Chapter 5 5

River's POV

I sat at the far end of the long glass table, facing Rowan across the room. The boardroom was filled with quiet tension, the kind that settled deep in your chest.

Around us, the other representatives and board members murmured softly, flipping through notes and tapping on tablets. Rowan kept glancing at me, his jaw tight, his eyes sharp with that familiar sternness I once mistook for passion.

But I wasn't afraid of him anymore. Whatever power he once had over me had shattered the day I chose myself. I sat still, my fingers loosely laced together on the table, my back straight, my heart steady.

I wasn't here to crumble. I was here to win.

A voice cut through the quiet, pulling me from my thoughts. "Rowan Rune, you have the floor now to present your pitch for us," the president announced.

Rowan stood, smooth and confident, the way he always did when he believed the world belonged to him. He walked to the podium, his designer suit pressed to perfection, the projector lighting up beside him.

I watched him speak, watched his practiced smile and polished words fill the room. There was nothing wrong with the pitch, but there was nothing exceptional about it either.

He hadn't come prepared...not for this kind of deal. He was only here because he found out I was leading this presentation. I looked at the man I once thought I'd marry and wondered how I hadn't seen it before.

How I had missed the quiet cruelty in his voice, the way he made me feel small when no one else was watching. He returned to his seat, and then I heard my name.

I walked to the front of the boardroom with my head held high. I had gone over this pitch so many times I could say it in my sleep, but this moment-this room-was different.

It wasn't just about business for me. It was about standing tall in front of the man who once tried to break me and proving that I wasn't the woman he used to control. As I began to speak, the room shifted.

All eyes were on me, and I could feel the weight of their attention, but instead of making me nervous, it fuelled me. I spoke with purpose, with clarity, and with the quiet strength that had always been mine.

I explained the strategy behind my proposal, broke down the numbers, and painted the future I saw for their company if they partnered with us. I spoke like someone who believed in what she was offering, because I did.

When I finished, I bowed my head slightly in thanks, then walked back to my seat, my chest rising with a deep breath. Finally, the president cleared his throat.

"We'll proceed with the vote now." Hands were raised for the first presenter...only a few. Then came Rowan. A handful more. And then mine. Almost every hand in the room went up.

The applause came slowly at first, then louder, as people stood to shake my hand and congratulate me. I smiled, not just from relief but from joy...deep, undeniable joy.

Rowan didn't move. He just sat there, silent, his face tight and unreadable. I met his eyes, and for once, I didn't look away. He didn't clap. He didn't smile.

I could see the bitterness in his face, the kind of defeat he wasn't used to tasting. Eventually, the room began to clear out. I returned to my seat, gathering my notes and slipping them into my bag, ready to leave, when I heard footsteps approach.

"Congratulations, River Hayes," Rowan said, his voice laced with mockery. I turned slightly, watching his eyes flicker to my hand.

"Oh," he said, nodding toward the ring on my finger, "you're married, I see."

"Yes," I answered with a calm smile. "To the most handsome and most supportive man ever." Rowan laughed under his breath, but there was no real humour in it.

"You used to say you couldn't live without me. And now you're suddenly with another man?" I zipped my bag and turned to face him fully.

"People grow, Rowan. Some of us grow out of toxicity."

He took a step closer, voice low and sharp. "Don't think winning this deal means you've got everything," he added. "You just got lucky."

"At least I have some luck left in me. Where did you drop yours?" He didn't answer. I could tell it stung. That proud look he always wore was cracking. He hated losing.

"Well", I said as I lifted my bag over my shoulder, "this is just the beginning, Rowan. I have more surprises for you. And I promise, you'll be shocked."

I turned to leave, but his hand gripped my arm tightly, stopping me in place. "You don't walk out on me, River," he said low, almost through gritted teeth. "I'm not done talking."

I turned slowly, my eyes hard. "Get your filthy hands off me, Rowan. You don't touch a married woman like that. Where are your manners?" He released me, but his eyes burnt with anger.

"And let me remind you," I added, my voice sharp, "I don't belong to you anymore. You hear me?" And with that, I walked out, the door clicking shut behind me.

As soon as I stepped into my office, the sound of cheering filled the air. My team rushed toward me, their faces glowing with pride and excitement. They clapped, shouted my name, and pulled me into warm hugs, one after the other.

I looked around at the people who had worked beside me, believed in me, and supported me, and my heart filled with gratitude. When the room finally settled down, I returned to my chair, sinking into it slowly.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment, silently thanking God for guiding me through today. The high from the win hadn't worn off, but work still waited, and I had no plans of slowing down.

I opened my laptop again and got to work, making sure everything was in place for the next day. By the time I glanced at the clock, it was almost 7pm.

My shoulders ached slightly, and my eyes were heavy, but I kept going. Killian always told me to take breaks and reminded me that I didn't have to push so hard, but I couldn't help it.

I had goals and dreams I needed to reach, and to do that, I had to stay moving. Eventually, I packed up my things and headed home, knowing he'd probably seen the news already.

But I still wanted to tell him myself. I always did. Around Killian, I turned into someone softer, sillier-like a child with too many stories to tell.

I loved the way he listened to everything, even the little things that didn't matter, and never made me feel like I was talking too much. As I walked into the house, there he was. Killian.

Sitting on the couch in a white shirt that clung to his chest, sleeves pushed up, his eyes soft but intense as they met mine. He stood up the second he saw me, his smile slow and warm, and I couldn't hold back.

I dropped my bag and rushed into his arms, burying my face into his chest. "Thank you," I whispered. "Thank you for helping me do this."

He held me close, his arms firm around me, and the scent of his cologne filled my lungs, pulling me in deeper. I looked up at him, and something shifted in the air.

The way he was looking at me, the way my heart was pounding-I couldn't stop myself. I leaned in and kissed him deeply, fully, like I'd been waiting all day for this.

He didn't hesitate. His hands gripped my waist, pulling me closer, and his mouth moved with mine, slow at first, then with a growing hunger. His hands traced the sides of my body, soft but firm.

The tension built so quickly I could hardly breathe. His touch sparked something dangerous in me...a craving I hadn't let myself feel in years and if I didn't stop, I knew we wouldn't. I pulled away, breathless, my cheeks warm.

"I'm sorry, Killian... I shouldn't have done that; I was just too excited," I said, covering my face with a shy smile. He looked down at me, his thumb brushing my cheek. "It's fine, River."

But the way his eyes stayed on my lips told me he didn't want me to stop. "We should celebrate," I said, breaking the silence between us, the words slipping out before I could think them through.

"Yeah, we should," Killian replied with a soft smile that reached his eyes. "But we don't have drinks," he added, checking the time.

"Why don't you freshen up while I grab something quick from down the road?" Then, just like that, he leaned in and pressed a warm kiss to my forehead.

It wasn't rushed-it lingered, tender and intimate...and by the time he pulled away and walked out, my whole body felt like it had been set on fire.

I ran upstairs, heart racing, closing the door behind me as if I could lock in all the feelings rising like a wave. I laughed softly to myself and buried my face in my hands.

"I shouldn't have done that," I whispered, my voice shaky with a thrill I didn't want to admit out loud. I undressed slowly before stepping into the shower and letting the water run hot over my body.

But even as the steam surrounded me, I couldn't wash away the ache in my core. I hadn't had sex since Rowan. But with Killian, the hunger felt sharp, like it had been sleeping and was suddenly wide awake.

When I stepped out, my red hair clung to my shoulders, dripping water onto the floor as I wrapped myself in a towel. I stood still for a moment, letting the steam fade, but then I heard the doorbell ring.

Killian wouldn't ring the bell. So I quickly slipped into my red lace nightgown, which hugged my skin, soft and light, with nothing underneath. I felt almost too bare, too vulnerable.

But I told myself it might just be the delivery guy because I had ordered something earlier. I rushed downstairs barefoot, not wanting to keep the person waiting. I opened the door with a quick smile already on my lips.

But it fell.

And the air froze in my lungs.

There, standing in front of me, was the last person I ever expected to see on my doorstep.

Rowan.

His eyes swept over my body slowly, dark and unreadable, then settled on my face. His lips curled into a smirk, sharp and familiar.

"Well, looks like I came at the perfect time."