Chapter 18: Boardroom Gambit

The Blackwood Hotel's penthouse suite hummed with tension as dawn broke over the city skyline. Eve Blackwood stood at the floor-to-ceiling windows, her reflection ghostly against the brightening sky. Behind her, Violet paced nervously, while Richard Blackwood sat heavily in an armchair, his face lined with worry.

"You're sure about this, Eve?" Richard asked, his voice soft but firm.

Eve turned, meeting her father's gaze. Thirty years of love, trust, and shared secrets passed between them in that look. "I am, Dad. It's the only way."

Violet stopped pacing, her eyes darting between father and daughter. The weight of her secret – her deep, unspoken love for Eve – pressed on her chest like a stone. But now wasn't the time. It might never be the time.

"William won't expect us to make such a bold move," Violet said, forcing herself to focus on the business at hand. "Crashing the board meeting is risky, but—"

"But it's our best shot at exposing his corruption," Eve finished. She moved to her father's side, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Dad, we need you to play your part convincingly. William can't suspect we're working together."

Richard covered his daughter's hand with his own, a sad smile on his face. "I've been in this game longer than you've been alive, sweetheart. I can handle William."

The plan was audacious. Richard would attend the board meeting as expected, playing the part of the defeated patriarch. Meanwhile, Eve and Violet would use their combined knowledge of the hotel's security systems to infiltrate the meeting room. There, they would present irrefutable evidence of William's embezzlement and backroom deals – evidence that would not only oust him from the company but likely land him in prison.

As they made their final preparations, Violet found herself alone with Eve for a moment. The air between them crackled with unspoken tension.

"Eve," Violet began, her heart racing. "I need to tell you something. In case... in case things go wrong."

Eve turned to her, concern etched on her face. "What is it, Vi?"

Violet opened her mouth, then closed it again. The words stuck in her throat. Instead, she reached out and squeezed Eve's hand. "Just... be careful in there. I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you."

Eve's expression softened. She pulled Violet into a tight hug, oblivious to the way Violet's breath caught at the contact. "We're in this together, remember? No matter what happens, we face it as a team."

As they broke apart, Violet's heart ached with the weight of her unspoken confession. But she pushed the feeling down, locking it away as she had for so long. There would be time for personal revelations later. Right now, they had a company to save.

The next few hours passed in a blur of tense preparation and last-minute adjustments. As the appointed time drew near, Richard straightened his tie and turned to Eve one last time.

"You're sure about this?" he asked again, his voice thick with emotion.

Eve didn't hesitate. She threw her arms around her father, hugging him fiercely. "I've never been more sure of anything, Dad. We're Blackwoods. We don't back down from a fight."

Richard hugged her back just as tightly, then pulled away, composing himself. With a nod to Violet, he strode out of the suite, every inch the powerful businessman he'd always been.

Eve watched him go, then turned to Violet. "Ready?"

Violet nodded, pushing down her personal feelings and slipping into her role as Eve's right-hand woman. "Ready. Let's take that bastard down."

As they made their way through the hotel's hidden service corridors, Eve's mind raced with the enormity of what they were about to do. But she felt no fear. With her father's unwavering support and Violet by her side, she knew they could face anything.

Little did she know that the greatest challenge wouldn't come from William or the board, but from the unspoken truths and deep-buried feelings that simmered just beneath the surface. As they approached the boardroom, the future of Lancastria Hotels hanging in the balance, the real test of loyalty, love, and courage was only just beginning.