Page 48 of In A Mood For Mr. Wrong

Ibarely slept last night. Not that I expected to. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Grayson’s face, the raw betrayal in his expression, the cold distance in his voice. I told myself I was protecting him. That I was trying to find the right way to tell him, to lessen the damage, to prepare him for the fallout, but there was no right way. No way to soften a truth like that, and now, I might have lost him forever.

I sit in my office atPerfectly Matched, staring blankly at my phone. There are nine missed calls and fourteen unread text messages. None of them are from Grayson. I rub my temples, trying to ignore the tightness in my chest. I told myself I would give him space. But how much space is enough? How much is too much? A sharp knock at my office door jolts me back to reality. Olivia steps inside, looking far too put-together for someone who has been putting out fires since dawn. Her dark hair is pinned into a sleek bun, and her black blazer is crisp and perfectly tailored. She does not waste time. “Eleanor just called an emergency board meeting. It’s happening in an hour.”

My stomach twists at her words. “What’s the agenda?”

Olivia gives me a pointed look. “You already know the answer to that.”

I inhale slowly, my hands curling into fists against my desk. Eleanor is moving fast, faster than I expected. She wants Grayson gone, and she is wasting no time making sure it happens. I glance at my phone again. There is still nothing from him.

“He’s not answering,” I mutter, half to myself.

Olivia sighs, crossing her arms. “Did you expect him to?”

I lift my gaze sharply.

She holds up a hand before I can speak. “I am not saying that to be cruel. I am saying it because he just found out his entire identity was built on a lie. And you knew before he did.”

Guilt crashes over me like a wave, drowning me all over again.

“I have to fix this,” I whisper.

Olivia studies me for a long moment before exhaling. “Right now, we have to fixthis.” She gestures around us, her expression firm. “If Eleanor wins this vote, it won’t matter if Grayson forgives you.Perfectly Matchedwill be hers.”

I nod, swallowing past the lump in my throat. Focus. Fix the company first? Fix Grayson after.? Even if the thought of him not being here, of not beingusanymore, makes my chest ache. I push the feeling down and stand. “Let’s go.”

An hourlater in the boardroom, the tension in the room is suffocating. Twelve board members sit around the sleek mahogany table, their expressions ranging from unreadable to outright skeptical. At the head of the table sits Eleanor. She looks impeccable, as always. She is a vision of ruthless elegancein a perfectly tailored white suit, her blonde hair swept into a smooth chignon. She is a picture of control. Of power. Of a woman who already thinks she has won.

I take the seat next to Grayson’s empty chair. My chest tightens at the sight of it. Eleanor’s lips curl into something that might pass as a smile if I did not know better. “Shall we begin?”

The meeting starts with formalities. Revenue reports. Market projections. A carefully curated show to lull the room into a false sense of security before Eleanor strikes. Then, finally, she does.

“As you all know,” Eleanor says smoothly, folding her hands on the table, “certain… revelations have come to light regarding Mr. King’s parentage.”

Silence stretches through the room.

Eleanor lets it sit. She enjoys this. The power. The control. The way people hang on her every word. Then, with an air of practiced sympathy, she continues. “I understand this is a delicate matter, and I have nothing but respect for what Grayson has done forPerfectly Matched, however…”

There it is. The setup.

She turns to the rest of the board. “The integrity of this company must come first.Perfectly Matchedis built on trust. If the public loses faith in our leadership, they lose faith in our services.”

Several board members nod, murmuring in agreement. Eleanor exhales as if this is difficult for her. “It is with that in mind that I propose we reassess our leadership structure. We need stability. We need someone with an unquestionable claim to the company.” Her gaze lands on me.

And that is when I realize, this is not just about Grayson, this is also aboutme. She is not just cutting him out. She is replacing him, and she wants me to help her do it.

“I believeMargot would be an excellent candidate to step in,” Eleanor says smoothly. “Temporarily, of course. Just until we resolve this… unfortunate situation.”

I grip the arms of my chair tightly. She is setting me up. She is making it look like she’s saving the company when, in reality, she’s pulling the strings and manipulating everyone into giving her full control. The irony is nauseating, it wasn’t that long ago Eleanor wanted me gone, pushed out, erased from the company entirely. And now she wants me in charge? Only because it serves her. If I take the deal, it means I’ve sided with her. If I sign my name onto this, Grayson will never forgive me.

My pulse pounds in my ears. I cannot say yes. I will not. But if I say no, Eleanor wins. She’ll cut me out next. She’ll make sure I have no power, no influence, and no ability to stop her andPerfectly Matchedwill be lost forever.

I glance around the table, my heart hammering. Every second of silence is a second Eleanor tightens her grip. I need more time. More leverage. Something. Anything. Then the doors burst open. A tall figure strides inside, moving with the kind of commanding presence that instantly shifts the energy in the room. Cassian Laurent. Billionaire. CEO of Laurent International. A man whose mere presence demands attention.

Behind him, Isabella Monroe enters, all sharp heels and unapologetic confidence. She flips her sunglasses onto her head, exuding Hollywood glamour as she surveys the room like it bores her. Cassian’s gaze lands on Eleanor. “Apologies for the interruption. I believe this meeting just became…irrelevant.”

Eleanor narrows her eyes. “Excuse me?”

Cassian smirks. “Isabella and I are officially clients ofPerfectly Matched.” His gaze flicks to the board. “And I do not believe any of you want to risk losing your most high-profile clients over a petty power struggle.”

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