Miriam’s POV
I walked beside Victor as we entered through the gliding doors.
The security guards at the entrance bowed as we passed.
I focused on what we came here to do, pushing aside what he’d said five minutes ago about being his wife.
That could wait.
Right now, I needed to be strong.
I needed to be ready.
I squared my shoulders and matched his pace.
I looked exactly like what a woman married to Victor Ashford should look like.
Heads turned as we moved through the hallway.
People whispered.
They wondered about the aura I was giving off because they did not know the truth- I wasn’t a junior executive anymore.
I was about to become a CEO.
Karen, Victor’s personal secretary, approached us with two tall men in suits falling into step beside us.
She glanced briefly at me, and I could see the questions in her eyes.
“Sir, the board members are ready,” she said, showing him his schedule.
“What are my other appointments today?” Victor asked.
“By two o’clock, you have a lunch meeting with the Shin Group. By five o’clock, the Overseas Textiles and Leathers Corporation requested a collaboration. They wanted to meet with you personally.”
“Cancel them all,” Victor said without hesitation.
I glanced back at Karen, who looked completely confused.
“Sir, you promised the Shin Group this meeting,” she protested.
One of the men opened the door to Victor’s private elevator- it was completely different from the ones the regular staff used.
More luxurious.
More exclusive.
“I said cancel all schedules,” Victor repeated coldly.
“Today is different. You should have rescheduled when you knew what today was.”
“Yes, sir,” Karen said quietly.
She glanced at me with an expression that clearly said “You caused this, didn’t you?” I shrugged.
I wasn’t sure if she was one of his admirers or just frustrated with his sudden change of plans.
Maybe both.
Secretaries got frustrated too.
Victor turned to me.
“Are you ready?”
I nodded and gave a subtle smile.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
The elevator pinged as the doors opened.
We walked out toward a hallway I’d only heard about- the top floor.
The sacred floor reserved only for the highest officials.
I never thought fate would allow me to step on these floors, but here I was.
A security guard opened the boardroom door.
The room was designed on a completely different level. New chapters come out on g.com first.
Everything was professional and official.
Round tables where decisions were made.
Where millions of dollars were decided.
Where power was distributed.
I maintained my composure as I walked beside Victor.
All the board members- middle-aged men and women, all looking rich and important- stood up when they saw us enter.
“I guess I’m on time,” Victor said, switching his voice to a completely different tone.
This was his business voice.
His cold side.
The one he used in meetings with staff.
“Not at all, Mr. Ashford,” one of the men said, smiling.
Victor sat down at the head of the round table and signaled for me to take the seat beside him.
The moment I sat down, murmurs rippled through the room.
A woman sitting beside Victor Ashford was definitely not something they’d expected.
“I wanted to inform the board members first,” Victor began, his voice steady and commanding.
“My father, Dante Ashford, left behind a legacy with specific conditions. For me to continue his legacy, I needed to get married.”
I looked from face to face, maintaining eye contact with each board member.
This was challenging.
Under normal circumstances, I could never have associated with people at this level.
But here I was, sitting beside their boss, about to change my entire life in front of them.
“I need a wife to fulfill his will,” Victor continued.
He paused and looked directly at me.
“But even before his legacy, even before his will, I knew who I wanted to marry.”
That warm feeling came back again, spreading through my chest.
Heat rushed to my face.
I put on a smile.
If he was trying to convince the board members that this was real, then I had to make it feel real too.
“So here is my wife,” Victor said.
“Miriam Ashford.”
Applause erupted around the room.
They stood up and clapped.
I suddenly felt the weight of their respect.
Their acknowledgment.
This was what respect felt like.
I stood up, smiling, bowing slightly as they took turns shaking my hand.
Their body language showed deference.
Show acceptance.
Show respect.
I turned my head toward Victor.
He nodded at me, encouraging me to continue.
I straightened up and addressed the seated board members.
“Well, it is my greatest pleasure to meet the board members of this great company. I hope we work together very well in the future.”
They clapped again as I sat back down.
Now came the real announcement.
“You informed us that you would be appointing a new CEO for Ashford Industries,” a middle-aged woman in an ash-colored suit said.
Her black hair was lined with grey.
“Who could that be?”
“Well,” Victor leaned forward slightly.
“You know her already.”
He turned and looked directly at me.
Surprise flashed across everyone’s faces.
I stood up slowly, my smile confident and sure.
“My name is Miriam Ashford, and I am the new CEO of Ashford Industries.”
There it was.
Stamped.
Final.
The words hung in the air like a declaration.
Everyone in the room except Victor looked shocked.
“Oh wow, that’s surprising,” the woman said after a moment of silence.
Then she started clapping.
The rest of the board members stood up and joined in.
And that was it.
Victor was right.
They accepted it because how could they question his authority?
How could they question his choice?
He was the owner.
His word was law.
I had done it.
I was the new CEO of Ashford Industries.
I was Miriam Ashford, wife of the most powerful man in the city.
I had a position.
I had power.
I had resources.
My enemies were running out of time.
Williams was near doom.
Nadia would soon realize what she’d done.
Lily was facing disbarred.
And there was nothing any of them could do about it because I was untouchable now.
I was finally in a position to destroy them all.