Terms of my heart

Alina adjusted her blazer with deliberate grace, her heels clicking sharply against the marble as she strode through the lobby of Virella Group. The murmur of staff faded to stunned silence as she passed-the CEO was back, and she wasn't here to play nice.

Her assistant, Naomi, struggled to keep up. "Board meeting in ten minutes, ma'am. Your uncle arrived early."

Alina's jaw tightened, but her smile didn't flinch. "Good. Let him wait."

The elevator opened, and she stepped inside, her reflection in the mirrored wall flawless: red lips, sharp eyes, cold elegance. Whatever chaos had happened outside these walls-kisses, betrayals, broken trust-none of it belonged here. Here, she was untouchable.

***

The boardroom buzzed as her uncle, Gregory Sterling, leaned back in his chair with smug authority. His suit was tailored, his voice loud, and his tone carried the weight of family entitlement.

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd forgotten you're CEO," he said as Alina entered. "We've had to make decisions without you."

She dropped her bag on the table and looked around at the board members. "You've made temporary decisions," she said coolly. "That ends now."

Gregory chuckled. "We've had concerned investors. A CEO too distracted by... personal affairs doesn't inspire confidence."

Alina took a seat, unbothered. "Gregory, if you're implying something, say it directly."

He leaned in, lowering his voice. "You've been absent. Rumors of internal sabotage, a security breach, and now... Jesse? You think people haven't noticed?"

Alina's gaze sharpened. "You're right. People have noticed. They've noticed that while I was stabilizing our external affairs, someone on the board was quietly pushing for a vote to strip my executive power."

Gasps. Silence. Gregory's smile faltered.

Alina slid a folder across the table. "Copies of emails, schedules, your attempt to override my authority. You forgot I trained most of our IT team myself."

Gregory's face darkened. "You're bluffing."

She leaned back. "Try me."

The room pulsed with tension.

Finally, Gregory stood. "This isn't over."

"No," Alina replied, eyes steady. "It's just beginning."

-

Outside the boardroom, Naomi whispered, "That was... brutal."

Alina smirked. "Good. Let him feel the heat."

As she walked down the hallway, her phone buzzed. A message from Jesse: *We need to talk.*

Her smirk faded slightly. She looked out the window, watching the city that never stopped moving.

What now?