She looked him straight in the eyes. Those icy orbs...sharp enough to burn her into ashes...didn't intimidate her.
But they did intrigue her.
Against her will, her gaze flickered briefly across his sculpted frame. Muscles taut beneath that perfectly tailored shirt… it was obvious he trained religiously. Every inch of him radiated discipline—chiselled cheekbones, that steel-cut jaw, even his neatly combed hair. There was nothing soft about him, not even his breath. The man looked like he was carved from winter itself.
If only he weren't her enemy…
She sighed inwardly, pushing the thought away.
But on her face...nothing.
Years of survival had taught her to master the art of control. Pain, fear, even disgust..she'd learned to bury them under layers of unreadable calm.
"Mr. Drakos," she finally spoke, her voice composed, "I didn't think we'd meet like this."
Her words were gentle, almost polite, but her eyes... her eyes were made of fire.
Theron narrowed his gaze. The muscle along his jaw ticked.
He hadn't expected her to show up...not like this, not with that look in her eyes.
"By the way," she continued, a smirk tugging at her lips, "I never expected Mr. Drakos...the man hailed as a business icon across cities and continents—to be such an incompetent jerk."
A collective gasp swept across the conference room like a sharp wind.
Time paused. The temperature seemed to drop. Papers no longer rustled. Chairs no longer creaked. Even the hum of the AC felt like a distant echo.
John turned pale.
I've never seen anyone stand up to our boss like this.
Isabella swayed slightly in her seat. The sheer pressure in the room made her dizzy. Her fingers trembled under the desk.
"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT?!" Theron's voice thundered. The words slammed into the room like a storm.
Aurora didn't flinch.
Instead, she tilted her head ever so slightly, like a predator toying with prey. "Wow… Mr. Drakos, did you just mistake me for one of your subordinates? Do you think you can silence me with that infernal gaze of yours?"
She began walking forward, slow and deliberate, her heels clicking like clockwork. Each step rang louder than the last, echoing through the tension-stuffed silence.
Jason watched in awe.
I actually doubted her for a second. But she's insane. She's fearless.
"I'll make you pay..." Theron growled, stepping forward. His expression darkened. "For damaging this project .... and for that insult. Just wait..."
"Huh?" Aurora chuckled, cutting him off mid-threat. She moved to the head of the table, directly across from him. "Then you should be billing your precious team, JERK."
A few people blinked. George's pen slipped from his hand. Even the guards at the back exchanged glances.
Isabella began to sweat.
Lena leaned toward her and whispered, "Ms. Wilson, if we let her keep talking, she's going to expose everything."
Isabella panicked. She's right. I need to act… fast.
"What are you implying, Ms. Adkins?" Isabella snapped, standing abruptly. "We sent the termination after signing the contract. The email came from your end! Are you now blaming us for your mess?"
"YOU—" Susan stood up, fists clenched.
But Aurora calmly raised a hand, stopping her teammate mid-explosion. "Even if I had canceled the contract, don't you think I'd have a solid reason?"
She raised a brow, her tone dry. "Ms. Wilson, I can prove I didn't send that email."
"WHAT?!" voices exploded across the room.
Even the Drakos team looked shaken.
"If you didn't send it," Theron barked, "then who did? Don't you dare accuse us of your incompetency, Ms. Adkins."
"Incompetency?" Aurora's voice turned velvety with mock amusement. "Coming from you, that's rich."
Theron's fists clenched. Hard.
"You, of all people, should know how competent your beloved employee Ms. Wilson truly is," she said sharply. "You not only assigned her to this project, but you also allowed her to insult and humiliate my employees. And when her own presentation fell apart, thanks to her incompetent team, you have the audacity to blame me for walking out?"
Gasps.
Actual gasps.
One board member dropped his pen. Another quietly reached for his water glass, his hand visibly shaking.
"You're not just an incompetent boss who can't control his team," Aurora said, voice hardening, "you're a fool to come charging at me with lawsuits… without even checking the facts."
"You bitch!" Isabella screamed, lunging across the table with a raised hand.
SMACK—
The sound cracked across the room like lightning.
Isabella collapsed to the floor, holding her cheek in shock. Her entire body shook from the impact.
Even Theron froze.
She's absolutely insane… and I can't look away.
Aurora stood over Isabella, towering. Her eyes burned with something primal—rage? Power? Vengeance?
"I warned you, Ms. Wilson. I told you never to cross my path again. You did. And now, I won't hold back."
She turned to her team, her voice calm. "Riya."
Riya stepped forward and connected her phone to the projector. A short video began to play.
First clip: Isabella mocking Aurora's team. Second clip: Her threats. Third: Aurora's warning. The fourth: Her choice to forgive.
The room was deadly silent, save for the sound of Isabella's voice in the video, sharp and poisonous.
Aurora smiled—not sweetly, but like a blade sliding from its sheath. "Ms. Wilson… do you even understand what a second chance means?"
She turned her head slightly, her voice cold. "I'm sure Mr. Drakos does."
A beat passed.
She met Theron's eyes again, her tone venom-laced and soft.
"Pity… he doesn't give them."