---- Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Aimee Ramirez POV: The hospital was a sanctuary of sterile white noise. | sat in the cafeteria, a cup of untouched coffee growing cold in my hands, and let the feigned crisis play out. | sent Kyle a series of short, panicked texts: She's in surgery. It's bad. Don't know how long I'll be. Each one was designed to make me seem distracted, emotionally compromised, and completely focused on a family emergency. His replies were perfunctory, tinged with impatience. Keep me updated. Let me know when you're free. And then, an hour later: Karma is getting anxious. This delay is causing problems. We really need to get this done today, Aimee. The sheer, monstrous ego of the man was breathtaking. My mother was supposedly on an operating table, and his primary concern was his mistress's anxiety level. Late in the afternoon, my phone rang. It was Marcus Thorne, the oldest and most influential member of our board. A man | had cultivated as an ally for years. "Aimee," he said, his voice grave. "Kyle just called an emergency board meeting for tomorrow morning. He's invoking the competency clause." ---- My blood ran cold, but my voice remained steady. "On what grounds?" "He's claiming you're emotionally unstable. That the stress of your 'separation' is impairing your judgment. He's going to move for a temporary injunction, to have you suspended from your duties and have your voting rights transferred to him until you're deemed 'fit' to return." It was a classic corporate coup. And it was brilliant. He was using my feigned emotional breakdown against me. He would paint himself as the concerned, stable husband, forced to take control to protect the company from his fragile, hysterical wife "He's bringing Karma," Marcus added, his voice laced with disapproval. "He's going to have her give a statement about your 'erratic behavior." "Let him," | said, a cold smile touching my lips. "Let him bring his mistress. Let him call me crazy. Let him think he has me cornered." "What's your play, Aimee? You know I'll back you, but he's got the votes. Chen and Williams will go with him." "My play," | said, "is to let him build his own gallows. I'll be there, Marcus. Just make sure the company's full legal team is present. And have them bring the corporate charter. The original, hard-copy edition." "Aimee, what are you planning?" ---- "A hostile takeover," | said, and hung up. | sent a final text to Kyle. Surgery is over. She's stable. I'm exhausted. | can be at the office in the morning. We can sign then. His reply was instantaneous. Good. See you at 9 a.m. in the main conference room. He thought | was agreeing to his timeline, walking into his ambush. He had no idea the meeting he had called wasn't for my execution. It was for his. The storm was no longer a metaphor. | was the storm. And | was about to make landfall in the center of his world.