Episode 18 – The Boardroom Trap
Jasmine barely slept that night.
She tossed and turned, Callum's words echoing in her mind: "Stay away from the boardroom tomorrow." But how could she avoid it when her entire morning schedule revolved around that very room? She was supposed to assist in compiling the meeting reports, and skipping it without a reason would raise suspicions.
By 8:30 a.m., she stood in front of the mirror, brushing her hair back with trembling fingers. Her instincts screamed at her to listen to him—but her curiosity, that stubborn sense of needing to understand what the hell was going on, was louder.
She arrived at Phoenix Corp earlier than usual, hoping to ease the mounting pressure by drowning herself in routine. But from the moment she stepped into the building, something felt… off.
The receptionist barely looked at her. The usually talkative janitor didn't return her good morning. Even her team in Strategy wore expressions she couldn't quite read—stiff smiles, eyes that darted away too quickly.
She barely sat down when her desk phone rang.
"Miss Hart, the board would like you to sit in on this morning's meeting. Room 18B. Ten minutes."
It was the assistant to the CFO.
Jasmine's heart skipped. Not the usual boardroom. Not the usual time.
She hesitated. Was this the "boardroom" Callum meant?
Why would they want her there?
She stood up, fixed her blazer, and forced her steps steady as she walked toward the alternate meeting room. Her palms were sweating, her mind racing. She rehearsed neutral expressions, calming responses. But none of that could prepare her for what she walked into.
Inside, the room was dimly lit, cool, and deadly quiet. Around the long mahogany table sat five senior board members—none of whom had ever spoken more than two words to her. Their gazes locked onto her the moment she entered.
"Miss Hart," one of them said coldly, gesturing to the lone chair at the center. Not beside the table. Not with them. In the middle. On display.
She sat, nerves blazing.
"We appreciate you joining us on short notice," another began. "We'll get straight to the point."
He slid a file across the table.
Inside were printed emails. Screenshots. Transcripts of private conversations.
Jasmine's breath caught. They were hers. Her Slack chats with Callum. A few emails from her first week. Her internal notes—things she'd never shared.
"What is this?" she asked, voice tight.
"Evidence," the board member replied. "Or what appears to be it."
She stared at them. "Evidence of what?"
"That you've been receiving confidential data directly from the CEO—data that was later compromised in the recent leak. Some are starting to wonder if you were involved, knowingly or not."
Shock coursed through her like ice water.
"I—I didn't leak anything!" she burst out.
One of the women leaned forward. "Then help us understand. Why did Mr. Reed hire you out of nowhere, with no corporate background? Why do internal reports show late-night visits to his office? Meetings with no documentation?"
Jasmine could barely form words.
This was a setup.
"I was hired on merit," she said carefully, but even she could hear the shakiness in her voice. "I didn't know anything about this leak until the day it happened."
A silence followed, thick and judgmental.
Then, just as one of them was about to respond, the door opened—and in walked Callum.
He looked calm. Controlled. But Jasmine could see the storm beneath his eyes.
"Am I interrupting something?" he asked smoothly, already knowing the answer.
The board members shifted uncomfortably. One stood. "Mr. Reed, we were just clarifying some inconsistencies—"
Callum's voice was like steel. "If you have concerns regarding Miss Hart, you address them through me. She is under my direct supervision, and any interrogation—because that's what this is—must be sanctioned."
Jasmine had never seen him like this. Protective. Furious. And very much in control.
The board members exchanged glances, clearly not expecting him to show up.
"This meeting is over," Callum said. "Jasmine, come with me."
She followed without hesitation.
They didn't speak until they were back in his private office. The door closed with a soft thud, but the tension in the air was louder than ever.
He turned to face her. "Are you okay?"
She nodded. "I think so."
Callum ran a hand through his hair. "I warned you…"
"You did," she said. "But I didn't think they'd go that far."
"They're desperate," he muttered. "They want me out. They think I'm distracted because of you."
She looked up. "Are you?"
He paused. And then, without evasion: "Yes."
Jasmine's chest tightened.
He stepped closer, the air between them electric.
"I brought you into this world thinking I could protect you from it," he said quietly. "But I can't shield you from everything, Jasmine."
She reached for his hand. "Then stop trying to do it alone."
Callum stared at her, something raw in his gaze.
But before he could respond, his office phone rang again. He ignored it.
"You need to be careful," he said, voice low. "They won't stop until they find a weakness."
She swallowed. "Then let's make sure they don't."