Page 99 of In A Mood For Mr. Wrong

She rolls her eyes. “Oh,please.”

His smirk deepens. “Admit it, Monroe.” His voice is a slow, deliberate drawl. “Youhatethe idea of me in bed with someone else.”

Her breathcatches and for just a second, she doesn’t move. Then, shethrowsa pillow at him.

Cassian catches it easily, laughing. “Temper, temper.”

Isabella lets out an exasperated sigh, grabbing her clutch off the chair. “You arethe worst.”

“And yet,” Cassian calls after her as she storms toward the door, his voice rich with amusement, “you’restill here.”

She stops. Doesn’t turn, but the way her fingers tighten around the strap of her clutch, the way she lingers for just a beattoolong, Cassiannotices. And for the first time all night, his smirk fades, because sheshouldleave. But she doesn’t.

The next morning,Margot and I sit in a private conference room, overlooking the Seine.

Olivia slides a tablet across the polished glass table. “You’re not going to like this.”

Margot and I scan the screen, andeverything clicks. Eleanor isn’t justtalkingto investors. She’sstaging a hostile takeover.

“She’s been funneling money through shell corporations,” Olivia explains. “She’s already secured backing from at leastthreeof our major investors. If she gets one more, she’ll have enough leverage to challenge your controlling stake inPerfectly Matched.”

Margot’s grip tightens around the tablet. “She wants to cut usoutcompletely.”

My jaw clenches, my muscles going taut. “Then we stop her.”

Margot sets the tablet down with a controlled breath, her blue eyes sharp,dangerous. “No, Grayson.” She meets my gaze, her voice cold and sure.

“We destroy her.”

Because this time, we’re not just playing towin. We’re playing toend the game entirely.

65

MARGOT

Inever make a move unless IknowI’m going to win. That’s how I builtPerfectly Matchedinto what it is today, through calculated risks, controlled strategies, and never letting anyone getaheadof me. But now, Eleanor has forced my hand. She isn’t just trying torattleus, she’stakingwhat’s ours, positioning herself for a full takeover while we’ve been busy expanding. She’s been playing a long game, waiting until we were stretched across continents before making her move and I’ll be damned if I let her win. Because Eleanorunderestimatesme. She thinks I’ll playdefense. That I’ll scramble to fix this, negotiate,react. She’s wrong. I’m about to take heroff the board entirely.

I sit at the head of the table in our Parisian office, my hands folded neatly in front of me. Every ounce of my focus is sharp, cutting,ready. The conference room hums with tension. Olivia, ever composed, scrolls through her tablet, swiping through files that detailexactlyhow deep Eleanor’s reach has gotten. Grayson leans back in his chair beside me, his arms crossed, his jaw clenched. I canfeelthe storm brewing in him, barely contained beneath the surface.

“Tell me everything,” I say, my voice as smooth as I can manage.

Olivia doesn’t hesitate. “Eleanor has been securing investors quietly formonths. We thought she was circling, waiting for an opportunity, but she wasbuildingone.” She taps her screen, and numbers appear on the sleek digital board in front of us. “If she convinces justonemore investor to flip, she can force an emergency vote to challenge our controlling stake.”

Grayson exhales sharply. “She won’t stop at that. She’ll push for an immediate restructuring.”

I nod, my hands tightening into fists beneath the table. “She wantsPerfectly Matchedout of our hands completely.”

Olivia glances up, meeting my gaze. “Exactly. And she’s already reached out to potential replacements for the executive team.”

Grayson straightens, his body coiled with tension. “Shethinksshe can walk in again and erase us?”

I let out a slow breath, tilting my head. “Shethinksshe’s already won.”

Olivia’s lips twitch slightly, the closest thing to amusement I’ve seen from her all week. “She does.”

Grayson turns to me, his blue eyes locking onto mine. “Then let’s prove her wrong.”

I smirk, leaning forward. “Let’s do more than that. Let’s make sure shenever plays this game again.”

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