Chapter 7 – Enemies in the Boardroom
The next morning, the Frost Corporation headquarters felt heavier than usual. Security guards patrolled every floor, and whispers followed Ava wherever she went. The scandal hadn't died down—it had only evolved.
Now, it wasn't just the contract marriage rumor. It was Catherine's smear campaign.
Ava tried to keep her chin up as she entered the elevator, but she could feel the stares. "Fake wife." "Gold digger." "Charity case." The words clung to the air like poison.
When the elevator doors opened on the top floor, Damian was already waiting. He looked sharper than ever in a black tailored suit, but there was something different in his eyes—a restrained fury.
"Close the door," he said to Elena as Ava stepped in. "No one enters."
Once they were alone, Ava crossed her arms. "Another leak?"
He nodded grimly. "Catherine released a report claiming you influenced my decisions on the Linford merger. She's making it look like I gave you classified access."
Ava blinked. "That's insane. I've never touched anything related to her company."
"She's not after facts," Damian said quietly. "She's after damage."
He turned to the wall screen, pulling up financial projections, emails, and internal memos. "She's manipulating timestamps—using internal data only someone inside could access."
"Inside?" Ava echoed. "You mean someone working here?"
He met her gaze. "Yes. And I think I know who."
---
The board meeting was scheduled for noon. By the time they entered the conference room, the tension was suffocating. Catherine sat at her usual spot, her smile slow and deliberate, a viper basking in her own venom.
"Well, if it isn't Mr. and Mrs. Frost," she purred. "I almost didn't expect you to show up. Not after the morning's news."
Damian didn't respond. He simply adjusted his cufflinks and took his seat. Ava followed, her expression calm even though her pulse raced.
Catherine leaned forward. "Tell us, Damian. Did your wife advise you to ignore the board's recommendations again? Or are you simply blinded by love?"
The room tittered with nervous laughter. Ava's stomach twisted, but Damian's voice cut through like ice.
"Careful, Catherine," he said softly. "You're mistaking my patience for weakness."
Her smile faltered for a split second. "I'm only asking what everyone's thinking."
"Then perhaps you should start thinking differently," he replied. "Because the next time you accuse my wife publicly, you'll find yourself in court for defamation."
Catherine's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't dare."
"Oh, I already have," Damian said, sliding a folder across the table. "These are the subpoenas. Your leaked articles, false claims, and the email trail leading back to your assistant's server."
The blood drained from Catherine's face. The board members whispered among themselves, glancing between the two adversaries.
"Checkmate," Damian murmured.
But Catherine recovered quickly, forcing a smirk. "You think you've won? You've just proven how far you'll go to protect your little pet project."
The insult struck Ava harder than she expected. She wanted to speak, but Damian's voice silenced the room again.
"She's not a project," he said firmly. "She's my wife. And she's off-limits."
For the first time, there was no calculation in his tone—only conviction.
---
When the meeting ended, Catherine stormed out, her heels clicking furiously down the marble hall. The board congratulated Damian on his composure, but Ava could tell it had cost him. He looked exhausted—tense, like a man holding a storm inside.
She followed him into his office. "You didn't have to defend me like that."
He turned, his expression unreadable. "Yes, I did."
"Damian—"
"You think I'd let her humiliate you in front of everyone? Not when you've done nothing wrong."
Her throat tightened. "You said before that this marriage was just business."
His eyes softened. "Maybe it started that way. But business doesn't make my chest burn when someone talks about you like that."
Ava froze.
The air between them thickened—filled with everything neither of them dared say. For a moment, Damian's walls cracked, and she saw the man beneath the ice: the one who had learned to fight alone, who trusted no one, yet somehow trusted her.
She took a hesitant step closer. "You can't keep shielding me forever."
"I'm not shielding you," he murmured. "I'm standing beside you."
Her heart skipped. "Like you promised."
He gave a faint nod. "Exactly like I promised."
---
That night, as the city lights painted their reflections on the penthouse windows, Ava replayed his words over and over.
She's not a project. She's my wife.
For the first time, the line between their contract and something real blurred completely. And Ava couldn't tell whether that was salvation—or the start of her downfall.