Elena's POV
The world knew his company was crumbling and I was done being left in the dark. If I was going to be married to Justin Shawn, I deserved to know the truth. Because the next time he tried to push me away, I wouldn't back down. I wasn't a pawn. I was a queen.And the game was just beginning.
Because I was beginning to love him.
I tried to keep my distance.
Tried to be mature. Graceful. Silent.
But silence was no longer strength. It was suffocation.
I couldn't sit still, not after what I saw on the news.
Not after I saw him on the news.
Justin, behind that podium, looking worn, tired, sharp-edged but fraying. I had watched him be the unshakable titan, the ruthless CEO, the stone-hearted man the world feared. But that man on TV? He looked… human. Alone. He looked so tired, stressed and his expression was so cold but I couldn't help but notice.
And though I told myself I was done being ignored, done being hurt but I couldn't unsee the vulnerability in his eyes.
I got up from the couch in the guest room, ignoring the rumpled state of my loungewear. I went straight to our bedroom.
The room I hadn't stepped foot in since the time we had a non-verbal argument.
It was spotless. Still smelled like him and I loved that .That clean musk, the cedarwood aftershave, the faint trace of something darker, masculine does something to my head.
I walked to the closet and pulled open the doors.
If I was going to do this… if I was going to stand beside my husband in the public eye, I had to look the part.
Strong. Elegant. Undeniable.
I chose a fitted ivory blazer and matching wide-leg trousers that hugged my frame perfectly. Underneath, a blush-toned silk blouse that made my skin glow. I added pearl drop earrings and nude pumps. Minimal makeup just enough to frame my eyes and bring warmth to my lips.
I stared at myself in the mirror.
This woman wasn't a pawn. She wasn't even just a queen. She was a storm about to walk into fire and refuse to burn.
I walked out of the room, called the driver, and within twenty minutes, I was on the way to JUSH Corporations.
My hands trembled in my lap as the city blurred past the window. I was doing this. For him. For us.
When we pulled up to the skyscraper, my heart skipped.
Journalists. Dozens of them. Cameramen. Broadcasters. Security trying to hold the tide back.
The entire front of JUSH was a media circus. Microphones were being shoved into people's faces. Cameras were rolling.
And at the very center, standing behind a sleek black podium outside the company's glass facade, was Justin.
He looked like war.
Sharp suit. Jaw clenched. Hands gripping the sides of the podium like they were his lifeline.
I didn't think before I pushed the car door open and stepped out.
Gasps immediately echoed.
The press went wild.
"Mrs. Shawn!"
"Elena Clark no, Shawn! She's here!"
Cameras turned.
I ignored them all.
I walked, my heels clicking on the marble steps, right past the journalists, security guards who looked too stunned to stop me.
And then, I walked through the crowd.
Through the blur of shouting voices.
Toward him.
His eyes found mine the moment I stepped into view.
He faltered.
Just for a breath.
And that breath… it was everything.
He didn't smile.
But his eyes those sharp, guarded eyes softened.
I climbed the final step and moved beside him.
I slipped my hand around his arm.
And he leaned in.
Just slightly.
But he leaned.
He kept speaking something about board restructuring and long-term vision but he didn't shake me off. Didn't flinch away.
My hand stayed right there, anchored to his bicep like I'd belonged there forever.
And the cameras? They didn't miss a single second of it.I stood tall. Chin high. Not smiling, but calm. Poised. His equal.
As the press conference wrapped up, he glanced at me again.
This time, his mouth twitched almost a smile..
When he was done I went to the microphone and made a statement. "I know the man I married. Justin is a very diligent and hardworking man. He would never cheat, lie, take bribes, change documents to make money. He detests those things and I hope you can trust him again. He is so trustworthy. Don't allow him pay for the sins of his employees. Yes, he's the leader but he trusted him to a fault. Is it a crime to trust someone you've known for years??. Please all those that pulled out of this investment. Please think about it and come back. You won't regret it. JUSH corporations needs you back, Justin needs you. I held his hand and said we need you." The crowd went quiet at first but after a second they started clapping. I felt fulfilled. Justin looked at me, couldn't detect what the look meant.He took my hand and we turned, and together, walked back into the building.
The glass doors shut behind us.
And in those moments, the flashbulbs outside still popping, I felt the shift.
Something had changed.
I didn't know what it meant yet.
But it was real.
By the time we were back in the car, social media was ablaze.
My phone buzzed non-stop.
By the time we pulled away from JUSH headquarters, my best friend group chat had exploded.
"OMG ELENA!"
"The queen has ARRIVED."
"Mrs. Shawn at the scene of the storm???"
"We stan a loyal wife moment."
"You looked like a goddess."
"Justin's eyes were literally soft!!"
I couldn't help it.
I smiled.
But deeper than that, something else stirred.
Pride.
Not in being his wife.
But in being this woman the one who showed up. Who didn't flinch.The wife who stood with him.
He hadn't asked me to come.
He hadn't even called.
But I came.
Because no matter how broken this marriage started, I knew one thing now.
I wouldn't be on the sidelines anymore.
This was our story now.
And I would write my name in it… with my own pen.