Ex Wife's Collapse After Divorce novel Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The meeting dragged on for over an hour.

Nothing got resolved. Not the Stellaris partnership. Not Arthur Voss’s resignation. Two critical problems, zero solutions.

Reginald Lockwood’s patience finally snapped. He tore into every department head at the table – finance, operations, logistics, R&D – nobody was spared. By the time he dismissed them, half the room couldn’t make eye

contact.

Chairman’s office.

Reginald sat behind his desk, jaw clenched, the storm still rolling behind his eyes.

“I handed you the reins less than a year ago. And this is what you’ve done with my trust?”

Vivian stood across from him, head lowered. “Dad – Chairman. These two issues aren’t my fault. Stellaris chose to pull out. Mr. Voss chose to resign. What was I supposed to do?”

Reginald wanted to keep going. But the look on his daughter’s face – that wounded, cornered expression – softened him. Barely.

He exhaled hard through his nose.

“This company is ours, Vivian. Those executives out there can afford not to care. We can’t. If we lose Stellaris, this company goes downhill. Period.”

“And Arthur Voss leaving directly impacts our drug quality and every project in the pipeline. Both of these problems must be fixed.”

He paused. Thought it through.

“Go to Stellaris yourself. In person. Grovel if you have to. And if you can’t save the partnership, at the very least find out who this mystery person is – the one they keep referencing.”

“As for Mr. Voss – contact him again. Offer whatever it takes. If he won’t come back full-time, hire him as a private contractor. Let he name his price. If it’s within reason, we pay it.”

Vivian nodded.

“One more thing.” Reginald’s eyes narrowed. “Put pressure on the business development team. If Stellaris is gone, they need to bring in new accounts. Every dollar counts.”

He stopped.

“Speaking of which – where was the head of business development today? Why wasn’t Damian at this meeting?”

Vivian’s pulse jumped. “Damian had a family emergency. He left yesterday.”

“Damian?” Reginald frowned. “He’s been here one month. How is he already running the department?”

His gaze locked onto Vivian. She looked away.

Reginald’s knuckles whitened on the armrest. “Did he file a leave request?”

“Not yet.”

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“Not yet?”

His palm slammed the desk.

“Vivian. What the hell have you been doing?”

The question hung in the air like a blade.

“Don’t tell me you still have feelings for Damian Hale.” His voice dropped. Cold. Controlled. “What has he ever given us?”

Vivian’s face shifted. “Dad – Chairman – I don’t have feelings for him. I swear.”

“You’d better not.” Reginald leaned back. “I see Damian Hale more clearly than you ever will. He’s the type who doesn’t lift a finger unless there’s something in it for him. No real ability, but a mouth full of big promises. When you two were together, I told you he was no good.”

“And after all that – after you fought me tooth and nail – he still dumped you and ran off abroad for three years Three years of so-called ‘professional development.’ And the second he’s back, he shows up at our company? What does that tell you? He’s the same man he always was. Useless.”

Every word dripped with contempt.

“Chairman, Damian isn’t as bad as you think. He brought in real business this past month. Even the overseas distribution channel – that was thanks to him-”

Reginald laughed.

A short, sharp, humorless laugh.

“The overseas channel has nothing to do with Damian Hale.”

“But he said-”

“I don’t care what he said.” Reginald’s voice cut like a scalpel. “That overseas channel? I personally flew to Stellaris headquarters. Sat in their lobby for three hours. Begged Aurora Sinclair’s people for it. Damian Hale had zero involvement. Zero.”

Vivian’s mouth opened. Nothing came out.

“He told you it was him?” Reginald shook his head. “And you believed him. I’ve been telling you for years – the only thing that man has is a silver tongue. No substance. No spine. Why won’t you listen?”

“I-I didn’t know he’d lie to me-”

“Enough.” Reginald waved his hand. “Damian doesn’t matter right now. What matters is Stellaris and the drug optimization project. Go to Stellaris. Today. Be sincere.”

Vivian’s stomach churned. She had just publicly insulted Aurora, the CEO of Sterling, but now her father was demanding she go and apologize to save the company.

She couldn’t begin to imagine what it would be like to face Aurora again.

But with no other choice left, she pushed down the sharp sting of bitterness rising in her heart.

“I’m leaving now.” She managed to sputter, took a deep breath, and then turned toward the door.

“One more thing.”

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She stopped.

“Your mother’s birthday is today. Bring Ethan home for dinner tonight.”

Her body went rigid for half a second. She almost could not breath.

Something even more troublesome. Today is just my lucky day.

“…Okay.” She barely whispered.

Back in her own office, Vivian sank into her chair.

Her eyes were unfocused. Distant.

Her father’s words played on repeat.

The Stellaris partnership – nothing to do with Damian.

The overseas channel – nothing to do with Damian.

How?

She’d been so sure. So completely, unquestioningly sure that Damian was the reason Stellaris had worked with Lockwood. That the overseas breakthrough was his doing.

But now that she thought about it – really thought about it – Damian had never actually said it was him.

He’d smiled. Deflected. Let her assumptions fill in the blanks.

He hadn’t denied it. But he hadn’t confirmed it either.

11:00 AM.

Stellaris International Trading. CEO’s office.

Aurora Sinclair settled back into her chair and pressed two fingers against her temple.

“Young Master, headquarters wants you to take over as the company’s top executive. Full authority. And you’re telling me you want to start from the bottom?”

Half an hour ago, Ethan had finished reviewing every file on her computer. Then he’d calmly announced he wanted to begin in the business development department. Entry level.

Aurora had argued. Reasoned. Practically begged.

Ethan hadn’t budged.

He smiled. “Don’t worry about headquarters. If they ask, tell them it was my decision. They won’t give you trouble.

Aurora studied him. Realized she wasn’t going to win this one.

“Why, though? At least give me a reason.”

“I spent three years as a house husband. I’m out of touch.” He said it simply. No self-pity. Just fact. “And I’ve never actually worked in a company before. Everything I know comes from the files I just read. If I’m going to run this place, I need to understand it from the ground up.’

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