CHAPTER 7
JADA’S POV
When I received an email informing me that Matt had demanded a meeting with the company board, I wasn’t surprised. It was exactly the kind of thing I expected him to do after I ignored his calls for a whole week.
When I walked in, the boardroom was colder than usual. Maybe it was just me. Or maybe it was the way everyone’s eyes followed me as I walked in, whispering under their breaths.
It had been a week since the wedding disaster, and I hadn’t set foot in this building once. The headlines had been relentless.
HEIRESS HUMILIATES FIANCÉ AT THE ALTAR. SINCLAIR EMPIRE IN SHAMBLES. WAS THE
SINCLAIR HEIRESS EVER FIT TO LEAD?
Every new headline was worse than the last, but I didn’t let it bother me. I’d been through worse.
I sat at the head of the table this time, refusing to flinch under their stares.
One of the senior members cleared his throat. “Miss Sinclair. Thank you for finally joining us We’ve… had concerns about your absence. You would think that we deserved some kind of explanation after the scene you caused at the wedding, but clearly, you didn’t think it mattered.”
I lowered my head and cleared my throat. “I just… I needed some time to think.”
“Time to think?” Another director leaned forward, fingers tapping against polished wood. The events at the wedding have caused severe damage to the company’s reputation. Investors are nervous. Clients are questioning our leadership.”
Another chimed in, adjusting his glasses. “Your silence has only fueled the rumors. The board can’t operate under uncertainty. We need stability.”
I leaned back, folding my hands in my lap. “And I’m guessing you’ve all convinced yourselves that Matt Bennett can provide that stability.”
The man hesitated, but nodded. “Mr. Bennett has already demonstrated strong leadership in your absence. He stepped in when you were unreachable. That’s the kind of initiative we need.” “I’m sure he has,” I said sarcastically, turning my head slightly. I didn’t have to look to know that Matt was celebrating, but I did anyway. He sat three seats down, smiling like he’d already won.
“You see?” he said smoothly, addressing the others but keeping his eyes locked on me. “This is exactly what I’ve been trying to say. Jada is a brilliant woman, yes. But you know how hormonal women can be. She’s unreliable. She disappears, she creates scandals, she lets her personal life interfere with business. Sinclair Industries cannot afford to keep gambling on her instability.”
His words stung, but I didn’t let it show. Instead, I let a small smile grace my lips like I found the whole situation amusing.
“So what are you saying?” I asked the board. “That you’re ready to hand him the company?” A few exchanged hesitant glances. Finally, the chairman spoke. “We’ve discussed the possibility of granting Mr. Bennett temporary control as CEO, until… other matters are resolved.”
I frowned. “What do you mean by other matters?”
The man blinked like he hadn’t expected me to ask. “Until the two of you settle your issues and
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get married.”
Matt’s smile widened. He was already savoring the victory.
I tapped my nails on the table once, twice, then leaned forward. My voice was calm but razor sharp. “No.”
Matt’s head snapped toward me. “No?”
“No,” I repeated. “Matt and I will never get married. And no, because that’s not how this works My father’s will was very clear. Sinclair Industries will only belong to the man I marry. Not before Not during some ‘trial period.’ His words, not mine. And if you want stability, then you’re going to follow his rules.”
Murmurs rippled through the boardroom.
One of the older men frowned. “Miss Sinclair… but you aren’t married. The wedding was-‘
I cut him off with a slow, deliberate smile. “That’s where you’re wrong.”
The room went silent.
“I have a husband,” I said, my voice slicing through the air like a blade. “His name is Ashe Galanis.’
Gasps broke out around the table. The chairman’s voice was hesitant, almost trembling “You’ve… blindsided us, Miss Sinclair. But if what you say is true-”
“It’s true.” My words cut clean through the noise. “Every legal document has already been signe and filed. You can call my lawyer if you’d like.”
Matt’s chair screeched back as he bolted upright, his face pale, eyes wide with shock.
“What the hell are you talking about?” he demanded, his voice cracking.
I turned to him, tilting my head with mock sweetness. “Oh, did I forget to mention? While you were busy plotting with my uncle and doing God knows what with my cousin, I went ahead and got married. Legally, Quietly. Which means everything my father left me; the company, the shares, the estate… it no longer belongs to you.”
I let the pause hang heavy in the air before finishing, “It belongs to my husband and I.”
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