Page 18 of Ellie 3

His eyes flashed shock, but then he cursed. “I didn’t realize I’d said that. You just like dropped and I got scared. But yes, I am. This wasn’t the way to say it.

“How do you not hate me for keeping this from you?” I breathed. “I’d hate me. I’m still keeping more from you. I’m terrified to tell you when I haven’t known you very long.”

“That’s why I’m not mad.” He kissed my forehead. “If you knew me a year and we lived together and you kept it from me, that would be so different. That would betotally different. Wejustbecame a couple, Ellie. You hide you’re the founder for valid reasons. Even I’ve heard that people want the founder of ASH for a list of reasons.

“The main one because you are the only person who knows the formula of the additive put in the blood that’s so amazing. No one can replicate it, and—I know the threats and talk on black markets to abduct the owner and get that formula. You have dozens of patents and basically own Atlanta. Of course it’s terrifying.”

“Alan knows too. He’s the only one who knows the formula,” I muttered, sort of lying but not really. He knew what it was, but… It wasn’t so much a formula.

It was complicated.

Everything always was.

He gave me a soft kiss, so soft it was like a whisper of his feelings when I needed them most. “I’m in love with you, Ellie Reed-Miller. Not the founder. Not the boss of ASH. Not the daughter of Kenneth. Not the doctor who did great things. You. This person in front of me. That’s who I love.”

“Okay,” I whispered, trying to process it all.

“So don’t worry about me and go be the kickass baddie who founded this place and put those fucking gits in their place. Do it before my wolf shreds them for coming after the woman we love and our future because I’m barely holding it together. Seriously. I want his fucking head.”

Wow, so… Okay then.

And I wasn’t in trouble?

“I think I might love you too,” I heard myself confess. I cleared my throat and tried to push to stand, thanking him whenhe helped me. “Okay, you want a badass. I’ll give you a badass. No holding back.”

“No holding back. Time to finish this bullshit with coups and mutinies and take back what you built,” he said firmly. “Turn me on before the first of that lingerie order arrives and I get to see you in it before taking it all off and having you.”

Well, my Tuesday was definitely looking up.

I spent the rest of the day making calls and cashing in some favors to make my plan work. It was go big or go home time… And I wasn’t fucking going anywhere.

This was my mother fucking hospital, and I was done with people challenging me. It was time to get the shits in line or kick them the fuck out like we had the board.

It was a lot of juggling and coordinating. Some of my admins had helped HR to make sure everyone signed the magically binding agreement ahead of time. Some tried to slip through, but security wasn’t playing. I heard over the radios that someone called in for the police but then canceled it. It was clear they were over the shit.

Seriously, a lot of us were over it.

I greeted our guests and received them well given it was early and last-minute. I’d had to sweeten the deal for a few of them with a luncheon and going over some of the plans on our expansion. That had annoyed me since they weren’t in power anymore but simply added validation to what was going on.

They were just being nosy and wanted to act like they were still looped in on things. Whatever, it was an acceptable level of petty for dropping everything to make this work.

The President of North America showed up about five minutes before the meeting was supposed to start. We’d made it clear to employees that they were there early or they were locked out.

And anyone who was part of the mutiny and not there no longer worked for ASH and had quit. That was them quitting.

I would be curious later if any didn’t show, but right then I had to remind myself not to vomit about a dozen times. I’d been keeping a lid on this secret for over a hundred years and was about to share it with all the employees of ASH, most of whom I didn’t trust.

Someone thought they’d be smarter than the agreement, and what did it matter once they leaked the information? Yeah, we would still nail their ass.

Most just didn’t have the faith in magic they should. The information wouldn’t just be locked in their minds. They wouldn’t be able to write it or—even if they tried to think a name, their mind would go blank. We were going to jam electronics—the whole jumping through hoops.

Still, it would probably get out. Nothing was perfect.

Which meant it was time to change my security and up things. I felt bad for those who valued me who would be hurt I’d hidden this from them.

I simply hoped they were smart to understand why.

“You ready for this?” the president asked me.

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