How To Lose Your Billionaire Alpha Husband In 365 Days (Or Less)!-Chapter 47: Clear Sabotage...

JASMINE’S POV

"Tell me you didn’t see the headlines."

That was the first thing I heard as I rolled over, my phone buzzing for the third time in less than a minute. Sophia’s voice screeched through the speaker like an alarm bell soaked in caffeine and panic.

"What headlines?" I croaked, barely awake.

"Girl, get out of bed and check your damn news feed."

Still half-blind, I swiped up my lock screen. My pulse stopped. Then kicked. Then stuttered again as the first thing I saw was Sophia’s text:

Sophia: JAZZ. Why is the Times saying you shut down the northern division?? Did you actually?? It’s ALL OVER THE INTERNET. Wake. Up. Now.

Then the headline:

’CEO Jasmine Frost Approves Mass Layoffs—Heart Enterprises’ Northern Division Shut Down Overnight’

What. The. Hell.

I sat up so fast the sheets tangled around my legs.

"Soph, I didn’t approve anything," I snapped.

"Doesn’t matter. It’s everywhere. Twitter. Facebook. NewsNet. Even that over-the-counter gossip blog that only posts about scandals and blood-themed cocktails. You need to get ahead of this, now."

My screen lit up again—texts from board members, staff, and news outlets.

"Is this true?"

"You were supposed to protect us."

"We need a statement ASAP."

"Resignation might be your only move."

A beat later, a message from Daniel:

"Rough morning, boss? 😏"

That smug bastard.

I threw the covers back and stormed to the bathroom.

Five minutes later, my hair was up, my face was presentable, and I was wearing a sharp grey pantsuit that said CEO, not victim. Then, I stormed into Aiden’s room, entering without knocking.

The sound must have startled him because he opened his eyes almost immediately.

"You’re up early," he mumbled, half-asleep.

"There’s a fire," I said, buttoning the last snap. "And I’m the one being thrown into it."

He blinked, now fully alert. "What happened?"

"Apparently, I laid off six hundred people in my sleep. Northern division’s been shut down, and I’m being crucified for it." I grabbed my purse and heels, practically shaking.

"Wait—what?"

"Exactly my reaction."

"There’s an article—no, every major outlet’s running it, saying I approved the layoffs. Six hundred people. Six hundred people, Aiden."

"Jasmine, we both know you didn’t."

"Of course I didn’t!" I snapped. "I didn’t even know we had a northern division until last week."

Aiden swung his legs out of bed, already shifting into damage-control mode. "Get re... oh, you’re ready. Give me ten minutes. I’ll call Kaiden and get a car ready."

"I’m leaving already," I said halfway to the door.

Aiden was already by the bathroom door. "Five minutes... I’m coming with you."

And he did.

—

By the time we reached Heart Entreprises, the boardroom was already a furnace.

Half the table wouldn’t look me in the eye.

The other half looked ready to eat me alive.

"Good of you to join us, Ms. Frost," snapped Gregson, an older board member with a face like sour milk. "We assumed you’d be too busy filming a reality show to address the damage you’ve done."

"I haven’t done anything," I replied calmly, planting my hands on the table. "I never approved that shutdown."

"Then how did your signature end up on the authorization?" a woman from legal asked, sliding a document across the table.

I stared at it.

There it was. My name. My digital seal. On an order terminating operations across five states.

But I had never touched this.

"I didn’t sign this."

"So someone forged your credentials?"

"Yes," I said. "Or... they had access."

A soft, slow clap echoed across the room. Daniel.

"Fascinating theory," he said, reclining in his chair. "You’re either dangerously incompetent or incredibly naive. Neither bodes well for our stockholders."

Aiden reached over and took the document.

"It’s obvious that it’s forged," Aiden said coldly. "Clear sabotage."

Daniel smirked. "Of course, the husband defends the wife."

"You got something to say, Daniel?" I snapped.

He spread his hands. "Only that the damage is already done. The media is crucifying you. Workers are protesting. Investors are spooked. And the board has every right to call for a vote of removal."

I clenched my fists. "You think I’d sabotage my own company, my parents’ legacy?"

"Wouldn’t be the first CEO to drown in scandal," he replied.

"Careful," I said through gritted teeth. "Or I’ll have your ass thrown out for undermining a CEO in crisis."

"You won’t have that power for long."

A growl vibrated low next to me.

Aiden.

He didn’t speak, but his presence alone shut Daniel up.

"I’m calling for a hold," Aiden said coolly. "No vote. Not until Jasmine gets a chance to investigate this properly. If she says she didn’t authorise it, then I believe her."

I turned to him, surprised.

"I’ve already launched an internal audit," I added quickly. "And I’ll get answers. But I need time."

You have seventy-two hours to prove this was all a setup."

"One week," Aiden countered.

Gregson looked like he wanted to argue, but Aiden’s gaze made him think better of it.

"One week," he replied.

That was all I needed.

"But we need some PR done and a statement released."

"I’m already on it," Aiden said, standing up and offering me his hands. "This meeting is over for now."

—

I didn’t say a word until we were back in my office.

Then I exploded. "He’s trying to push me out!"

"Vale?" Aiden asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Daniel," I corrected. "But Vale probably gave him the ammunition."

Aiden nodded. "You’re not going to wait, are you?"

"Nope. I’m going to meet him."

—

I didn’t go home.

I went to war.

And war, in this case, was a quiet café off Fifth Street, where old power met new blood over lukewarm coffee and sharper intentions.

Uncle Vale sat in a back booth, sipping tea like he hadn’t detonated my morning.

"You look tired," he said, eyes twinkling.

"You look guilty," I shot back, sliding into the seat opposite him. "And I know you were at the Alpha Ball. Care to explain how the hell you got in?"

He smiled, infuriatingly calm. "I have old allies. Friends in high places. You know how it is."

"No, I really don’t. Because my world’s full of surprises every day, and last I checked, you shouldn’t belong there."

Vale shrugged. "But I was there... And I can say the same for you. You see, connections are better than claws, my dear."

I narrowed my eyes. "Meaning you know about... them?"

"You mean werewolves, vampires, witches?" he asked.

I didn’t say a word, waiting for him to continue... which he did. "Of course, what else did you think I meant by friends in high places? See, Jasmine... you’re just a little girl in a grown-up world, playing in a game you barely understand."

"So you approved the shutdown, and now you’re pinning it on me."

"I did no such thing."

"Bullshit."

"Language," he said lightly, sipping again. "I’m not the enemy here."

"Six hundred people lost their jobs under my name, and now I’m the villain. If it wasn’t you, then who?"

Vale leaned forward. "There are factions inside Heart that want control. Rogue executives loyal to old regimes. You cut them out when you took over, and they don’t like being irrelevant."

"You’re saying this is payback?"

"I’m saying," he said, sliding a small USB drive across the table, "that there’s so much going on and about to take place that you have no idea about. That this isn’t just about boardroom drama. That drive contains files your father hid away before he died. Names. Emails. Contracts. One of them might explain what really happened the day they died."

I didn’t move.

"And why would you give this to me now?"

"Because your father made me promise," Vale said, suddenly serious. "That if anything ever happened to him, I’d give this to you. Not your fiancé. Not your future husband. Not the company. You."

I clenched the USB in my fist.

"Then why am I just getting it? My dad died over 17 years ago. Why the games? Why the power plays and backstabbing?"

"Because you’re not ready," he said in a low voice. "You think this is about being CEO of a company. It’s not. It’s about surviving what’s coming. And this"—he gestured to my tailored suit—"won’t protect you."

"What’s coming?"

He stood, leaving his half-empty cup behind. "Something older than you understand. And far more dangerous than a vote of no confidence."

I stood too, blocking his path. "I know you just want me out. You’re trying to scare me."

"I’m trying to save you," he whispered. "Step down. Walk away while you still can. You don’t want to know what’s buried in your bloodline."

"Watch me dig it up," I replied, stepping back.

His gaze softened for a fraction of a second. "You sound just like her."

"Just like who?"

"Your mother," he replied. "And that’s one of the things that terrifies me."

With that, he walked out without another word.