His Dangerous Love On Ice Chapter 122: Olive's Pov

The Hopkins Enterprise building had never felt more hostile.

I walked through the lobby, and I could feel eyes on me. Whispers following as I walk by. People pretending not to stare while absolutely staring.

Everyone knew something big had happened. And everyone was trying to figure out what role I'd played in it.

Dating a star hockey player came with some…perks which I never appreciated.

I kept my head down and headed straight for the elevators.

Brenda intercepted me before I could escape.

"Olive. Thank God." She grabbed my arm, her voice low and urgent. "What the hell is going on? Grayson's been in emergency meetings all morning. The board members who sold their shares are losing their minds. And there are rumors—"

"What kind of rumors?" I asked, though I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

"That you knew," she said, her eyes searching my face. "That you knew Hopkins was going to be saved. That's why you've been so calm while everyone else was panicking."

I hadn't been calm. I'd been drowning in wine and anxiety after going to fuck Zane in his penthouse after asking for his help.

I was a whore.

But I couldn't exactly tell her that.

"I didn't know anything," I said, which was technically true. I'd hoped. I'd trusted Zane when he said he'd handle it. But I hadn't known.

"Then how did this happen?" Brenda asked. "Who has that kind of money just lying around? Who would buy controlling shares of a failing company and then just give them away?"

I didn't answer. Couldn't answer.

"Grayson wants to see me," I said instead. "I have to go."

"He's been asking for you all morning," Brenda said. "Olive, if there's something going on—something I should know about—"

"There's nothing," I lied. "I'll fill you in later, okay?"

I pulled away before she could ask more questions and stepped into the elevator.

The ride up to the executive floor felt like it took hours.

When the doors finally opened, I was greeted by chaos.

People were rushing back and forth. Phones were ringing. Voices were raised in a mix of celebration and confusion.

Hopkins Enterprise had been saved, but no one understood how. And that uncertainty was creating its own kind of panic.

I made my way to Grayson's office, my heart pounding harder with each step.

His assistant waved me through without a word. Like she'd been expecting me.

I knocked once and pushed open the door.

The scene inside made me stop short.

Grayson was sitting behind his desk, looking more composed than anyone had a right to look after the week he'd had.

But it wasn't him that made my breath catch.

It was the other people in the room.

Four members of the board of directors. Former board members, technically. The ones who'd sold their shares the second Williams Mercer made his offer.

They all turned to look at me as I entered, and the expressions on their faces ranged from hostile to desperate.

"Olive," Grayson said, gesturing to an empty chair. "Please, sit."

I sat, feeling like I'd just walked into an ambush.

"Gentlemen," Grayson continued, his voice calm and authoritative. "I believe you've met my stepdaughter. She's been working here for several years. Excellent at her job. Loyal. Trustworthy."

The words felt loaded. Like he was making a point I didn't quite understand yet.

One of the board members—Richard, I think his name was—leaned forward. "Mr. Sinclair, with all due respect, we're not here to discuss your stepdaughter's job performance. We're here because we were deceived."

"Deceived," Grayson repeated, his tone neutral.

"Yes," another board member jumped in. Harry. Older. Angry. "We sold our shares in good faith. We believed the company was failing. We believed there was no other option. And now we find out that wasn't true at all."

"You sold your shares," Grayson said slowly, "because someone offered you money for them. Because you saw an opportunity to profit from what you believed was a sinking ship. Am I wrong?"

The room went quiet.

"That's not fair," Richard said. "We didn't know—"

"You didn't know that I would fight for this company?" Grayson's voice was still calm, but there was steel underneath it now. "You didn't know that someone might step in to save it? Or you didn't care because you were too busy protecting your own interests?"

"We had every right to sell our shares," Harry said, his face reddening. "We had every right to make decisions about our own investments."

"And I have every right to tell you that those decisions have consequences," Grayson replied. "You abandoned this company when it needed you most. And now you're angry because it survived without you."

"Who bought the shares?" Richard demanded. "Who has that kind of capital? Who would invest in a failing company just to hand control back to you?"

"Does it matter?" Grayson asked.

"Yes, it matters!" Harry slammed his hand on the desk. "Because we have a right to know who's manipulating the market. Who's playing games with our investments. This whole thing reeks of insider trading and—"

"Careful," Grayson said quietly, but the word cut through the room like a knife. "You're making accusations you can't prove. And frankly, gentlemen, I don't think you want to start throwing around terms like 'insider trading' when your own dealings over the past week could be scrutinized just as easily."

That shut them up.

I sat there, frozen, watching this unfold.

Grayson wasn't just defending himself. He was protecting whoever had saved the company.

He was protecting Zane.

"I have no obligation to disclose the identity of the buyer," Grayson continued. "The transaction was legal. The terms were clear. And frankly, it's none of your concern anymore. You sold your shares. You're no longer part of this company."

"This isn't over," Richard said, standing. "We'll be filing complaints with the SEC. We'll be investigating how this happened. And if we find out there was any illegal activity—"

"Then I'm sure the authorities will handle it appropriately," Grayson said. "But until then, I suggest you accept that you made a choice, and you have to live with the consequences of that choice."

The four board members stood, muttering amongst themselves, shooting dark looks at both Grayson and me before filing out of the office.

The door clicked shut behind them.

Silence.