Elena’s pov
I watched Damien and his lawyer exit the building from my window.
Eighty floors up they look like ants, small and insignificant.
The signed contracts sitting on my desk behind me were proof of my victory.
Not that it felt much like one.
“Elena?”
I didn’t turn around.
I didn’t need to.
I could recognize my brother’s voice anytime.
He always said my name like he was afraid I might break.
“I’m fine.”
”I haven’t even asked you anything,” he said, closing the office door behind him.
The soft click of the lock followed.
“How are you, really?”
”I’m fine,” I said again.
“I got what I wanted.”
I looked down and saw Damien’s car pull out of the parking garage.
“His company is ours. I won.”
”Did you?”
That made me turn around.
Adrian was already sitting across from my desk with that serious expression he puts on when he’s about to tell me something I won’t like.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
”There’s something I need to tell you,” he leaned forward.
“Something I should have mentioned when you first came back.”
My stomach dropped, “Adrian, what did you do?”
”It’s about Dad’s will, Elena,” he said.
“There’s a clause you don’t know about.”
I sat down slowly, suddenly not trusting my legs.
“Dad’s will? I don’t understand. What kind of clause?”
”If any Sterling heir’s marriage legally dissolves before the fifth year, they lose controlling shares for one year and must serve six months under the acting CEO,” Adrian said it fast, like ripping off a bandage.
The words didn’t make sense at first.
“Why would Dad write something like that?”
”Because of what happened with Aunt Catherine,” Adrian said gently.
“Catherine?” I suddenly got vague memories of a blond woman at Dad’s funeral.
I didn’t remember much about that day.
It was a blur.
“Dad’s half-sister?”
”She didn’t just move to Europe, she ran away after she nearly crippled Sterling Global.”
Adrian stood up and walked to my window.
“This was years ago. You were in high school and didn’t know much about the business yet so Mom and Dad kept it quiet.”
”What happened?” My hands were trembling.
I pressed them flat against my desk.
“Catherine was a partner in the company. Brilliant woman. Dad trusted her completely,” Adrian said.
“Then she fell in love and got married six months later. Everyone thought it was the perfect love story.”
”But?”
”But then the marriage fell apart within two years.
Messy, public, and ugly.”
I heard about this back then.
I remembered coming downstairs once and finding Mom staring at the news on TV, shaking her head.
“She was heartbroken, devastated. And she had access to major company decisions.”
I could see where this was going.
“What did she do?”
”She made emotional decisions, revenge deals and all that.
She almost tanked three major contracts,” Adrian sat back down.
“Dad had to buy her out, send her to Europe. Sterling Global almost didn’t survive it.”
”So that’s why he added the clause,” I breathed, “To make sure it never happened again.”
”If any Sterling heir gets divorced before five years, they have to prove they can make rational decisions first,” Adrian said, watching me carefully.
“Six months of probation before they get full control.”
The room felt too small.
I couldn’t breathe again.
“I divorced under five years.”
”Which means you triggered the clause,” Adrian said.
“Which means I’m not actually CEO yet.” My voice sounded far away.
“On paper, I’m still CEO,” Adrian confirmed.
“You’ve been acting as CEO, but officially, you can’t take the position until you complete six months under my supervision.”
I stood up from my chair so fast it hit the window.
“Why the hell am I just finding out about this!!?” I yelled.
“Why didn’t you say something the day I came back? Or the day of the gala, any day in the last two months!?”
”Because you needed that moment.” He stood up, moving toward me.
“Elena, you needed to walk into that gala as the CEO. You needed everyone to see you as powerful. You needed that after everything they did to you. That’s why I decided not to tell you.”
”That wasn’t your decision to make, Adrian!”
”I know,” he said quietly, “But you’re my sister and I watched you suffer for all those years.
I wanted to give you one perfect moment before I dropped this on you.”
I couldn’t believe this was happening to me.
I turned back to the window, and pressed my forehead against the cold glass.
“So I have to work under you for six months.”
”Six months, Elena,” Adrian said, coming to stand beside me.
“Six months and then it’s yours officially. Completely yours.”
”Six months,” I repeated.
I stared out the window, watching the city suddenly blur past.
For a moment, I thought it was my eyes playing tricks on me, until the thought hit me instantly.
“Adrian,” I said quietly, turning to him.
“My divorce isn’t finalized.”
”What?”
”The divorce papers,” I said, panicking, “I signed them before I gave them to Damien months ago, but he refused to sign.
He thought I was bluffing.”
Adrian’s face went pale.
“Elena, are you telling me…”
”I’m still technically married to Damien Blackwell,” I said, the words bitter on my tongue.
“So… the six month countdown hasn’t even started. The divorce isn’t final yet.”
I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself.
“Oh God,” Adrian ran his hands through his hair.
“So you need him to sign the papers before your probation can even begin.”
”I’ve been celebrating a victory that isn’t even real yet,” I laughed, bitter and sharp.
“What are you going to do?”
I wasted no time.
I turned and grabbed my phone, my purse, and my car keys.
“Elena, wait.” Adrian caught my arm.
“He just signed away his company a few minutes ago, he might not be in the right frame of mind. If you corner him now…”
”I don’t care.” I pulled free from his grip.
“I don’t care about anything except getting those papers signed so I can actually become CEO.”
”You know he’s not going to make this easy,” Adrian warns.
“He doesn’t have a choice,” I said, already moving toward the door.
“He doesn’t get to take six more months from me.”
”And if he refuses again?”
I stopped at the door, turning back.
“Then I’ll make his life so miserable at Sterling Global that signing will become his easiest option for him.”
I yanked open the door, walked out of my office, and got in the elevator before Adrian could respond.
My reflection in the mirrored walls showed a woman I’d finally become.
I had on my designer suit, perfect hair and eyes hard as diamonds.
My phone buzzed.
It was my assistant, Patricia, asking about the afternoon meetings.
Me: Cancel everything.
Personal emergency.
I sent her the text and put my phone away.
The elevator slid open on the ground floor, and I stepped out to find the valet already waiting with my car waiting.
Adrian must have notified them.
As I slid behind the wheel, I realized this would be the first time back at Damien’s place since I left.
I exhaled slowly and typed his address into my GPS.
Two hours away.
Two hours to figure out what I’m going to say.
The city blurred past my windows as I drove.
The traffic lights and buildings with people living their normal lives, while mine spiraled into chaos.
I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white.
This morning, I thought I had everything figured out, I thought I finally had it all figured out.
I’d won.
Now I’m driving across town to beg my ex-husband for a divorce I already asked for three months ago, so I can start a probation I didn’t know existed, to become a CEO I thought I already was.
When the GPS announced I was five minutes away from Damien’s, it pulled me out of my daze.
My pulse kicked up hard.