Contract Marriage With My Billionaire Boss (Venus and Aaron) novel Chapter 23

**TITLE: The Long Didn’t Say by Mark Twain**

**Chapter 23**

**THIRD PERSON POV**

The atmosphere inside the Sinclair Group’s main boardroom was charged, thick with an unspoken tension that seemed to seep into the very fabric of the room. Unvoiced frustrations hung like a heavy fog, mingling with the silent dread that no one had the courage to articulate: the company was adrift, lacking a captain to steer its course.

The chair at the head of the table—the very one that Aaron’s grandfather had once occupied with an air of quiet authority—now stood eerily vacant. It was as if the absence of its usual occupant had cast a pall over the gathering. Richard Sinclair, positioned by the window, stood with his hands clasped behind his back, exuding a façade of control as he gazed out at the skyline. Yet, the truth lingered in the air like a stubborn wisp of smoke: there was no CEO to guide them.

The shareholders, a restless bunch, exchanged glances filled with concern. Their patience was wearing thin.

“We can’t keep running on autopilot,” one of them snapped, his voice taut with urgency. “The Sinclair Group is floundering without leadership. The markets are watching us closely.”

“What about Aaron?” another shareholder interjected, his brow furrowed in confusion. “Wasn’t he supposed to take over?”

At last, Richard turned to face the room. His expression was composed, yet beneath the surface, a darker emotion simmered. “There are… clauses. My father’s will made Aaron’s succession conditional,” he stated, his tone clipped.

A murmur of surprise rippled through the table, like sparks igniting dry tinder.

“Conditional how?” someone demanded sharply, their frustration palpable. “You expect us to sit on our hands while Sinclair Group collapses?”

Caroline’s voice sliced through the tension like a surgeon’s scalpel. “We understand your concern, which is precisely why we’re proposing a temporary solution.” She flashed a smile that was equal parts sweetness and cunning. “Until the conditions are met and Aaron becomes eligible, we suggest that my son—Dorian—serve as acting CEO.”

The silence that followed was suffocating, thick with calculation and doubt.

Letting the moment stretch, she added, “Dorian possesses the business acumen required. He is Richard’s son—”

Connor muttered under his breath, barely able to contain his disdain. “For fuck’s sake…”

Just then, the boardroom doors swung open with a suddenness that cut through the tension like a knife.

Aaron Sinclair entered, a tempest clad in black silk, radiating a cold fury that was palpable. He didn’t utter a word; he didn’t need to.

The sheer force of his presence seemed to suck the very air from the room, commanding attention without effort.

—

**Chapter 23**

**AARON**

I was absolutely livid. Richard had gone too far this time.

Called a shareholder meeting out of the blue, but for what purpose? I still didn’t have a clue. I’d find out soon enough, though.

“Dude, where the hell are you?” Connor’s voice crackled through the car’s speakers, his urgency evident even over the Bluetooth connection.

“I just discovered the meeting was happening. I’m on my way,” I replied, my grip tightening on the steering wheel.

Venus’s name flashed across my phone screen, a reminder of the persistent annoyance I was trying to avoid.

I hit decline without a second thought.

“Well, you need to get here fast. It doesn’t look good,” Connor urged, his tone clipped and tense. He was a shareholder too—one of the rare few I actually trusted.

“What’s going on?” I demanded, my curiosity piqued.

“We were just discussing leadership while the board awaits you to fulfill your… obligations,” she said, her smile stretched tight across that surgically perfected face.

I met her gaze, my voice flat and steady. “You mean while you’re attempting to place your puppet on my grandfather’s throne?”

Richard cleared his throat, cutting through the tension. “Enough. The board isn’t here for family drama. They need reassurance. They need direction.”

“And they’ll get it,” I replied smoothly, my confidence unwavering. “I’ve been working on something—a project that will redefine Sinclair Tech’s future.”

A few board members straightened in their seats, curiosity igniting in their eyes. Good. That should keep them at bay—for now. Sinclair Tech was merely one arm of our vast empire. We also owned real estate, luxury hotels, upscale restaurants, and high-end furniture manufacturing. You name it, we had our hands in it.

“Then by all means,” Richard said, gesturing toward the screen. “Present it.”

I rose, the weight of expectation heavy on my shoulders.

Connor leaned over, his voice low and urgent. “You brought it, right?”

And that’s when the realization hit me like a freight train.

The laptop. The file. The mockups. Still sitting on my penthouse desk where I had left them, right where Venus would’ve reminded me, had I only answered her damn call.

I glanced at Connor, and a beat of understanding passed between us.

Shit.

“Mr. Sinclair?” a board member prompted, breaking the silence. “We’re waiting.”

I adjusted my jacket, forcing myself to stand taller. Every eye in the room was locked onto me, waiting to see if I would falter or seize control.