Chapter 220

~Octavia~

The trip to Greece is now over, duty calls from both ends brought us back to reality,

The morning of the board presentation, I stood in front of my bedroom mirror and practiced my breathing.

This was different, though. This wasn’t about survival. This was about ambition. About proving that I belonged in a room full of people who’d been grooming themselves for power since birth.

Franklin appeared behind me in the mirror, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind. He’d been hovering since we got home from Greece, not in an annoying way, but in that protective, attentive way that made my heart both soar and ache. He still didn’t know about the note.

"You’re going to blow them away," he whispered into my hair. "You know that, right?"

"I’m terrified," I admitted, which was the truth. The project was solid. Miranda had reviewed it three times and given me notes that made it better each iteration. But presenting to the board meant sitting in a room with directors who had seen me as an ordinary game developer. They’d watched the Dorian scandal unfold. They’d questioned my judgment.

Now I had to make them believe I was worth promoting.

"Terrified is good," Franklin said, turning me around to face him. He was already dressed, navy suit, silver tie, that effortless elegance that made him look like he owned the room even when he wasn’t in it. "It means you care. And when you care, you’re unstoppable."

He kissed my forehead, then my lips, lingering for a moment. "I’ll be there. Front row, watching you remind them why you’re the smartest person in the building."

"You don’t have to come," I said, though I desperately wanted him to. "It’s just a board meeting."

"I’m coming," he said firmly. "My wife is about to become Lead Developer. I want to be there to see it."

-----

The boardroom was exactly as intimidating as I remembered. Mahogany table that could seat twenty. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Manhattan. The soft hum of power and money that had always made me feel like an imposter.

Miranda was already there, sitting with her tablet, scrolling through what I assumed were my presentation notes. When she looked up and saw me, she gave me a professional nod.

"You ready?" she asked, standing up to shake my hand.

"As I’ll ever be," I said.

The board members filed in slowly, taking their seats. Twelve people in total. I’d memorized their names, their history with the company, their known positions on innovation and development. Franklin slipped into the back row, catching my eye for just a fraction of a second before looking away, giving me the space I needed.

Miranda introduced me with a brief history of my work over the past few months, the hours, the dedication, the results. Then it was my turn.

I clicked to the first slide.

"The mobile application I’ve developed," I began, my voice sharp and clear, "addresses a gap in the current market. It’s designed for real-time collaboration between remote teams. But more importantly, it’s designed with the user experience at the center of every decision."

I walked them through the development process. The research phase. The user testing. The iterations based on feedback. I showed them the code architecture, the scalability, the security protocols. But I also showed them the why. The vision. The problem it solved.

One of the older board members, Jerry, if I remembered correctly, raised his hand. "This is impressive, Mrs. Flemington. But we need to know if it’s marketable. Can you actually sell this?"

"I believe so," I said, clicking to the market analysis slide. "The current players in this space charge between $50 and $200 per user per month. Our pricing model undercuts them while maintaining a superior user experience. And the demand is there. The research shows—"

I laid out the numbers. The projected user adoption rates. The revenue model. The competitive advantages. I answered every question they asked, and there were many.

By the time I finished, forty minutes later, the room was silent.

Then Jerry started clapping.

The others followed. Not enthusiastically,this was a corporate boardroom, not a concert but genuinely. Franklin was smiling in the back, that proud, smitten expression I’d come to love.

Miranda nodded, her expression satisfied.

"Excellent work," she said. "I think it’s clear that Mrs. Flemington is more than ready for the Lead Developer position. All in favor?"

Every hand went up.

-----

The celebration happened that evening at our penthouse. Victoria, Ava, Sarah, Annie, my inner circle, were all there, along with some colleagues from the office. Franklin had coordinated everything with Olga, who’d outdone herself with the food and drinks.

"To Octavia," Victoria raised her glass, "the latest lead."

Everyone laughed and clinked glasses. The champagne was cold and crisp, and I stuck to sparkling cider, which no one seemed to notice.

"I have something to tell you all," I said, my heart beginning to hammer. Franklin squeezed my hand under the table. He knew what was coming.

"You’re leaving us for Hollywood?" Sarah joked.

"Better," I said. "I’m pregnant."

The reaction was immediate. Victoria screamed. Annie jumped up and pulled me into a hug so tight I could barely breathe. Ava started crying happy tears. Sarah was already planning the baby shower in her head, I could tell.

"Franklin, you did good" one of the colleagues teased, and the room erupted in laughter.

"Best decision I ever made," Franklin said, pulling me close. He kissed the top of my head, and there was so much love in that simple gesture that it made my throat tight.

The evening wore on. People shared stories, made jokes about pregnancy cravings and sleepless nights. Victoria made me promise not to go into labor during a work project. Annie asked about due dates and baby names.

It was perfect. It was everything I’d wanted, my achievements celebrated, my pregnancy celebrated, my love celebrated.

But as the night deepened and the drinks flowed, I found myself drifting to the window, looking out at the city lights.

That note in Greece.

"Enjoy it while it lasts."

The words kept circling back, uninvited. A shadow in the corner of an otherwise perfect day. I’d pushed it aside all week. The promotion, the wedding, the honeymoon, the work, I’d filled every moment so I wouldn’t have to think about it.

But it was still there. Someone had found me in Greece. Someone had watched me enough to know my schedule.

And I still didn’t know who.

Franklin appeared beside me, handing me a glass of sparkling cider. "You okay? You look a million miles away."

I turned to face him, forcing a smile. "Just overwhelmed in the best way possible. Lead Developer. Pregnant. Married to you. It’s a lot of good things happening at once." Lying again.

"It is," he said, wrapping an arm around my waist. "You deserve all of it. Every single moment."

Behind us, Victoria was telling some ridiculous story about a client who insisted on scheduling meetings at 6 AM. Annie was laughing so hard she could barely breathe. The life I’d fought for was happening all around me.

So why did I feel like something was about to crack?

I pushed the thought away and leaned into Franklin’s embrace, watching the city twinkle below us. Tomorrow I would think about it. Tomorrow I would figure out what to do about the note, the hooded man, the feeling of being hunted.

But tonight, I let myself just be happy.

Just be present.

Just be safe.

Even though somewhere deep inside, I knew that safety was an illusion.