A Divorce He Regrets (Raina and Alexander) novel Chapter 219

DOMINIC

I sat before the board of directors, their eyes boring into me with unyielding scrutiny. The room was thick with tension and the low murmur of anxious voices. One director leaned forward, his tone edged with impatience, and demanded, "Dominic, give us an answer—what’s really going on? Where is Raina, and why are our stocks falling like this?" His words echoed around the table, and I felt my heart sink. I knew I couldn’t tell them the truth—that Raina had been kidnapped. I forced myself to remain composed, even as my mind screamed in silent agony.

Before I could formulate a lie, another board member, his voice bitter and condescending, interjected, "You know, giving a woman raised from poverty the responsibility to run a company like the Grahams—it's bound to fail." His words stung, and I glared at him, my anger rising with each syllable. Unable to contain my fury any longer, I rose abruptly from my seat and shot back, "Do you have any idea how this company was birthed? The very foundation of the Grahams was built on blood, sweat, and determination—something you clearly know nothing about." The room fell momentarily silent, the weight of my retort hanging in the air.

But one of the directors quickly interrupted him, his voice calm yet firm as he noted, "There's no need to argue about that now; that's not why we called you here." His dismissal only added depth to the restless energy in the room. They pressed on, demanding to know where Raina was and why she hadn't been in the office. Swallowing hard, I forced a lie out through gritted teeth: "She’s taking care of our grandma," I said, knowing full well it was bullshit, but it was the only excuse I could muster in that moment.

As I sat back down, my mind raced with guilt and the bitter taste of my own deception. I knew I couldn’t reveal that Raina had been kidnapped—not yet. My thoughts churned with regret as I silently vowed that I would do everything in my power to bring her back, even if I had to sacrifice every ounce of trust I’d built with these men. That lie, flimsy and desperate, was all I had to keep them at bay for now.

In the quiet moment, I silently vowed to uncover the source of these lies. I needed to know—who was behind these lies? And then, at last, after what seemed like forever, the meeting suddenly ended. I sat stunned for a moment, the crushing weight of their doubts bearing down on me, and I knew that this was just the beginning of a bigger storm.

Leaving the boardroom, I made my way back to my own office, my thoughts drifting unbidden to Faith and our fractured family. As I pushed open the door to my office, I was met by the sight of three people waiting inside. One of them, a young man, sat arrogantly in my chair as though he owned the place. My blood boiled as I demanded, "What the fuck is this?" The young man looked up with a confident smile and said, "Hello, brother, we finally meet. My name is Jonah Grahams." His tone was almost mocking, as if our meeting had been long overdue.