Page 138 of My Big, Fat, Fake Billionaire Wedding

The SUV beckons, dark and uninviting, much like the uncertainty ahead of me. But for the first time in weeks, I don’t feel completely alone in facing it.

As I reach the door, my phone buzzes. It’s a text from Gideon.

I’m calling an emergency meeting. Blackwell is planning to trigger the deadlock provision.

I text him back.I thought the asset trust protects against that?

Yes. Unless he’s found a loophole we don’t know about.

Looks like I’ll be busy on corporate stuff all night again. I guess I should be grateful for the distraction. But I know it just means I’ll put off having a serious conversation with him about us.

Yet again.

45

Gideon

The boardroom feels like a powder keg with a lit fuse. I straighten my tie and scan the faces around the massive mahogany table. Twelve board members, my executive team, our attorneys, and Blackwell with his smug expression that I’d love to wipe off with my fist.

And then there’s Ava.

She sits to my right, her legal portfolio open before her, dressed in a charcoal blazer that makes her look both professional and impossibly beautiful. I catch her eye briefly and she gives me a slight nod. For someone who never wanted any part of this corporate warfare, she looks remarkably calm.

“Shall we begin?” I keep my voice level despite the tension coiling in my gut. “The board is called to order to address the motion brought forward by Mr. Blackwell regarding control provisions.”

Blackwell leans forward, adjusting his gold cufflinks. “I believe we have clear evidence of destabilization in King Enterprises’ leadership structure. TheSEC investigation alone justifies triggering the deadlock provision in section 27B.”

My jaw tightens but I maintain my composure. “The SEC found no improprieties, as you well know.”

“Yet,” Blackwell smirks. “Investigations have a way of uncovering things over time.”

Ella Winters, my lead counsel, delivers the first blow. “The deadlock provision requires two-thirds board approval to initiate, and is only applicable in situations where actual operational deadlock exists. There is no deadlock, merely Mr. Blackwell’s desire to create one.”

I watch as Blackwell leans toward his attorney, whispering furiously. I’ve seen that look before. A shark realizing the water isn’t as clear as he thought.

“Furthermore,” Ella continues, “the King Family Trust arrangement, properly filed and legally binding, prevents the very scenario Mr. Blackwell is attempting to manufacture.”

Blackwell’s attorney stands. “We challenge the legitimacy of that trust arrangement. The sudden marriage to Ms. Redwood, a complete outsider to this industry, followed by immediate transfer of critical voting rights, deserves more scrutiny.”

I feel Ava stiffen beside me, but she doesn’t flinch. She knew this was coming.

“That’s Mrs. King,” I correct coldly. “And the marriage has already withstood SEC examination.”

“A cursory examination at best,” Blackwell interjects. “Does anyone here truly believe that an art student with zero business experience should hold authority over billions in assets?”

Several board members shift uncomfortably. This is the moment I’ve been dreading. The questioning ofAva’s competence. But before I can speak, Ava closes her portfolio with a decisive snap.

“Mr. Blackwell,” she says, her voice clear and steady. “Directors of the board.”

She stands, and for a heart-stopping moment, I wonder what the fuck she’s about to do. We hadn’t discussed her speaking directly. She’d buried herself in her studio as soon as she got home last night. I’d assumed she was painting.

She runs her gaze across the room. “You’ve all received the comparative analysis I submitted last week of King Enterprises’ performance metrics against our top five competitors.”

I nearly choke. What analysis? She never mentioned sending anything to the board.

Ava continues, pulling up a presentation on the display screen that I’ve never seen before. “If you’ll direct your attention to slide four, you’ll see that under the current leadership and strategic direction, our market position has strengthened by seventeen percent year-over-year, while operational costs have decreased by four percent.”

She navigates through slides with confidence, highlighting financial projections, risk assessments, and strategic advantages with the precision of someone who’s spent decades in business, not months. I’m watching a completely different person than the paint-splattered artist who shares my bed. Those quiet mornings flash through my mind. All this time I thought she was just checking emails or browsing galleries while hunched over her laptop in the kitchen, she was actually mastering the intricacies of my business world.

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