<b>Chapter </b><b>47 </b>


    Aria’s POV


    “Fuck off Aria. Don’t make a fucking fool of yourself,” Jace hissed at me the moment I stepped up


    I gave him a cold smile. “You’re just scared I’ll make you look like a total clown when I’m done. Because you and I both know who this project actually belongs to


    His face turned an ugly shade of gray.


    “That’s enough!” Delh’s shrill voice cut through the hall. She shouted toward security. “Drag this woman out. I won’t let her mess with my


    party”


    “I dare you<b>.</b>”


    Zane spoke up in an ice<b>–</b>cold,manding voice. He stood there with his arms crossed, sweeping a warning look across the security guards.


    “I’m the one deciding if this partnership continues or <b>not</b>. I said I want <b>to </b>hear Aria speak, so Aria’s going to speak. Anyone got a problem can just fuck off.”


    Silence lell over the entire room. Everyone was sneaking nces between him and <b>Delh</b>.


    <b>Delh </b>was clenching her fists so hard that her long nails looked like they were about to snap.


    “Mr. Elrod,” she said with a bitter smile, “are you sure you want to waste your time on that bitch? She screwed Jace, and then my brother. But both of them eventually realized what a fucking whore she is. You will just be her next stepping stone.”


    Zane let out a bark ofughter. “Well, not every man’s that insecure. I actually like being someone’s stepping stone.”


    Then he turned to me, his face serious “Continue, Aria.”


    Inodded. Then I yanked the mic right out of Jace’s hand and turned to face the crowd:


    “So Mr. Carter had given you a brief overview of this project. But seriously, anyone could’ve Googled what he just said. That doesn’t prove <b>he </b>has anything deep understanding about the project. And the truth is his empty head doesn’t have any deep understanding about anything”


    The room burst intoughter.


    I smiled too and kept going “Ladies and gentlemen, he left out three critical points tonight, and they are absolutely essential for investors. Let me break them down for you


    I went on, filling in every single key point Jace had skipped.


    The more I spoke, the more confident I became, leven started adding in new ideas I hadn’t included in the original proposal, sharing my vision, my passion, my drive.


    The looks from the audience began to change as well. They weren’t dumb. It didn’t take them long to realize who actually understood the project–who was the brain behind it.


    The judging, skeptical stares were gone. People started leaning in, nodding, actually listening,


    And <b>that </b>was the moment <b>had </b>dreamed about.


    It felt even better than when Grayson had handed me the job, when he had promoted me. Because this time, I stood herepletely on my


    own merit


    When I finally finished, the room was silent for a second,


    Then Zane started pping, “Wonderful sphi Brilliant”


    The rest of the room quickly exploded into apuse.


    I gripped the mic and smiled. Then turned to Jace,


    He was still standing at the edge of the stage, but his <b>face </b>looked like it had been dunked in ash.


    “Well, Mr. Carter,” I said sweetly, “anything you’d like to add?”


    He stormed forward and snatched the mic back. “Well, of course! What I’d like to say is-


    Everyone stared at him, waiting


    He stuttered. “What I meant to add was… the key thing about this project is… damn it, I mean.


    “if you’ve got nothing to say, then don’t waste our time,” I cut in tly “Next time trying up with your own idea instead of stealing someone else’s.”


    Jace’s face turned scarlet with embarrassment.


    The crowd erupted intoughter, with a few gasps mixed in.


    <b>“</b><b>Wait </b>a second,” one guest raised his hand. “We all thought Jace Carter was the one behind this project. He even did the promo video. Why does Miss Collins seem to know it better <b>than </b>him?”


    y work.” Ishrugged.


    “Simple. He stole my


    “That’s a fucking liel” Jace shouted. Sweat glistened on his forehead. “I was the one who reached out to Zane first few hathway across the world for that meeting! I brought him the contract!”


    Zane raised his voice, talking over him, “And yet the person I actually signed with was Aria. Ever wonder why?”


    “Because she <b>seduced </b>you! Isn’t that obvious?” Delh shrieked. “You were about to sign the deal with my husband until that slut swooped in and stole it. She always gets what she wants with her slutty body. Disgusting.


    Zane’s face turned cold. His usual yful charm was gone now. His blue eyes locked on Delh like daggers.


    “Enough,” he said icily. “I’m so sick of women like you going <b>out </b>of their <b>ways </b>to ruin another woman’s life. Why can’t <b>you </b>just admit Aria’s damn good at what she does? Apex is lucky to have her.”


    Delh’s lips trembled “She’s not that good… I won’t buy it…


    “Let me be very clear,” Zane said sharply. “<b>Aria </b>Impressed me with her proposal. Nothing else. Jace’s pitchcked vision,cked originality. <ul><li>That’s why I passed on him. I might enjoy messing around with pretty girls, <b>but </b>I don’t fucking gamble mypany’s future over them.” </li></ul>


    The room fell dead silent


    But now…everyone was looking at me differently.


    Zane’s one statement had done more for my name than anything I could’ve said. They trusted him. And finally I was no <b>longer </b>that whore who slept her way up.


    1 let out a shaky breath internally


    “Mr. Elrod! My husband and I would like a private word,” Delh snapped. She looked like the was seconds from losing in.


    Zane shrugged “Sure.”


    He gave me a quick nod, <b>and </b>quickly lifted my dress and ran to his side. We followed Delh and Jace out of the hallroom and into a side


    The second the door shut, Delh fired away


    “Mr. Elrod, let’s do this anymore, It really doesn’t matter who the project belongs to.”


    “Oh and why’s that?” I snapped.


    Jace shot me a nasty look. “Because at the end of the day, this thing belongs to Aper. And Delh is Aper’s new VP now. She can assign anyone she wants to run this thing”


    Rage surged through me. “And you are just going to ruin everything I’vee up with


    “I’m free to do whatever I want yes,” he sneered. “And don’t forget you still work for Apex. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you”


    “Oh. So that’s how you want to y this?” Zane raised an eyebrow.


    “We’re really sorry about the chaos tonight, Mr. Elrod,” Delh said quickly. “But I assure you, <b>our </b>coboration won’t change-


    “Oh, it’ll change. Because of this.”


    Zane reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a stack of papers–the contract I had signed on behalf of Apex.


    Then, right in front of them, he tore it into shreds.


    “NO!” Delh screamed. Even I gasped and mped a hand over my mouth. What the hell’s going on?


    “The deal is dead.” Zane shrugged.


    “You’d really blow up this whole thing for her? You need this project just as much as we do!”


    “But I don’t need Apex. There are plenty ofpanies out there.” Zane smirked. “Maybe I’ll just help Aria start her own firm. Make her CEO. That’d be a hell of a lot more fun, don’t you think?”


    My head <b>was </b>spinning. This was getting crazy.


    “Then you are going against Apex! Against the entire fied Stone Pack!” Delh shrieked, her voice shaking with anger and a bit of fear. “When Grayson finds out this-


    -Π


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