The next morning dawned sharper, colder. Ashford Tower's steel and glass shimmered in the winter sun a fortress, but even fortresses could fall from within.
Liam straightened his tie in the elevator mirror, his expression hard. Beside him, Vivian stood silent, her chin lifted, matching his strength. They'd barely slept, but exhaustion was a luxury neither could afford.
As the doors opened onto the executive floor, the tension hit like a wave. The boardroom waited and so did the sharks.
Inside, the directors sat like judges at a trial. Evelyn was already there, seated at the head of the table where Liam should have been. The gesture was no accident.
"Ah, the newlyweds," she said smoothly, her tone sweet as venom. "Shall we begin?"
Liam said nothing, just took his seat claiming his place, no permission needed. Vivian stayed by the door, watching, listening.
A director cleared his throat. "Mr. Ashford, we've reviewed the situation. The press is tearing into us. Stockholders are nervous. Our brand is at risk. And now" His gaze flicked to Vivian. "This sudden… marriage."
Liam's voice was cool, measured. "Daniel is my son. My heir. The marriage secures his future and Ashford Industries'. I won't apologize for protecting my family."
Murmurs rippled around the table.
Another director leaned forward. "You kept a child hidden for five years. And now you expect us to believe this is for the company's good?"
Vivian's hands clenched at her sides. She saw the looks judgment, disdain, calculation.
Evelyn's smile was thin. "Liam, we're calling for a vote of confidence. It's time to decide if you remain fit to lead."
The air thickened. Liam's eyes narrowed. "You want war, Mother? You'll get it."
Before Evelyn could respond, Vivian stepped forward. Her voice was steady, clear. "You all want to know if Liam can protect this company? Look around you. Ashford Industries stands stronger than ever because of him. And you're willing to tear that down over a headline? That's weakness. Not this marriage. Not our son."
The room stilled. No one had expected her to speak.
Liam's gaze flicked to her not cold, not calculating. Grateful. For the first time, truly grateful.
One director cleared his throat awkwardly. "Perhaps… a vote isn't necessary. Not today."
But Evelyn wasn't done. "This isn't over. Every move will be watched. Every misstep magnified."
Liam rose. "Then watch closely. Because I won't fall."Liam said, his voice ringing with finality, his gaze sweeping over the room like a silent challenge.
The directors shifted uncomfortably, caught between loyalty and fear, between ambition and caution. Only Evelyn remained unmoved, her lips curving into a smile that didn't touch her eyes.
She rose slowly, smoothing invisible creases from her jacket, her every move precise, deliberate the queen retreating, but not defeated.
"Bold words, Liam. But boldness alone doesn't keep empires standing. The board will expect more than speeches and defiance. I suggest you prepare. The storm hasn't passed it's only just begun."
Her eyes flicked to Vivian, sharp as a blade.
"And you… play your part well, dear. Let's hope you're worth the price."
Vivian's heart thudded, but she kept her chin lifted, refusing to give Evelyn the satisfaction of seeing her shaken.
Evelyn turned to leave, but paused at the door, her voice like frost.
"I'll be calling an emergency shareholders' session within the week. There are those eager to test your strength, Liam. You'd best not disappoint."
The door clicked shut behind her, the sound echoing in the tense silence that followed.
Liam exhaled slowly, his shoulders tight beneath his tailored suit.
"She's more dangerous than any rival company."
Vivian crossed the room to him, lowering her voice.
"You knew she'd try to force your hand."
"I did," he admitted. His eyes, usually so guarded, flickered with something raw weariness, maybe. A crack in the armor.
"But I didn't think she'd push this fast."
One of the directors older, his silver hair gleaming beneath the lights cleared his throat.
"For what it's worth, Mr. Ashford… I voted for your father. I believed in his vision. But you you've built this company into something even he couldn't have imagined. Don't let sentiment make you blind, but don't doubt your strength, either."
Liam studied him for a beat, then nodded.
"Thank you, Harrington."
But another director younger, eyes sharp and calculating leaned forward, fingers steepled.
"There's more here than scandal. Someone leaked this, Liam. Someone inside. You know that, don't you?"
Liam's jaw tightened.
"I do. And I'll find them."
The man's lips twitched.
"Good. Because if you don't they'll tear you apart from within."
---
Outside the boardroom, the world was waiting.
The elevator doors opened to chaos. Cameras flashed, reporters shouted, their voices overlapping in a blur of demands and accusations.
"Mr. Ashford, is it true your marriage is a sham to save your company?"
"Vivian, were you Liam's mistress while he was engaged to Melissa Grant?"
"Is Daniel really Liam's child, or is this another scheme?"
Security moved in, forming a protective wall as Liam and Vivian made their way to the waiting car. The crush of bodies, the storm of voices it was everything Vivian had feared and more.
In the safety of the car, windows muffling the outside world, she drew a shaky breath.
"They're going to rip us to pieces."
Liam's expression hardened.
"Not if I control the game. And I will."
For a moment, the mask slipped. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, fatigue showing in the set of his shoulders.
Vivian touched his arm without thinking a brief, grounding gesture.
"You don't have to do this alone."
Their eyes met, something unspoken passing between them again. They were partners now, whether they liked it or not.
---
Back at Ashford Tower, Liam retreated to his office, pacing as he barked orders into his phone.
"Double security on Daniel's school. Vet everyone who had access to the boardroom minutes. And I want a list of every journalist who received the leak timestamped, traced."
Vivian stood at the window, watching the city below. The storm Evelyn had promised was gathering. And somewhere in that storm was the traitor who had started it all.
---
Hours later, as night draped itself over the city, Liam and Vivian met in the quiet of the study the room where his father had once ruled, where portraits of Ashford ancestors lined the walls, their painted gazes heavy with judgment.
"She'll try to rally the shareholders," Liam said, breaking the silence.
"She'll paint this as weakness. As chaos."
"Then we give them something else to see," Vivian said. "Strength. Unity. You've fought wars before, Liam. This one's no different."
He smiled, but it was a grim thing.
"You're becoming quite the strategist."
"I'm fighting for my son." Her voice didn't waver. "I'll learn whatever I have to."
---
Before they parted for the night, Liam paused at the door.
"We'll announce a formal press conference. No more hiding. No more reacting. We set the tone."
"And the leak?"
His eyes darkened.
"I'll find them. And when I do they'll wish they'd never crossed me."