The private jet had barely touched the tarmac in Lagos before the luxury SUV was whisking us toward the heart of the city. Alexandra sat beside me, her hand locked in mine. She was wearing a deep emerald suit today—the color of ambition and new beginnings.
"They aren't going to like this," she whispered as we pulled up to the glass-and-steel skyscraper of The Sector. "The Board thinks they are coming here to discuss the quarterly profits. They have no idea they are about to meet their new boss."
"I'm not their boss, Alexandra," I reminded her, squeezing her hand. "I'm your partner. That's all I ever wanted to be."
"In this building, those are the same thing," she said, her 'Ice Queen' smile returning for just a second.
We walked into the boardroom. The twelve members of the board were already seated around the massive obsidian table. The air was thick with the smell of expensive cologne and old money. When we entered, half of them stood up out of habit, while the other half—the ones who still saw me as a 'street boy'—stayed seated, their arms crossed.
"Madam CEO," one of the men started, tapping his gold pen. "We were told this was an emergency meeting regarding the Chief's shares. Why is... he here?" He pointed at me with a look of pure disdain.
Alexandra didn't sit down. She walked to the head of the table and slammed a single, new legal document onto the surface.
"His name is Xavier," she said, her voice echoing like a crack of thunder. "And he is here because as of ten minutes ago, I have transferred fifty percent of my controlling interest to him. He is no longer an observer. He is the Co-Chairman of the Board."
The room went deathly silent. A pen dropped. Someone gasped.
"You can't do that!" the man shouted, standing up so fast his chair hit the wall. "The bylaws—"
"The bylaws state that I am the sole heir to the founder's shares," Alexandra interrupted, leaning over the table until she was inches from his face. "And as the heir, I can do whatever I want with them. My husband has saved this company from three different traitors in three months. He has more integrity in his pinky finger than this entire room has in its bank accounts."
I stepped forward, standing right beside her. I didn't need a script. I looked at the men who had looked down on me, and for the first time, I didn't feel like a 'Hidden Husband.'
"We aren't here to argue," I said, my voice calm but cold. "We are here to lead. If you want to keep your seats, you will learn to work with us. If not... the door is right behind you."
One by one, the board members who had stayed seated slowly stood up. They looked at Alexandra, then at me, and finally, they bowed their heads.
The "Hidden Husband" was officially the King.