Chapter 234

~Franklin~

I stood in the doorway of the executive lounge. The staff cleared and went back to their various positions upon my arrival.

Seeing Bella standing there, alive and breathing in the middle of my company, felt like a physical blow to my chest. Every instinct inside me screamed to storm across the room, grab her by her expensive white coat, and throw her out of the building myself. I wanted to protect Octavia. I wanted to protect our unborn baby from the venom radiating off this woman.

But I had to reign in my fury. I had to force the hot, blinding anger down into the pit of my stomach, locking it away behind a mask of absolute, icy calm.

Bella had played a dangerous game by leaking that fake story to the media, but she had also walked right into our territory. Thanks to the bugging, Bella believed a very formulated lie: she believed Octavia and I were completely falling apart. She thought I was drowning in guilt, meeting with divorce lawyers, and looking for an escape from a marriage I didn’t want.

If I exploded right now, she would know we were onto her. I had to play the part.

I took a slow, deep breath, smoothing out the front of my damp coat as I stepped fully into the lounge. I didn’t rush over to Octavia to comfort her, but I didn’t act completely distant either. I kept my posture stiff and professional, walking calmly.

Bella turned around completely, her eyes locking onto mine. For a split second, her eyes widened, searching my face for a reaction. When she saw how level-headed and calm I looked, her lips curved into that familiar, graceful smile she always used when she thought she was winning.

"Franklin," Bella purred, her voice dropping into that soft, fragile cadence she had practiced for the news cameras. "You’re here. I was just telling Octavia about the absolute nightmare I’ve been through."

I didn’t answer right away. I walked over to the center table, standing a few feet apart from both women. I looked at Bella with a cold, completely neutral expression. I didn’t show disgust, and I didn’t show affection. I just looked at her like a CEO looking at a complex business problem.

"I saw the news, Bella," I said, my voice deep, steady, and entirely flat. "The legal team briefed me on the petition filed on your behalf. They told me about the coercion claims regarding Rufus."

Bella took a step closer to me, her hands clasped together near her chest, the perfect picture of a traumatized survivor. "It was horrible, Franklin. Rufus completely took over my life. He forced me to do those things to the company. I was a prisoner. I never wanted to hurt you or the Flemington Group. I knew that if I could just get back to you, you would understand the truth."

I listened to her quietly, nodding my head just enough to keep her guessing. I could feel Octavia’s eyes on me from across the table, her body tense. I knew this was hard for her to watch, but we had to let Bella believe her psychological trap was working perfectly.

"The law is very specific about cases of extreme coercion and ongoing reviews," I said, turning my gaze slightly toward the glass walls where the staff was still watching. I spoke clearly, making sure my voice carried a professional sound. "If the courts are reviewing the validity of your past conviction based on this new evidence, the company has to take a specific stance. The Flemington Group sympathies with the trauma of any employee who was forced into criminal activity under duress."

I paused, letting those words sink in before delivering the real bait.

"Therefore, until the evidentiary hearing is finalized, you will have your previous role and position in the company back, Bella. We will comply fully with the temporary legal stay."

Octavia took a sharp, sudden step forward, her face tightening with a perfectly timed look of shock and anger. "Franklin! You can’t be serious. You’re just going to let her walk right back into the company fter everything that happened? This is insane!"

I turned to look at Octavia, hardening my expression. I needed this argument to look completely real to Bella and Williams.

"Octavia, that is enough," I said, my tone a bit firm, cutting her off before she could say another word. "This is a matter of law and corporate compliance. We cannot violate a court-ordered temporary safe-passage stay, nor can we wrongfully terminate an executive whose conviction is undergoing an active review for coercion. This is business, and this is the law. We are doing this by the book. Bella here needs our support."

As I spoke, I caught Octavia’s eye for a brief fraction of a second, letting the coldness in my gaze soften just enough to send a silent message. Trust me. I am just acting along.

Octavia bit her lip, her chest rising and falling as she stepped back, looking away with a scowl that looked incredibly genuine. I knew she caught on to the play. She was a brilliant strategist, and she knew exactly how to make the fake marital tension look authentic for our audience.

Bella’s eyes lit up with a triumphant, hidden gleam. She looked between Octavia’s angry face and my stiff, professional demeanor, clearly convinced that whatever she was true. She thought she was successfully driving a wedge right between us.

"Well, well, well," Williams interrupted from the corner, his voice dripping with slick, sarcastic amusement as he clapped his hands together slowly. "This is better than a prime-time soap opera. The grand return of the ex girlfriend, and the current Mrs. Flemington getting pushed right out. I have to admit, Me Flemington, I was worried this family circus would tank our stock prices before the launch, but watching you handle your... complex personal life is quite entertaining."

Williams chuckled, trying to stir the situation and undermine my position in front of Bella to make himself look like the dominant alpha in the room.

I turned my head slowly, fixing my gaze on Williams. The calm, professional demeanor I had used with Bella instantly vanished, replaced by a cold, crushing authority that made the temperature in the room drop. I took a step toward him, leaning heavily on my cane as I looked down at him.

"You find this entertaining, Williams?" I asked, my voice a low, dangerous growl that carried an immense amount of power. "Let me remind you of something very clearly. You are a venture capital partner in JeffTech. You are here because we allowed you to bring your money to our table. But you do not dictate the internal operations of the Flemington Group, and you certainly do not comment on my executive decisions."

Williams’s smirk faltered a bit, his posture stiffening as he realized he had pushed too far.

"The biggest partnership in JeffTech exists because of my infrastructure and Octavia’s code," I continued, stepping directly into his personal space, effortlessly shutting him down. "I hold the keys to this entire empire. If I hear another sarcastic comment or another attempt to stir the pot regarding my board decisions, I will invoke the clawback clause in our contract, freeze your active shares, and buy out your venture capital stake before the closing bell rings today. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Williams swallowed hard, his face turning a shade paler as he nodded silently, completely humbled by the display of absolute corporate power. He realized that despite the drama, I was still the apex predator in this building.

Bella watched the exchange, her confidence growing even more. She saw me defending the corporate structure, and she mistook my level-headedness for compliance with her plan. She thought I was resetting the board exactly the way she wanted.

She smoothed down her white trench coat, walking gracefully toward the lounge doors. She paused, turning back to give me a soft, lingering look that was meant to look deeply grateful.

"Thank you, Franklin," Bella murmured, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "I knew I could always count on you to do the right thing. I’ll see you in the executive wing tomorrow morning."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked out into the corridor, her heels clicking victoriously as she disappeared down the hall, fully believing her psychological trap was working perfectly.

She had no idea that Octavia and I were completely aligned.

As the doors closed behind her, I turned to look at Octavia, the heavy tension slowly leaving my shoulders.

Game on, Bella.