable. My voice is professional.

“On behalf of the entire Pinnacle Group, I’d like to formally thank you, Mr. Valkov,” I say, each word measured. “Your help has been invaluable to our company. You stepped in at our darkest hour, and we will not forget that.”

Applause breaks out almost immediately. A few of them even nod as if to emphasize their agreement.

Alex holds my gaze, a small smile playing at his lips. There’s slight furrow in his brow when I say Mr. Valkov. It’s subtle, just a flicker of something before he smooths it over. I know he wants me to call him Alex. But I don’t.

And I don’t smile back. Not even a hint of one. My face remains set, impassive.

The clapping lasts longer than I expect, but I wait, letting it run its course. And when it finally dies down, I speak again.

“However,” I begin, my tone crisp. “I have an important announcement to make regarding our partnership with Mr. Valkov.”

The energy in the room changes. The murmurs fade, but the air remains expectant. They’re still riding high on the news.

And then I drop the bombshell.

“I’d like to announce that by the end of the month, we will be ending our partnership with Mr. Valkov.”

Silence.

It’s like the air has been sucked right out of the room.

The reaction is immediate. The subtle smiles vanish, replaced by confusion. Brows knit together. The board members exchangeglances, searching each other’s faces like one of them might have an answer scribbled on their forehead.

Alex just looks at me. His expression is unreadable, but there’s something there—something simmering beneath the surface that I don’t have the patience to decipher.

I don’t care. I press on.

“In the next month, we will begin the process of redirecting our assets back to home soil,” I state firmly. “This will allow us to unburden Mr. Valkov’s real estate holdings and facilitate a complete transfer. Again, I want to express our gratitude for his generosity, but the company is stable now. We can move forward on our own.”

Silence.

The confusion in the room turns to discomfort, unease.

No one knows what to say.

Then, Lawrence clears his throat beside me. His voice is calm, careful. “Ms. CEO, this is… quite a surprise. I think we should take some time before making that decision. At the very least, we should deliberate.”

My response is immediate. “What’s there to deliberate? The company is healthy. We can revert to our standard mode of operation. We can’t expect to continue burdening Mr. Valkov.”

Andrew hesitates, then speaks up. “If I may… it doesn’t seem like it’s much of a burden to him.” His tone is cautious, like he already knows I won’t like what he’s saying.

And then Alex speaks.

“It’s not a burden at all.”

His voice is deep, firm. The kind that cuts through the tension effortlessly. And suddenly, every eye in the room is back on him.

His gaze stays on mine. Steady. Intent.

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