Page 174 of My Big, Fat, Hot Billionaire Enemy
He didn’t just buy a building; he bought back a piece of my family’s soul, a piece ofmysoul, protecting it because he knew it matteredto me.
Not as an asset, not as leverage, but as history.
As art.
As legacy.
“Oh Christopher…” I whisper, speechless.
He steps closer, gently wiping a tear from my cheek with his thumb.
“No more fear of failure, Lucy,” he murmurs. “Not about the company. Not about us.”
And looking around this beautiful, historic space, feeling the solid weight of the key in my hand, the solid presence of the man beside me… I realize he’s right.
The deep-seated fear of failure, the inadequacy that’s haunted me for years… it’s gone. Replaced by a quiet certainty.
We faced the worst. Betrayal, sabotage, family warfare, financial ruin.
And we came through it.
Together.
“You’re right,” I say, my voice clear and strong, meeting his intense gaze without flinching. “I’m not afraid anymore. How can I be?” I reach up, framing his face with my hands. “With you beside me, Christopher Blackwell, I can take on the whole damn world.”
He leans down, his lips finding mine in a kiss that feels like coming home.
50
Christopher
Lucy stands at the head of the Blackwell Innovations boardroom table, commanding the attention of my entire executive team and key board members. Not with bluster or intimidation, but with a quiet, focused confidence that’s fucking captivating.
She’s outlining the Hammond & Co. integration strategy for Project Nightingale, her voice clear and steady, gesturing towards the schematics glowing on the main monitor. Schematicswefinalized, reflecting a partnership I wouldn’t have conceived of not long ago.
“...so by leveraging Hammond’s established client relationships and historical property data with Blackwell’s logistical platforms and predictive analytics,” she explains, clicking to a new slide detailing workflow integration, “we anticipate a synergistic efficiency gain of twelve percent within the first year, while preserving the distinct Hammond brand identity in the luxury heritage market.”
David Smith, ever the numbers guy, leansforward. “Ms. Hammond, a twelve percent gain seems optimistic given the legacy system migration challenges and the, ah, recent leadership transitions at Hammond & Co.”
Lucy meets his skeptical gaze without hesitation. “It’s an ambitious target, Mr. Chen, I agree. But the projection is based on parallel processing during migration, utilizing Blackwell’s existing cloud infrastructure, which Mr. Blackwell has generously allocated,” a brief, professional nod in my direction, “and relies heavily on retaining key Hammond personnel who possess invaluable institutional knowledge. We’ve already initiated targeted retention bonus packages to ensure that continuity.”
She clicks again, bringing up supporting data. “The leadership transition, while unexpected, has actually allowed us to accelerate necessary restructuring that was previously stalled.”
Fucking brilliant response.
Direct, data-driven, acknowledges the challenge but pivots immediately to the solution, subtly reinforcing her authority and the strength of the partnership.
The slightly overwhelmed woman who first walked into my office feels like a distant memory.
This isCEOHammond.
Polished.
Prepared.
Powerful.
And watching her own this room,myroom, fills me with a fierce, possessive pride that eclipses any satisfaction I ever derived from crushing a competitor into dust.
