The CEO and the Country Wildflower chapter 32

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The CEO and the Country Wildflower
Chapter 32: The Lion’s Den


The boardroom of York Group was eerily silent, the weight of Richard Brown’s unexpected involvement pressing down on everyone. Lucas sat at the head of the table, his jaw clenched, fingers drumming against the polished wood. Emelly, seated beside him, could feel the tension radiating off him—his usual migraine must have been flaring up again. Without thinking, she reached under the table and brushed her fingers against his wrist. Lucas stilled. The pain in his temples dulled instantly, replaced by a warmth he couldn’t explain. He shot her a sideways glance, but Emelly was already pulling her hand back, pretending to study the contract in front of her. “We need a new strategy,” Lucas said, his voice low but commanding.


“Richard Brown doesn’t play fair. If he’s involved, this merger is a war, not a negotiation.” Tony leaned forward. “Emelly uncovered the contract traps, but Richard will have more layers to this. He’s notorious for burying clauses in fine print.”


Linda, sitting across from Emelly, smirked. “Maybe if someone hadn’t rushed into things, we wouldn’t be in this mess.” Emelly’s eyes narrowed. “Funny, since the ‘mess’ was almost caused by a certain someone’s hacking attempt.” Linda’s smirk vanished. Lucas cut in before the argument could escalate. “Enough. We don’t have time for infighting. Emelly, I need you to go through every document again—cross-reference every clause, every footnote. Tony, dig up anything you can on Richard’s past deals. I want to know his patterns.” Emelly nodded, but her mind was already racing. She had memorized the contract earlier, but Richard’s reputation meant there had to be something she missed.


Later that evening, Emelly sat hunched over her laptop in the office break room, surrounded by stacks of files. Jane had brought her coffee—twice—but even caffeine wasn’t enough to shake the exhaustion creeping in. “You look like you’re about to pass out,” Jane said, nudging her. “I can’t stop now,” Emelly muttered. “If I miss something, York Group could lose millions—or worse.” Jane sighed. “You really care about this company, huh? Or is it a certain CEO?” Emelly’s cheeks warmed. “It’s just business.” “Uh-huh. And the hand-holding under the table?” Emelly nearly choked on her coffee. “You saw that?” Jane grinned. “I see everything. So does Tony, by the way. He’s been sighing dramatically every time you and Lucas exchange ‘meaningful glances.’” Emelly groaned, burying her face in her hands. Before Jane could tease her further, Lucas’s voice cut through the room. “Emelly. My office. Now.” She scrambled up, shooting Jane a panicked look.


Lucas’s office was dimly lit, the city lights of Lasmington glittering beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. He stood with his back to her, shoulders tense. “You found something,” he said without turning. Emelly hesitated. “Not yet. But I will.” He finally faced her, his expression unreadable. “Richard Brown doesn’t just want the merger. He wants York Group.” Her breath hitched. “How do you know?” “Because I know him.” Lucas’s voice was ice. “He’s the reason my father stepped down as CEO years ago. He nearly destroyed this company once. I won’t let it happen again.” Emelly had never seen him like this—raw, vulnerable. The usual arrogance was gone, replaced by something deeper.


She stepped closer without thinking. “We’ll stop him.” Lucas stared at her, his gaze flickering to her lips for the briefest second before he looked away. “You should go home. Get some rest.” “Not until I find what we’re missing.” A beat of silence. Then, reluctantly, Lucas nodded. “Fine. But I’m staying too.” --- By midnight, Emelly’s eyes burned from staring at screens, but she refused to give up. Then—there it was. A single line buried in an appendix, written in dense legal jargon. “Lucas,” she breathed. He was at her side in an instant, his arm brushing against hers. The contact sent a jolt through her, but she forced herself to focus. “This clause,” she pointed. “It gives Brown Group control over York’s patents if the merger falls through. They’re setting us up to fail.” Lucas’s expression darkened. “So even if we walk away, they win.” Emelly’s mind raced. “Unless we rewrite the terms first. We need leverage.” Lucas exhaled sharply. “There’s only one person who might have it.” She met his eyes, understanding dawning. “Your father.”


--- The chapter ends with Emelly and Lucas standing outside the estate of Lucas’s estranged father, the weight of their next move hanging between them. If they couldn’t convince the former CEO to help, York Group—and whatever was growing between them—might not survive.