Page 36 of In A Mood For Mr. Wrong

I run a hand through my hair, forcing my mind back to the strategy. "Right. First, we need to start tracking the board’s movements, who they’re meeting with, any last-minute deals they’re trying to push through before the vote. I already have someone keeping tabs on Gerald Wright, but we need more."

Margot nods. "I’ll reach out to a few contacts on my end. If any of them are planning to sell their shares or consolidate power before the vote, I want to know."

I arch a brow. "Using your matchmaking network to gather intel?"

She smirks. "You’d be surprised how much people reveal when they think they’re just talking about their dating lives."

I let out a low chuckle. "Remind me never to get set up by you."

She grins, but the moment doesn’t last long before her phone buzzes. She glances at the screen and stiffens.

I frown. "What is it?"

She turns the phone toward me. It’s a message from an Unknown Number:You think you’re safe? You think this is over? Think again.

A cold fury settles over me. "That bastard."

Margot exhales sharply. "Liam."

I shake my head, my jaw tightening. "Or someone worse."

She meets my gaze, and for the first time, there’s something that looks a lot like fear in her eyes. "So what do we do now?"

I take her phone and delete the message, my voice unwavering. "We stop playing by their rules. It’s time to make our own."

I grab my laptop from the desk and pull up a list of board members. "First, we hit them where it hurts, their power. They’re consolidating shares, which means someone’s buying. We find out who, and we cut them off. If we can disrupt their buyout, they lose leverage." Margot nods, catching on quickly. "And if they think they already have the upper hand, they won’t see it coming."

"Exactly." I type quickly, sending a message to one of my contacts. "We also need to bait them into making a mistake. We let them think they’ve rattled you, that you’re panicked, maybe even considering stepping down. If they believe they’ve already won, they’ll get sloppy."

Margot tilts her head, considering. "And while they’re busy celebrating, we gather proof of their backroom deals and corruption. We take it to the right people at the right time."

I smirk. "A public takedown. A scandal big enough to shakePerfectly Matchedto its core."

She exhales, determination flickering in her eyes. "Alright. Let’s burn their empire down before they even realize it’s on fire."

Before I can say anything else, Margot’s phone starts buzzing again. She groans, pulling it out and glancing at the screen. "It’s Olivia. Should I even…"

I raise a brow. "Better answer before she shows up at your door."

Margot sighs and picks up. "Liv, please tell me this is urgent."

Olivia doesn’t skip a beat. "Oh, itis. Elliot is in full-blown crisis mode again. He wants to set up another date, but he’s stuck between two approaches: asilent retreatwhere he ghosts her for two days to build intrigue, or afull-blown lecture on the history of fine dining etiquette to impress her. Margot, he’s driving me insane."

I chuckle under my breath as Margot pinches the bridge of her nose. "You do realize both of those are terrible ideas, right?"

Olivia huffs. "Obviously, but have youmetElliot? Logic isn’t his strong suit when it comes to dating."

I lean in, smirking. "Tell him to go with the silent retreat. Let’s see how long it takes before she thinks he’s dead."

Margot swats my arm. "Not helping, King." She sighs, rubbing her temple. "Okay, tell him to text her something casual but thoughtful. No dissertations on wine pairings, no calculated mystery, justbe normal."

A beat of silence. Then Olivia snorts. "Yeah, that’s not happening, but I’ll try. Good luck with your corporate espionage. I have my own disaster to manage."

Before Margot can even lower her phone, it buzzes again. She groans. "Oh, for…what now?"

She glances at the screen and her eyes widen. "It’s Elliot’s date. Why is she callingme?"

I smirk. "Maybe she wants to know if she should bring a notepad for his fine dining lecture."

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