THE HIDDEN KING

Chapter 5: The Breaking Point

The boardroom at Monroe Group gleamed with polished marble, gold-trimmed chairs, and a skyline view that screamed power. But beneath the surface, the air was taut, directors shifting uncomfortably, whispers passing between them as they waited.

Ashley strode in, heels clicking like gunfire. Her red silk blouse caught the light, bold, commanding. She slammed her leather folder onto the table, eyes sweeping the room.

“Enough of this cowardice,” she declared. “Summit’s hesitation is a bluff. They’ll come crawling back when they realize they can’t survive without us.”

The directors exchanged uneasy glances. One of them, an older man named Harrington, cleared his throat. “With respect, Madam Monroe, Summit’s decision was not impulsive. They’re aligning elsewhere. Rumor has it… Gordon Monroe is involved.”

Ashley’s laugh was sharp, brittle. “Rumors. That’s all you people have? My ex-husband? The man couldn’t close a lemonade stand. He has nothing.”

But Harrington didn’t look convinced. “Chairman Liu wouldn’t postpone without reason. The optics are bad, Ashley. Investors are asking questions.”

Her hand slammed onto the table. “I am Monroe Group. Without me, none of this exists!”

Silence. Even Clara, standing at the back, flinched.

Ashley drew a steadying breath, forcing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Let me be clear, Gordon is nothing but a distraction. And tomorrow night, at the Midtown Charity Auction, I’ll prove it. I’ll remind this city who owns the stage.”

The next evening, Midtown’s Grand Hotel blazed with light. The charity auction was a yearly spectacle, where fortunes weren’t just spent, they were displayed like jewels.

Celebrities, tycoons, and dignitaries filled the hall, cameras flashing as designer gowns swept across marble floors.

Ashley arrived in a crimson gown that hugged her frame, diamonds glittering at her throat. She radiated confidence, but inside, her stomach twisted. This is my arena. This is where I’ll silence them.

Clara leaned close as they entered. “Madam, are you certain? If rumors are true, Gordon might be here.”

Ashley smirked. “Let him. I’ll crush him in front of everyone.”

The auction began. Priceless art, rare wines, antique watches, items soared under the hammer. Ashley made her presence felt, raising her paddle with authority, buying what she didn’t need simply to show strength.

Cameras snapped, reporters whispered. And then… the final item was unveiled. Lot 27.

A rare sapphire necklace “The Ocean’s Heart”  valued not just for its beauty, but for its storied provenance. It was the crown jewel of the evening, and Ashley knew it.

“This,” she whispered to Clara, “is how we remind them who commands this city.”

The bidding began at $500,000.

Ashley lifted her paddle. “One million.”

Gasps. Heads turned. Cameras flashed. The auctioneer nodded. “We have one million. Do I hear one point two?”

Another paddle rose across the room. Ashley’s gaze followed, and froze. Gordon.

He sat at a front-row table, Edward Kane beside him, surrounded by quiet, powerful figures. Calm. Collected. As though he belonged there more than she did.

Ashley’s heart skipped, but she forced a smirk. “Two million.”

The room buzzed. The auctioneer’s gavel hovered. “Two million. Do I hear two point five?”

Gordon lifted his paddle lazily. “Five million.”

The crowd erupted. Reporters scribbled. Gasps filled the air. Ashley’s blood surged. She couldn’t back down. Not here. Not in front of him.

“Ten million!” she snapped.

The room stilled. All eyes on her. The auctioneer blinked. “Ten million. Extraordinary. Do I hear twelve?”

Gordon’s paddle rose, calm as ever. “Twenty million.”

A stunned silence fell. Even the auctioneer faltered. Ashley’s hands trembled on her paddle. She wanted to scream. To prove she was still untouchable.

But ten million had already stretched her liquidity. Her board was watching. Investors were watching. She couldn’t… she couldn’t. Her lips parted, but no words came.

The gavel slammed. “Sold! To Mr. Gordon Monroe, for twenty million dollars!”

Applause thundered. Cameras exploded in flashes. Ashley stood frozen, heat crawling up her neck, her smile brittle and cracked. She had been outbid, outshone, outclassed, by the man she once dismissed as worthless.

Later, as the crowd thinned, Gordon approached. The sapphire necklace box rested in his hand, his victory quiet but absolute.

Ashley forced her lips into a smile. “Congratulations. Enjoy wasting your money.”

Gordon’s gaze held hers, unflinching. “Money isn’t wasted when it buys clarity.”

Her jaw tightened. “Clarity?”

He leaned closer, his voice low. “Now they all see what I always knew. Without me, you’re nothing but noise.”

Ashley’s mask cracked, anger flaring in her eyes. “This isn’t over.”

He smiled faintly. “No, Ashley. It’s only just begun.”

Then he walked away, the necklace in hand, as flashes followed him, not her. Outside the hotel, Clara hurried to keep up with Ashley’s furious strides. “Madam, please”

“Don’t say it,” Ashley snapped. “Don’t you dare say his name.”

“But the board”

Ashley whirled, her eyes blazing. “The board answers to me!”

But even as she said it, doubt gnawed at her. She had felt it in the room. The shift. The way eyes no longer clung to her, but drifted toward Gordon.

And in the silence of her car ride home, pride and fear battled in her chest, leaving her trembling. Meanwhile, Gordon sat with Edward in a quiet lounge, the sapphire necklace gleaming under the light.

Edward chuckled. “That was brutal.”

“It wasn’t about the necklace,” Gordon said, his tone even. “It was about showing her the stage is no longer hers.”

“And the city?”

Gordon’s gaze turned toward the window, the skyline glittering. “They’ll follow strength. And tonight, they saw it wasn’t hers anymore.”