Chapter 41
Chapter Forty-One
Tania
The steady hum of activity at Nichols Corp feels oddly comforting as I sit in Levi’s office, finalizing details for the merger announcement. It’s one of those rare calm moments in the midst of chaos, where everything feels like it’s falling into place. Levi is across the room, reviewing files with his typical intensity, and for once, it seems like nothing can shake the foundation we’ve built.
The door swings open suddenly, breaking the quiet. Cynthia, Levi’s head of PR, strides in, her usually composed expression replaced with a tight frown.
“Levi,” she says, urgency lacing her voice, “we’ve got a problem.”
He looks up immediately, his green eyes narrowing. “What is it?”
Cynthia closes the door behind her and sets her tablet on the desk. “A document has surfaced, and it’s making its way through the investor circles. It accuses Nichols Corp of unethical practices during the merger—bribery, falsified projections, you name it.”
My heart sinks as the weight of her words hits. Levi straightens in his chair, his jaw tightening. “Damon,” he says, his voice low and cold. “This has to be him.”
“Almost certainly,” Cynthia replies. “The timing is too perfect to be a coincidence. He’s trying to derail the merger.”
Levi takes the tablet, scanning the document with a calm that feels too controlled, like the storm brewing beneath his surface is just waiting to break. I glance over his shoulder, catching phrases like coercive tactics and manipulated figures. It’s clearly fabricated, but the language is damning.
“This is serious,” I say, stepping closer. “If investors believe this?—”
“They won’t,” Levi interrupts, his voice firm. “Because we’re going to prove it’s a lie.”
Cynthia nods. “I’ve already started working with our legal team to track the source. But the fact that it’s circulating means the damage is already being done.”
“We need to get ahead of this,” I say, my PR instincts kicking in. “We have to control the narrative before it spirals. If we wait, it’ll only get worse.”
Levi looks at me, his expression softening slightly. “What do you suggest?”
“We start internally,” I reply. “Get our key stakeholders on board with the truth. They’ll need reassurance before they hear the rumors elsewhere. Then we craft a statement—something calm, factual, and impossible to refute.”
He nods, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. “Let’s do it.”
The hours blur as I dive into crisis mode, collaborating with Cynthia and Levi’s senior team to draft a plan. We identify the investors most likely to be swayed by Damon’s lies and prioritize one-on-one calls to address their concerns directly.
Levi leads the outreach, his voice steady and confident as he speaks to each investor. I sit beside him, passing him notes and chiming in when needed. Together, we dismantle the accusations piece by piece, providing evidence and reassuring them that Nichols Corp operates with integrity.
By the time the last call ends, the tension in the room has lifted slightly, replaced with cautious optimism.
“You were incredible,” Levi says, turning to me. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”
“Don’t give me too much credit,” I reply, though his words make my chest warm. “We’re not out of the woods yet.”
As the night stretches on, we gather in Levi’s office to finalize our internal strategy. Cynthia updates us on the investigation, confirming that the document was traced back to Damon’s team. The proof is strong but not yet ironclad, leaving us in a precarious position.
“We need to tread carefully,” Cynthia warns. “Damon is playing dirty, and if we overstep, it could backfire.”
“We won’t overstep,” Levi says, his voice calm but resolute. “We’ll play this by the book and let the truth speak for itself.”
I glance at him, my heart swelling with pride. Despite everything, he’s handling this with the kind of grace and determination that reminds me why I fell for him in the first place.
After everyone leaves, Levi and I sit in his office, the city lights glowing softly through the windows. He leans back in his chair, his tie loosened and his sleeves rolled up, exhaustion etched into his features.
“You okay?” I ask, perching on the edge of his desk.
He looks up at me, his gaze steady but tired. “I will be. Thanks to you.”
I smile softly, reaching out to brush a hand over his. “We’re a team, Levi. We’ll get through this.”
His hand tightens around mine, and for a moment, the weight of the day fades. “I don’t say it enough,” he murmurs. “But I’m so grateful for you, Tania. For everything you’ve done—for me, for this company.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” I reply, my voice barely above a whisper. “This is what we do. We fight for what matters.”
His lips curve into a faint smile, and he pulls me closer, his forehead resting against mine. “We’ve got this,” he says softly. “Together.”
“Together,” I echo, my chest tightening with a mix of exhaustion and hope.
As the night stretches on, I realize that no matter what Damon throws our way, we’re ready to face it—because we’re stronger together.