"I've restructured the timeline," Victoria continued, pulling up diagrams on her tablet and turning it so James could see. "Phase one implementation should begin in October rather than September to align with the market fluctuations we're anticipating in the APAC region."
James leaned forward to examine the timeline, deliberately keeping a proper professional distance. "The October start makes sense, but I'm concerned about the condensed testing window that creates for phase two."
Victoria nodded, making a note. "Valid point. What would you propose instead?"
For the next twenty minutes, they discussed project timelines and resource allocation with their usual efficiency. To anyone observing, it would appear to be a typical strategy meeting between a CEO and her Chief Strategic Officer. Yet beneath the professional discussion, James remained acutely aware of the subtle changes in Victoria's behavior—the way she kept both hands visible on the desk surface, how she maintained slightly more physical distance than usual, the careful way she handed him documents ensuring their fingers wouldn't brush again.
"Now, regarding the departmental restructuring," Victoria said, transitioning to their next agenda item. "With your promotion, several reporting lines need adjustment."
She pulled up an organizational chart on her tablet, displaying the current hierarchy at Sharp Innovations. "Marketing and Creative and Strategy will now report directly to you, with final approval still coming through me. Research and Development will maintain their current reporting structure for now, though I'm considering adjustments there as well."
James studied the chart, noting how his position created a buffer between Victoria and several departments—exactly as she'd outlined in the morning briefing. "What about Finance? Roger seemed to think he'd be reporting to me as well."
Victoria's lips tightened slightly. "Roger was mistaken. Finance continues to report directly to me." She paused, then added, "Though I would value your input on their quarterly projections before they reach my desk."
Even in restructuring her own company, Victoria was maintaining control. James recognized the strategy—give him authority, but keep the purse strings tightly in her grip.
"And Legal?" he asked, thinking of Natalie Rivera's comments that morning.
"Natalie will maintain her direct line to me for compliance and regulatory matters," Victoria replied. "For strategic legal considerations affecting your departments, either Crawford or she will consult with you first."
James nodded, making notes on his tablet. The restructuring made sense from an efficiency standpoint, though he couldn't help but notice how Victoria had arranged it to maintain her ultimate authority while still elevating his position substantially.
"Marcus thinks Public Relations should report to both of us jointly," James mentioned, testing the waters. "Given how closely we'll need to coordinate on messaging."
Victoria's eyebrow arched slightly. "Does he? And when did Marcus share this organizational insight with you?"
"This morning, after the promotion announcement."
Victoria took another sip of her coffee, her expression thoughtful. "Marcus is overstepping. Public Relations reports to you now inform Nathan, with strategic direction set by me. Clear lines of authority prevent confusion."
Clear lines of authority—a perfect encapsulation of Victoria's management philosophy. And yet, James couldn't forget the moment those lines had blurred just minutes ago when their fingers touched.
"Speaking of Marcus," Victoria continued, her tone shifting subtly, "he seemed particularly enthusiastic about your promotion."
There was a question buried in the statement, though Victoria would never ask it directly. James considered how to respond, aware that office gossip rarely escaped Victoria's notice for long.
"Marcus has always been supportive," he said carefully. "Though his enthusiasm sometimes manifests in inappropriate comments."
Victoria's gaze sharpened. "Inappropriate how?"
James hesitated, unsure whether to share Marcus's remarks about Victoria's appearance or his insinuations about their relationship. Professional boundaries would suggest omitting such details, but something in Victoria's expression—a carefully controlled curiosity—prompted honesty.
"He made comments about your appearance that crossed professional lines," James admitted. "And suggested that if he didn't know us better, he'd assume we were dating."
Victoria's expression remained neutral, though James detected a slight tightening around her eyes. "I see. And how did you respond?"
"I reminded him about professionalism and made it clear the promotion was based on merit."
Victoria nodded once, a sharp movement of approval. "Good. Office rumors can undermine authority. I've worked too hard establishing my reputation in this industry to have it questioned by water cooler gossip."
The implied vulnerability in her statement caught James's attention. Victoria rarely acknowledged concern about how others perceived her, typically projecting unshakable confidence in all situations.
"Your reputation is secure," James assured her. "The board's unanimous approval of my promotion demonstrates their confidence in your judgment."
Victoria's eyebrow arched, and an unexpected smile—cold and satisfied—curved her lips. "Actually, James, there is no board anymore."
James blinked, momentarily thrown by this revelation. "I'm sorry?"
"I dissolved the board last week," Victoria said with remarkable casualness, as if announcing she'd changed coffee suppliers. "I saw no need for their continued existence."
James leaned back in his chair, processing this bombshell. "You... fired the entire board of directors?"
"I prefer 'released them from their obligations,'" Victoria corrected, setting down her coffee mug. "But yes, essentially. The paperwork was finalized three days ago."
"That's..." James searched for the appropriate response. "Unexpected."
Victoria shrugged slightly, the gesture elegant even in its dismissiveness. "I initially brought them in to keep me grounded, to provide perspective as the company grew. But over time, it became clear that most significant decisions still ran through me anyway. They had become an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy."
James studied her face, noting the absolute confidence with which she delivered this information. Anyone else would have mentioned such a monumental corporate restructuring immediately—the dissolution of a corporate board was no small matter. Yet Victoria had casually slipped it into conversation, as if testing his reaction.
"I see," he said carefully. "And how did they take it?"
"With appropriate compensation packages and non-disclosure agreements," Victoria replied smoothly. "Daniel Harris resisted initially, but even he came around when I explained my reasoning."
James nodded slowly. In truth, he wasn't entirely surprised. For years, he'd observed how Victoria chafed under the board's occasional attempts to direct her vision. She had created Sharp Innovations from nothing, built it with singular determination, and clearly viewed the company as an extension of herself—not something to be guided by committee.
"So when you say my promotion had unanimous approval..."
"I meant I approved it unanimously," Victoria finished for him, a rare glint of humor in her eyes.
Despite the magnitude of this revelation, James found himself fighting back a smile. It was such a quintessentially Victoria move—bold, unapologetic, and executed with perfect precision.
"I always suspected this might happen someday," he admitted. "You never were comfortable sharing control."