49. Margot
49
MARGOT
L ast night still lingers in my mind like the echo of a perfect song, soft jazz, candlelight, the way Grayson’s hand fit so naturally in mine. The restaurant was cozy and hidden, the food rich and indulgent, but it wasn’t just that. It was the way he looked at me, like I wasn’t just part of the chaos, but the reason he wanted to fight through it. For a few blissful hours, it wasn’t about the company or the will or the power struggle. It was just us. And for the first time in weeks, I let myself breathe.
But now the sun’s up, and the fight is back on. I pause on the sidewalk outside Perfectly Matched , staring up at the glass tower with its sleek silver lettering and spotless windows. To someone else, it might just look like another tech startup with clean lines and a trendy mission statement. But to me, it’s everything. This is where I proved myself. Where I stopped living under other people’s expectations and started building something that was mine. It’s where I worked late nights chasing down a vision I believed in. Where I took risks, made mistakes, and earned respect, not because of who I knew or where I came from, but because I showed up and fought for it every damn day. And it’s where I met him. Grayson wasn’t just my mentor. He saw something in me before I even saw it in myself. And somehow, through all the long nights and sharp words and impossible tension, we became this thing I still don’t have a name for. Complicated. Charged. Real. And now, we’re fighting side by side. I straighten my shoulders.
I’m not letting Eleanor take this from me. Not the company. Not the future I’ve built. Not him.
The moment I step into Perfectly Matched’s headquarters, I feel it in the air, an electric tension, a silent storm gathering in the distance. Every employee, from the receptionists to the senior executives, has seen Eleanor’s interview. They’ve read the headlines. And now, they’re watching, waiting to see what happens next. But if Eleanor thinks she’s already won, she’s in for a rude awakening, because today, Grayson and I aren’t just playing defense. We’re going toburyher.
“Alright,” Olivia says, pacing the length of Grayson’s office, her tablet balanced on one arm. “The numbers are solid. The financial reports show a clear decline in Perfectly Matched’s projected revenue if Grayson is removed. Investor confidence is already shaken because of Eleanor’s public attack.” She glances at me. “If we play this right, we can make it very clear to the board that backing Eleanor isn’t just risky, it’s a financial disaster.”
Grayson smirks, leaning back in his chair. “Nothing makes people more loyal than the fear of losing money.”
I nod. “Good. Let’s set up a meeting with the key board members. We don’t need all of them, just enough to shift the vote in our favor. We hammer them with numbers, make itimpossiblefor them to see Eleanor as a viable option.”
Cassian, who has been lounging in one of Grayson’s chairs with a bored expression, finally perks up. “Idolove a good manipulation tactic.”
Isabella, sitting beside him with her legs crossed, flips through a magazine. “That’s because youarea manipulation tactic.”
Cassian grins. “Flattering, darling.”
Isabella sighs, tossing the magazine onto the coffee table. “So let me get this straight. You two…” she waves a hand between me and Grayson… “are going to strong-arm a bunch of old men into keepingyouin charge instead of Eleanor?”
I nod. “That’s the general idea.”
She shrugs. “Okay, I’m in.”
Grayson frowns. “You’re in?”
Cassian laughs, watching her with amusement. “Oh, you’ve done it now, King. You’ve given her acause.”
Isabella smirks. “Look, normally, I wouldn’t care about corporate warfare. But Eleanor is theworst, and I wouldloveto publicly humiliate her.” She leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “Plus, Ioweher. That woman tried to blacklist me fromthreemajor studios after I turned down a film she was producing.”
Grayson raises an eyebrow. “Why did you turn it down?”
Isabella rolls her eyes. “Because it was garbage. The script was awful, the director was a hack, and the leading man had the charisma of a wet sponge.”
Cassian smirks. “So, naturally, she sought revenge.”
“Naturally,” Isabella says dryly. “She’s petty like that.”
I tilt my head. “Wait. So youalreadyhave dirt on Eleanor?”
Isabella flashes a devious smile. “Oh, honey. I havefolders.”
Cassian chuckles. “This isdelightful.”
Grayson exhales, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “So, what? You’re going to leak damaging stories about her?”
Isabella shrugs. “Only if you want me to. I can also plant a few well-placed rumors, or…” she pauses, then grins. “Or I couldgive an exclusive interviewabout what it’sreallylike to work with Eleanor Montgomery.”
Cassian whistles low. “Oh, that’s evil. I love it.”
I exchange a glance with Grayson. He’s considering it, his mind already calculating the fallout.
“This could work,” he says slowly. “If Isabella gives an interview painting Eleanor as manipulative and deceitful, it reinforces the idea that her whole Perfectly Matched takeover is self-serving.”
I nod. “And if we time it right, it’ll hit just before the board vote, making them second-guesseverythingshe’s been feeding them.”
Cassian grins, looking pleased. “Well, isn’t this justdeliciouslymessy?”
Grayson sighs. “You enjoy this too much.”
Cassian smirks. “Of course I do. There’s nothing quite like watching a perfectly laid trapsnapshut.”
Isabella tilts her head at him. “You know, Ihateto admit it, but youarekind of good at this.”
Cassian places a hand over his chest in mock emotion. “Darling, that’s the closest thing to a compliment you’ve ever given me.”
She smirks. “Don’t get used to it.”
I roll my eyes but can’t help smiling. Somehow, despite the high stakes and the threat Eleanor poses, this absurd dynamic between them isweirdlyentertaining.
Grayson shakes his head. “Alright. Isabella, if you’re serious about this, we need to be strategic. Olivia, set up a media contact for an exclusive. We’ll need to prep talking points.”
Olivia nods, already typing. “I’ll make sure it gets picked up by the right outlets. If Isabella goes public with this, it needs to reach thebiggestaudience possible.”
I turn back to Isabella. “Are you sure you want to do this? Eleanor is ruthless. If she thinks you’re a threat, shewill retaliate.”
Isabella waves a hand dismissively. “Please. Eleanorwishesshe could ruin me. I survived Hollywood. A corporate ice queen doesn’t scare me.”
Cassian chuckles. “Oh, this is going to befun.”
Grayson stands, adjusting his cuffs. His blue eyes gleam with something dangerous, somethingdetermined.
“We hit her from every angle,” he says. “Financially. Publicly. Politically.”
I smile. “We take everything from her.”
Cassian sighs happily. “Now this is entertainment.”
Isabella stretches, looking entirely too relaxed for someone about to launch a full-scale media war. “Alright, then. Let’s go ruin Eleanor’s life.”
Grayson smirks, glancing at me. “Remind me again why we keep them around?”
I shake my head with a laugh. “Because as much as they drive usinsane, they’re actuallyuseful.”
Cassian places a hand over his heart. “Evans, I’mtouched.”
Isabella grins. “Don’t worry, Cassian. One day, you’ll find someone who loves you despite yourdeeplyinsufferable personality.”
Cassian smirks. “Oh, sweetheart. I already have. It’syou.”
Isabella rolls her eyes. “I walked right into that, didn’t I?”
Grayson sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Can wepleaseget back to the plan before I start regretting every decision I’ve ever made?”
I grin, leaning toward him. “You’d never regretme.”
His gaze flicks to mine, something dark and amused sparking behind those ocean-blue eyes. “Oh, Evans,” he murmurs. “You’re theonlydecision I’m certain of.”
And just like that, I remember exactlywhywe’re going to win. Because no matter what Eleanor throws at us, we are stronger together.