26. Margot
26
MARGOT
M y pulse pounds in my ears. The weight of Eleanor’s words settles over me like a slow-rolling storm. Margot’s removal is already in motion.
I lift my chin, refusing to show weakness. "So that’s it? The board just decides I don’t belong anymore, and they get to erase me?"
Eleanor gives me a knowing look. "This isn’t personal, dear. It’s business. You’ve always been competent, but competence doesn’t equal entitlement. The board doesn’t see you as an heir. They see you as an inconvenience."
Grayson takes a step forward, his voice sharp. "You think I’ll just stand by and let this happen? You think I’m going to let a bunch of old men in suits erase her because she actuallymade them workfor their positions?"
Eleanor raises an eyebrow. "She didn’t just make them work. She threatened them, Grayson. Maybe not with words, but with results. She made themuncomfortable. They don’t like being reminded that someone younger, someone who wasn’t born into their ranks, could do what they do better."
Margot scoffs. "Oh, so I’m being punished for being good at my job? Because I didn’t let them push through deals that would have tanked the company? Because I called them out on their half-baked strategies and refusal to evolve?" She lets out a humorless laugh. "Well, excuse me for not sitting quietly in the corner while they ran Perfectly Matched into the ground."
Eleanor smirks. "Exactly. You made them feel obsolete. And now, they’re returning the favor."
Eleanor offers him a slow, almost indulgent smile. "You won’t have a choice. The board has been building their case against Margot for months, her 'erratic' decisions, her refusal to play the game their way. If you think you can waltz into that meeting and stop them, you’re more na?ve than I thought."
I swallow the lump rising in my throat. "And let me guess, you were more than happy to help build that case."
"I simply guided things along," Eleanor replies smoothly. "Encouraged the right people to see things from a more… traditional perspective."
Grayson’s fingers flex at his sides. "If you think I’m going to let you take Perfectly Matched from her, you clearly don’t know me at all."
Eleanor exhales, standing from her seat and smoothing her blouse. "I know you better than you think, Grayson. I know that you hate losing. But I also know that in order to win, you have to besmarterthan your opponent." She tilts her head toward me. "And right now, Margot’s outnumbered."
I grit my teeth, forcing my voice to stay steady. "If they think I’m going to roll over and let them push me out, they don’t knowmeat all."
Grayson glances at me, something fierce flashing in his eyes. "Then we don’t give them the chance. We go on the offensive."
Eleanor gives us one last, unreadable look before picking up her teacup again. "Good luck with that. You’ll need it."
Grayson grabs my hand, pulling me toward the door. "We’re done here."
I don’t look back as we leave. Because right now, there’s only one thing on my mind, how to take back what’s mine before they steal it from me. As we step outside, Grayson pulls me to a stop. "We’re not walking into this blind. We need a plan."
I cross my arms, nodding. "And I assume you have one."
His lips twitch, but there’s no humor in his expression. "Of course I do. First, we need real leverage. Something that ties the board’s actions back to corruption, backroom deals, anything we can use to turn the tide."
I arch a brow. "And where exactly do we find that?"
Grayson’s smirk sharpens. "I have a few ideas. Eleanor wasn’t the only one with access to board secrets. I know where the bodies are buried, and it’s time we start digging."
Margot narrows her eyes. "You’re being cryptic, King. Spill."
He exhales, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. For starters, the board isn’t as clean as they like to pretend. I know for a fact that at least two of them have funneled company funds into personal investments, and one of them, Gerald Wright, helped approve a shady deal last year that almost led to an SEC investigation."
I blink. "And you’ve just been sitting on this information?"
He shrugs. "It wasn’t useful before. But now? We dig deeper, find proof, and make it clear that if they want to come for you, we’re more than capable of coming for them."
I cross my arms. "And how exactly do we get this proof?"
A slow, confident smile spreads across his lips. "We set a trap. We make them think they’ve won, let them get comfortable and while they’re celebrating their victory, we expose them for the frauds they are."
Margot tilts her head, her sharp blue eyes scanning his face. "And how exactly do we go about that? Are we talking about a grand expose? A dramatic boardroom takedown? Because if so, I’d like a front-row seat."
Grayson chuckles, but his expression remains serious. "We need something ironclad, undeniable. First, we go to my place. I have files, contacts, people who owe me favors. We start putting the puzzle together."
I cross my arms. "And what about me? You don’t expect me to sit on the sidelines, do you?"
His smirk returns, slow and knowing. "Not a chance, Evans. You’re going back to your place. You’re going to act like none of this is happening, like you don’t have a clue about the coup they’re trying to pull. Let them believe you’re oblivious. The more confident they get, the sloppier they’ll be."
I narrow my eyes. "So I play dumb while you do the heavy lifting?"
Grayson shakes his head. "No. You play smart. And when the time is right, we take them down together."
The air between us crackles with something electric, something deeper than just the fight we’re gearing up for. We’re still standing close, the tension thick between us, his blue eyes locked onto mine, intense and unreadable. I should step back. I should focus on the plan. But then his hand brushes against mine, lingering, deliberate.
"Evans," he murmurs, voice rough, as if he’s holding something back.
I swallow, but I don’t move away. "Yeah?"
He exhales sharply, then shakes his head with a small, self-deprecating laugh. "This should not be the time for this."
"And yet…"I whisper, because I feel it too. The pull. The undeniable heat curling in the space between us.
Then, as if the tension finally snaps, his hand moves, strong and sure, gripping my waist, pulling me hard against him. His lips crash onto mine, urgent, demanding, like we’ve both run out of reasons not to do this. I gasp into his mouth, and he swallows the sound like he needs it to breathe. My hands find his chest, his shoulders, gripping onto him like I might lose my balance. His body is solid heat against mine, his muscles shifting beneath my fingers as he moves. There’s nothing careful about this, it’s all raw edges and built-up want, and years of fighting that were never just about business. His mouth trails down my neck, hot and wet, his teeth grazing my skin just enough to make me shiver. I tilt my head back, giving him more, needing more.
“Tell me to stop,” he mutters against my skin, but his hands are already sliding lower, over the curve of my hips, gripping like he’s not letting go.
“I can’t,” I breathe, my voice shaky. “I don’t want you to.”
He groans, deep and low, like I’ve just undone him. He walks me backward until my back hits the wall, his hands everywhere, exploring, claiming, remembering. My dress bunches at my thighs as he lifts me, my legs wrapping around his waist like they were made for this. For him.
“Margot,” he growls, his forehead pressed to mine, eyes dark and blown wide. “This, whatever this is, it’s been driving me insane.”
“Then stop pretending we’re still fighting,” I whisper, pulling him closer. “And just feel.”
And he does. His hips press into mine, a rhythm already forming, clothes still between us but barely. Every movement is friction and heat and need. Every kiss deeper, dirtier. The air is thick with everything we haven’t said, every moment we pretended this wasn’t inevitable. By the time he finally finds the zipper at the back of my dress, my skin is flushed, my breath coming in quick gasps. He peels the fabric away slowly, reverently, like he’s unwrapping a secret he’s wanted for years. His mouth follows, kissing every inch he reveals, until I’m trembling beneath him, completely undone.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmurs, voice rough, eyes raking over me like he’s seeing me for the first time and liking every inch. “You always have been. But this, us, it feels like the first thing that’s ever made sense.”
I don’t want soft right now. I don’t want sweet. I want him, all of him. I pull him to me, crashing my mouth against his as his hand slips between my legs. His fingers find me slick and ready. One slides in, then another, moving fast and deep, his thumb circling just right. My hips lift to meet every thrust, the pressure tightening low in my belly, fast and sharp and unstoppable.
“Grayson,” I gasp, already close.
“Come for me,” he growls, his voice rough against my ear.
And I do. Hard. The orgasm rolls through me like a wave, stealing my breath, arching my back. I cry out, my entire body trembling with the force of it. Before I’ve even come down, he pushes his boxers down, his cock thick and hard in his hand. I can’t look away as he strokes himself slowly, then drags the tip through my folds, teasing me, making me shiver with anticipation.
“Please,” I whisper, breathless. “Fuck me.”
He doesn’t hesitate. With one deep thrust, he fills me, stretching me, grounding me in heat and want and everything I didn’t know I needed. A sharp cry tears from my throat, and my hands fly to his back, clawing for something to hold onto.
“Fuck, Margot,” he groans, and then his mouth is on mine, kissing me like he’s starved, like he’s never going to stop. He sets a pace that’s relentless and deep, each thrust sending shockwaves through me. My moans break into gasps as I fall apart all over again, the pleasure building again, fast and furious.
“Don’t stop,” I whisper against his mouth, my voice shaking. “I’m right there…”
He grits out a curse, then slams into me harder, faster, until I unravel for the second time, crying out his name as I come undone beneath him. My body shudders violently, every nerve lit up. He follows with a groan, spilling inside me as he buries himself to the hilt, his whole body stiffening before finally collapsing against me. His forehead drops to my shoulder, both of us slick with sweat, our chests heaving in sync. For a moment, there’s nothing but the sound of our breathing. No games, no guards, just us. When he finally lifts his head to look at me, there’s something raw in his eyes. Something I’ve never seen before. And the terrifying part? I feel it too.