Chapter 206

Serena's POV

When I finished in the kitchen and walked into the living room, glancing at the clock on the mantel, I said, "It's getting late, Lucas. The kids have lacrosse practice tomorrow morning."

"Of course," he agreed easily, standing up from the sofa.

I walked Lucas to the door. The silence between us felt heavy with unspoken words, but there were things I needed to say.

"Thank you," I said, breaking the silence. Seeing his eyebrow raise slightly, I continued, "For everything with the lawsuit. Quinn was incredible, especially finding that evidence about the forged signatures."

"It was because of me that you were involved. You don't need to thank me," he replied softly.

I let it drop. Truth be told, I wished he would just go through with his engagement to Rachel Thorne and end whatever this was between us. But after everything he'd done to protect me from the corporate scandal, I didn't feel right making demands.

Desperate to break the tension, I switched topics. "Have you heard about Eleanor and Drew? They're officially dating now."

"I heard," he said simply.

Of course he had.

"Eleanor seems really happy," I continued. "I'm not going to analyze whether they're better as friends or more, but she's genuinely happy. So... I hope you'll let them be. Don't tell her about everything Jace did for her back in the day, and please make sure Jace stays away too."

"You don't need to worry about that," he said firmly. "Jace may be my uncle, but I protect all my friends equally. If Drew genuinely cares for Eleanor and she's chosen him, that's their business. I'll support them. So will Jace."

Catching my skepticism, he added, "Jace saw them together at car that night. He walked away immediately. If he had any intention of interfering, he wouldn't have left. That's not who he is."

I nodded, knowing he was right. I remembered the night Jace had found me barely conscious outside that Wall bar and taken me to hospital. Even knowing about my history with Lucas, when we had no connection at all, he could have called me an Uber and walked away. Instead, he'd stayed until he knew I was safe.

"Love isn't something you can control with a business strategy," Lucas said quietly, reading my expression. "That's why I won't give up. The moment you let go is the moment everything slips away."

With that, he turned and walked toward the elevator.

I watched him go, understanding exactly what he meant.

Taking a deep breath, I leaned against my doorframe. I had to admit - his unwavering determination made something flutter in my chest. But I wasn't ready to acknowledge what that meant.

Nina's POV

Monday morning at the Sinclair Group's executive board meeting.

I made sure to arrive early and took my place at the head of the boardroom table - the CEO's seat. I caught the sideways glances from the other board members and executives. They were probably shocked - Nina Sinclair had always played by the rules, maintaining the proper corporate etiquette. Even when Dad couldn't make it and asked me to run meetings, I'd always taken one of the executive seats.

Just before the meeting was set to begin, Dad walked in with Oliver. I watched his face harden the moment he saw me in his chair. The irony wasn't lost on me - despite his obvious favoritism, he still held those traditional views about male succession. Seeing his perfect daughter so blatantly breaking protocol clearly struck a nerve.

Oliver came charging in behind Dad. The second he saw me in the CEO's chair, he lost it. "Have you completely lost it, Nina? That's Dad's seat! Get up - you're making us look like a joke in front of the board!"

I gave him my once-over and didn't bother responding. That really set him off - he was used to playing the prince, Sinclair's golden boy. No one dared dismiss him like this.

Just as he started toward me, I pulled out the Sinclair share certificates and addressed the room. "As of market close Friday, I control 41% of Sinclair Group's voting shares, making me the majority shareholder. Under Delaware corporate law and our company bylaws, the majority shareholder assumes the position of CEO. Effective immediately, I am taking over as Chief Executive Officer of Sinclair Group."

The boardroom erupted in whispers and shocked looks. I savored the expressions on Dad and Oliver's faces.

I handed the certificates to my executive assistant. "Please distribute copies to my father, brother, and the board members for review."

"Right away, Ms. Sinclair," she responded, maintaining perfect professional composure.

Watching them scrutinize the legal documents, I allowed myself a small smirk. I'd planned to keep this ace up my sleeve until they really pushed me, but the temptation to pull the trigger was too strong. The view from the CEO's chair was everything I'd imagined.

"If there are no questions about the documentation, Dad and Oliver can take their seats," I gestured to the executive chairs, keeping my tone carefully casual.

Dad, who'd ruled Sinclair's boardroom from his perch for decades, couldn't handle the public humiliation. Though he managed to maintain enough composure to avoid a scene in front of the board, he stormed out, his shoes echoing down the hallway. Oliver, still playing the dutiful son, chased after him.

I straightened my blazer, completely unfazed. "Let's proceed with our regular quarterly review."

After the meeting, I barely had time to settle into my office before Oliver burst in, practically taking the door off its hinges. I glanced up, deliberately showing how little he concerned me.

"What's your angle here? How did you pull this off behind our backs? Where'd you get the capital? Which firms helped you?" His face was turning the same shade as his tie. "You're actually trying to steal Dad's company? You're just as bad as Serena!"

I let out a cold laugh. "Oliver, look at yourself. You're nothing but a spoiled Ivy League dropout who's never closed a real deal in his life. If Sinclair ended up in your hands, we'd be filing