Page 76 of In A Mood For Mr. Wrong

MARGOT

Eleanor King has spent years crafting an image of perfection, controlled, ruthless, untouchable. But right now, she’scrumbling. Her emergency press statement has been circulating for an hour, and it’s alreadyfailing. The public isn’t buying her attempt at damage control. The board is panicking. Investors are growing uneasy. And for the first time, the cracks in Eleanor’s empire are beginning to show. But we are far from finished. We are going to shatter hercompletely.

Grayson leans forward, elbows braced on his desk, his blue eyes sharp as he scans Olivia’s latest report. His jaw is set in that determined way I know all too well. When Grayson King is focused, he isunstoppable.

“We need to make sure the board doesn’t justdoubtEleanor,” he says, his voice steady. “They need to see her as aliability.”

I nod, arms crossed, my mind already racing ahead, piecing together the final steps of our takedown. “We have proof of her past financial fraud. Isabella’s interview already damaged her credibility. But it’s not enough to make the boardturn on her completely.”

Cassian, who has been unusually quiet, probably still recovering from his latest sparring match with Isabella, finally speaks. His voice is slow, deliberate, filled with amusement. “Then let’sforcetheir hand.”

Grayson raises an eyebrow. “And how do you suggest we do that?”

Cassian smirks, the kind of slow, knowing smirk that makes me bothintriguedand slightlynervous.

“Oh, just a littlestrategic humiliation,” he says, inspecting his cufflinks with feigned boredom. “Eleanor thrives on power and control. But what happens when we take that controlawayfrom her?”

Isabella, lounging across from him with her arms crossed, lifts an eyebrow. “I’m almost scared to ask what you mean.”

Cassian leans back in his chair, his movements effortlessly relaxed. “We’re going to make sure that when Eleanor walks into that board meeting tomorrow, she doesn’townthe room.” His grin widens. “Instead, she’s going to bebeggingto stay in it.”

I glance at Grayson, reading the calculated thoughts flickering across his face. He is considering it, weighing the risks, deciding whether this move will seal Eleanor’s fate once and for all.

After a long pause, he exhales slowly and nods. “Alright, Laurent. What’s the move?”

Cassian leans forward, his expression sharp, like a predator who has just scented weakness. “Simple. We’re going to hold apress eventtonight. Something highly publicized, impossible to ignore. We spin the narrative in real-time, making sure the board sees the public perception shiftingbeforethey vote.”

Olivia perks up, already typing furiously on her tablet. “That could work. If we frame the event as a celebration ofPerfectly Matched’ssuccess under Grayson’s leadership, we take back control of the storybeforeEleanor can rewrite it again.”

Isabella grins, tilting her head. “And let me guess, you wantmeto attend?”

Cassian doesn’t hesitate. “Naturally, darling. The worldadoresyou.”

Isabella lets out a dry laugh, rolling her eyes. “I swear, you’re just using me as a distraction at this point.”

Cassian presses a hand to his chest in mock offense. “Monroe, please. I would never reduce you to just a distraction. You’re aweapon.”

She eyes him suspiciously. “Thatalmostsounded like a compliment.”

Cassian’s smirk widens. “Because it was.”

Grayson sighs, rubbing his temples. “Can wefocus?”

Margot grins, leaning slightly toward him. “I don’t know, King. I kind of enjoy watching them bicker.”

Grayson turns his gaze on me, his blue eyes flickering with amusement. “You would.”

I smirk, my fingers toying with the lapel of his suit jacket. “What can I say? Ithrivein chaos.”

His gaze darkens slightly, and for a moment, the air shifts between us, thick with unspoken words and something undeniably electric. Then, he leans in, just close enough that only I can hear him.

“I could give youbetterthings to thrive in, Evans.”

Heat pools low in my stomach, my pulse quickening at the promise in his voice. But before I canform a coherent response, Cassian claps his hands together, shattering the moment.

“Alright, lovers, save it for later. We have an empire to dismantle.”

Grayson sits back,unbothered, but the smirk tugging at his lips tells me heknowsexactly what he just did to me. Damn him.

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