Chapter 6 Evangeline 6

ELIZABETH MOORE

I leaned back on my seat, letting out a breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding as the jet's wheels kissed the runway. The trip had been short, but exhausting all the same. Every trip was exhausting these days.

The flight attendant opened the door, sending an onrush of the warm afternoon air into the cabin. I didn't move right away- I had learned never to. Instead, my head of security stepped out first, tall and broad in his crisp black suit. Nine others followed him, scanning the tarmac. Only when they gave subtle nods did I rise with my kids and my secretary. The men stiffened immediately, already on guard as they formed a wall before we had even reached the door.

A convoy was waiting outside already in a neat line at the bottom of the stairs, black SUVs gleaming in the sunlight with tinted windows.

When we reached the car in the middle, a man in a gray suit stepped forward, bowing his head respectfully. "Ms. Moore. Welcome."

I flashed him that rehearsed smile I'd mastered over the years. It was calm, almost warm and revealed nothing of my exhaustion.

"Thank you," I said, and he immediately signaled one of the drivers. The door of the SUV was opened with crisp precision. We slipped inside, and the guards immediately spilled into the convoy. Once inside, I leaned back, resting my head for the briefest moment before I was interrupted.

"Ms. Moore," My secretary's voice chimed from across the seat.

I cracked one eye open. "Go ahead, Anna." She was already holding a tablet, scrolling through lists of names and times. "We've had to reschedule your call with the Singapore office next week. The Milan team insists you oversee the final designs before they release the winter line, and there are updates regarding the AI startup in San Francisco. Also, the board wants your presence for next quarter's budget presentation."

My temples ached. "Anna, do you ever get tired of hearing your own voice?"

She allowed herself the faintest smirk. "Not when it's about keeping your empire from falling apart."

Empire. That word made me scoff slightly before I pressed my lips together, staring out the window at the blur of the city rolling past. Months of endless travel, boardrooms, contracts, handshakes and smiles that never reached my eyes. I couldn't even remember the last time I had taken a true break. For someone like me, breaks rarely came.

But God, how I wanted one.

Five years ago I had nothing. No name. No power. No wealth. I had been mocked and pushed aside, treated as less than nothing but it all changed soon. After my fashion and beauty businesses did astronomical numbers in the first two years, I expanded into tech. Investments in fintech, AI, and e-commerce platforms made me untouchable. Then came real estate. Luxury hotels. Resorts. You name it. But right now, my conglomerate wasn't just known. It was feared. And despite all that, despite everything I had built, I'd learnt to always go for more.

That's why today mattered. I was on my way to finalize the acquisition of a billion-dollar company. Another empire absorbed into mine and another jewel in my crown.

"Ms. Moore." Anna's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "We've arrived."

The SUV rolled to a smooth stop. I straightened, slipping my sunglasses into place before the door opened and the chaos exploded.

Flashes. Shouts. A wall of noise. Paparazzi pressed against barriers and the cameras flashed like lightning with a thousand voices screaming my name and asking questions I had no intention of answering.

My guards were already there long before my arrival, forming a long wall between me and the frenzy. It felt like nothing now though, because ever since I rose into fame two years ago, I'd always been swarmed. Trent and Tessa were in front of us, rounded by guards so nobody could see them and take a picture of them. They'd been brought here in a separate SUV.

Once we were inside the skyscraper, silence returned. But every head in the lobby turned in shock at my sight. I didn't need to command attention, it happened naturally.

At each side of me, a small hand was tucked firmly in mine.

"Mommy, are we late?" Tessa whispered, her little voice barely reaching the click of our steps. She tugged at my sleeve, her curls bouncing as she looked up at me with wide eyes.

"No, sweetheart," I murmured, brushing a strand from her forehead while taking Trent's hand again. "We're right on time."

Trent grinned mischievously. "Does that mean we get to press the button in the elevator again?"

My lips curved into the faintest smile. "Just once each. No fighting."

The receptionist at the front desk scrambled to her feet once she saw us. Then she bowed. "Ms. Moore, the board is waiting for you on the top floor."

Once inside the elevator with my children and the guards, I crouched and smoothed Tessa's dress before brushing imaginary dust from Trent's blazer. "I need you both to wait with the guards. I'll be back soon."

"Promise?" Tessa asked softly.

"Promise," I kissed her forehead then Trent's. "Stay close. I'll be right out."

The guards closed in protectively around them as I turned to leave, walking into the boardroom. The room fell silent as I entered.

"Gentlemen," I announced my presence, and chairs began to scrape as men twice and even thrice my age stood. I didn't bother gesturing for them to sit. I simply walked to the head of the table and made myself comfortable. The meeting started soon after, with no-speaking until I did.

"This acquisition is not a negotiation," I said clearly, sliding into the chair at the head of the table. "It's an alignment of power. You need me as much as I need you. The only question is whether you want to stand on the winning side of history."

One man cleared his throat. "With all due respect, Ms. Moore, our shareholders-"

"Your shareholders," I cut him off smoothly, "want stability. I want growth. And a future beyond the limits of what you've been offering them. I can give them all that- and more."

Pin-drop silence followed, and the other man tried again. "The valuation-"

"Is generous. We've already discussed this and I don't plan on revisiting it. Sign it, and you'll not only secure your future, you'll be part of something greater than yourselves. I didn't build a global empire to sit here and beg. I built it because I see what others don't. And what I see here is potential being wasted. Don't make me regret offering you this lifeline."

They exchanged looks. Nervous. Unsure. But certainly not defiant.

That was enough. One by one, pens began to scratch across paper. And when it was finally my turn, I signed.

When the meeting ended, Anna was waiting just outside. "Ms. Moore, you were... remarkable in there. Absolutely commanding."

I allowed myself the smallest smile.

We hadn't even left the company building before she brought up my next and final meeting for the month which was going to happen in two days time. I didn't want to attend another meeting. If I had a choice, I'd take the kids on the first flight out, somewhere quiet, somewhere far from boardrooms and signatures. But choice wasn't a luxury I had.

The next meeting was too important.

My empire fed off resources controlled by him. That made us interdependent. I needed his alliance not just for growth, but for survival.

And beyond that, there was also security. Protection. I had enemies in the form of corporate rivals who wanted nothing but to see me fall. I needed a shield and Mr. Agreste had exactly that and more.

On the day, I left the twins with Anna at one of my company's main HQ but my kids, as usual, were reluctant to let me go.

Tessa clung to my leg, her little arms wrapped around my leg so tightly I almost stumbled. "Mommy, don't be long."

My heart gave a painful twist. I smoothed her curls back, kissing her forehead. "I'll be back before you know it, sweetheart." I couldn't wait for this to end so I could spend more time with my family.

I gave them both one last kiss before leaving for the lunch meeting. The drive was very short, so short my thoughts were still tangled when the car slowed in front of the restaurant.

Stepping in with my guards, it was empty and there was only one man sitting at the end of the room. That had to be Mr. Agreste. But when I got to the table and took a seat, what I saw made my heart stop.

Mr. Agreste was my ex-husband, Brent.