“What exactly is going on here?!”
Sebastian’s voice sliced through the conference room, harsh and sudden, breaking the silence like glass shattering. He strode in without waiting for permission, Candela right behind him. She clung to his arm as if she were frightened, her eyes glossy with unshed tears, shoulders trembling like she’d been wronged.
I remained seated, unmoved.
“I’m talking to you,” he continued, slamming his palm onto the polished mahogany table. The sound echoed across the room. “Why was Candela dismissed? And why am I suddenly excluded from every meeting?”
I stood slowly, straightening my back, folding my hands calmly in front of me.
“I terminated her employment,” I replied evenly, “because she’s inefficient, unnecessary, and only joined this company because you pressured me to hire her. As for the meetings…” I tilted my head slightly. “I’ve decided I don’t want to hand over everything to you anymore.”
Sebastian froze for a brief second, surprise flashing across his face before anger quickly replaced it.
“So you’re making decisions like this without even consulting me?” he demanded.
“I don’t need to consult you,” I answered calmly. “This company belongs to me. I make the decisions.”
His jaw tightened, a muscle twitching visibly. “That doesn’t give you the right to—”
“You’ve already handled more than enough,” I cut in, stepping forward. “And you haven’t handled it well.”
Candela sniffled softly behind him. “Ma’am… if I made a mistake, please give me a chance to explain—”
“Don’t speak,” I snapped sharply.
She flinched, lips quivering.
Sebastian moved closer, his presence suddenly intimidating. “Isabella, you’re acting unreasonable. You can’t just fire someone because you’re upset.”
“Upset?” A cold laugh escaped me. “You think this is about emotions? After everything that’s happened?”
His expression darkened. “This is ridiculous. I’m your husband.”
My tone hardened. “What’s ridiculous is that you still believe being my husband means you get to control me.”
For a split second, something flickered in his eyes — unease. Because he realized I wasn’t backing down.
“You are not firing her,” he barked. “I won’t allow it!”
“I already did,” I replied coolly. “It’s effective immediately.”
His hand slammed against the wall beside my head, close enough that I felt the air shift.
“You’re testing my patience, Isabella,” he warned.
I held his gaze steadily. “Maybe I am.”
His breath faltered slightly. He saw it then — the change in me. Something he couldn’t manipulate anymore.
After a moment, he stepped back, forcing his expression to soften.
“Alright,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. “If that’s what you want… we’ll go with your decision. For now.”
Candela lowered her head, wiping at imaginary tears. “Ma’am… I’ll pack my things. Thank you for the opportunity. I’m sorry if I did anything that upset you.”
I didn’t respond.
Sebastian gently placed his hand on my shoulder, his voice suddenly calm, almost coaxing. “Let’s not argue anymore. We’ll talk about this later, okay? For now… I accept your choice.”
But the way he agreed so quickly unsettled me more than his anger had.
An hour later, I stepped out of my office — only to stop when I heard voices coming from around the corner.
I moved quietly, staying out of sight.
Candela’s voice was sharp, no longer trembling. “So that’s it? I lost my job and you just let her have her way? Why didn’t you fight harder?”
Sebastian exhaled heavily. “Relax. I can’t push too hard when I still don’t have full control of the company. I need to stay on her good side. We’ll just go along with whatever she wants until everything is secured. You understand that.”
Candela sounded frustrated. “And how long do we keep pretending?”
“As long as it takes,” he replied, his tone turning cold and calculating. “She thinks firing you gives her control, so let her believe that. We’ll follow her lead for now.”
There was a brief pause.
“Because on her birthday,” he continued quietly, venom lacing his words, “we finish this. No more fake investors. No more acting. That night, her life ends… and everything she owns becomes ours.”
