Page 18 of Big Billionaire

I keep my chin high, eyes forward. If I look at them, I’ll fall apart.

After what feels like an eternity, I finally reach Hayes’ office at the end of the hall. I rap my knuckles against the door, my heart hammering loudly in my chest.

“Come in.” His voice is clipped, colder than usual.

I push the door open. Instructor Hayes sits behind his desk, his silver-framed glasses perched low on his sharp nose, graying hair slicked back to perfection. His suits are always immaculate, like he cares more about looking like a Wall Street broker than a dance instructor. He doesn’t look up as I step inside.

“Sit.”

I do, gripping the edge of the chair. “Sir, I—”

He cuts me off with a flick of his hand. “Spare me, Clarke. I’ve seen the news. The Academy has seen the news. This scandal is unacceptable.”

“It’s not true,” I blurt. My throat is tight, but I push on. “None of it is true. I would never—”

“Clarke.” His voice sharpens, eyes narrowing at me over his glasses. “You think I care about your excuses? This isn’t about truth. It’s about perception. About reputation. The Blackwell name is already involved, and the Academy will not be dragged into the mud with it. You’ll be stepping down from your role in the upcoming event.”

“What?” I gasp, sitting forward in the chair. “But I’ve worked so hard for that role—you know that. You said yourself that I earned—”

“Not anymore,” he cuts in curtly. His tone is final, like a judge slamming down the gavel. “Effective immediately, you’re stepping down. You will be on standby. No practices, no performances until further notice.”

It feels like he’s stripped the air from my lungs.

I grip the chair tighter, nails digging into the wood. “Please. This is my shot. My career—”

He removes his glasses, folding them with a deliberate snap. His gaze is flat, pitiless. “If the board decides your scholarship should be revoked, there’s nothing I can do to protect you. Consider this your warning.”

The words hit harder than any slap. My scholarship. The one thing keeping me here, the reason I fight so hard every single day.

My throat burns, but no sound comes out. I can only sit there, feeling the world tilt and shatter around me. I suddenly feel like I’m falling, and there’s nothing to grab on to.

Chapter Eight

Damien

The conference room reeks of polished wood, starched collars, and arrogance. Fifteen suited men line the mahogany table, their eyes trained on the quarterly reports projected across the screen. Numbers, graphs, projections—normally, I thrive in this room. But today?

All I can think about is Lena.

She must have seen it by now…the headlines, the pictures, the poisonous commentary that only gets filthier by the hour. My jaw tightens, my hands curling into fists beneath the table. She shouldn’t have to go through this. Not her. Not my firefly.

“Mr. Blackwell?”

The sharp tone of Lawrence Pierce, the oldest board member, and the most pompous, drags me back to reality. He adjusts his gold cuff links like he’s on stage. “I asked for your opinion on the matter of this most recent scandal, and how it affects the Academy.”

My gaze sharpens, ice-cold. “Clarify.”

He clears his throat, smugness dripping from every word. “This…student. Lena Clarke. The media is running wild with her name, alongside yours and your son’s. It’s a liability. The consensus here…” He glances around, earning a few stiff nods. “Is that we sever ties with her immediately. Terminate her scholarship. Remove her from the seasonal program. Distance the Blackwell brand from the mess before it snowballs.”

A murmur ripples through the room. I catch snippets. Bad optics. Potential shareholder backlash. Headlines write themselves.

My blood runs hot. I lean back in my chair, deliberately slow, letting the silence thicken until it feels like a noose around their necks.

“You want to throw one of our best students to the wolves,” I say evenly. “To protect your own asses.”

“To protect the company, Damien,” Gregory Shaw—lean, rat-faced, always quick to agree with Pierce—pipes up. “The Academy is only one part of Blackwell Enterprises. We have hotel chains, shipping, real estate, international partnerships. If this scandal hits our stock—”

“Then we fight it.” My voice slices across the table like a blade.