A Love Forgotten (Arianna and Elijah)

1. Chapter 30

Mr. Linden Senior immediately addressed the security guards who had rushed over. "Separate them. Take Mrs. Linden downstairs to cool off with some tea."

Elijah was livid "Great-grandfather, how can you side with an outside like this?"

Finally, Mr. Linden Senic displayed the authority that came with being the elder of the Linden family. Its vole was calm but commanding

"I am not tiding with anyone," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Let me make an introduction Ariana is one of the largest shareholders in Linden Group. Along with Mr Comer and three other shareholders, I fully endorse her participation in the board of directors."

As he finished, his assistant handed Elijah a formal letter of recommendation.

Ta's face turned ashen as he snatched the document and scanned it. His expression darkened even more when he saw the signatures of the five veteran shareholders. He stood frozen for a few seconds, then named his gaze on me. However, Ladn't say a word

Suddenly, Elijah smirked. "Congratulations, Ariana. You've won. "With that, he tossed the letter at me and seemed into the boardroom, slamming the door behind him.

I picked up the letter and turned to Mr. Linden Senior. "Thank you." I said softly

But there was no trace of joy on his face. He shook his head, sighing

"I'm deeply disappointed in Elijah. I never thought he would turn out to be so." He trailed off, leaving the rest of the sentence hanging, but the unsaid words were anything but flat

I told him into the boardroom. I knew the real battle was only just beginning

The board meeting lasted four grueling hours. From 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, the room was a battlefield of heated arguments and harsh accusations

For the first time, I truly felt the weight of corporate warfare. The pressure was suffocating, but thankfully, Mr. Linden Senior and the other veteran shareholders backed me up. I also had the support of Mr. Webb and Camden, who were lifesavers in navigating the chaos.

By the end of it, I had achieved what I came for I was officially a member of the board of directors and had reclaimed my voice regarding my shares.

As the meeting adjourned, the veteran shareholders, including Mr. Linden Senior, left. They rarely attended board meetings in person, but they had made an exception for the

I was utterly exhausted. Every bene in my body ached as if I'd just run a marathon. Even Mr. Webb and Camden, both of whom were usually full of energy, looked drained. That's when Elijah's

Is secretary, Cory, approached me. "Ms. Ariana, Mr. Linden would like to speak with you."

I shook my head "No I'm too tired. Maybe another time."

Cory frowned, clearly displeased. "Ms. Asana, Mr. Linden wants to clear up some misunderstandings. He's already made an effort to lower himself to speak with you. Why not show some appreciation?"

His words hit me gasoline on a fire. I was already starving and drained, and his tone just pushed me over the edge

Blet out a cold laugh. "Show him appreciation? Why should I? Who does he think het on't forget-after today's meeting, he doesn't even control half the shares I do. Does he really think he can der me around? Cory looked stunned, his face frozen in disbelief."Ms. Ariana, how can you talk about Mr. Linden like that?

Ishot back, "And how dare you talk to me like this? Who are you? You'te his secretary, not mine. You have no right to raise your voice at me.

I back the word leave-barely. Between hunger and exhaustion, I had zero patience lett

With my mature, Cory left, his retreat looking a little too much like a walk of shame. Watching him go, avage memory flashed in my mind. I glanced at Camden.

However, Camden simply shrugged "Maybe he's just not used to the new you, Ms. York"

_night. I remembered now. I must have been so spineless around Cory before, constantly trying to win his approval. No wonder he thought he could talk down to me now.

Sowling, I muttered, "Let's get out of here. This place reeks of bad vibes. I'd never set foot here if it weren't about getting my money back"

Without waiting for a reply, I grabbed my things and left Linden Group with Mr. Webb and Camden in tow